NHTSA Complaint #10679603 — 2003 MERCEDES BENZ E320

WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING FUMES OF GAS AFTER THE GAS TANK IS COMPLETELY FILLED. LATER THE CAR DEVELOPED ROUGH IDLING. WE TOOK THE CAR TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF OKLAHOMA CITY WHERE THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED FOR INSPECTION, THE DEALERSHIP KEPT THE CAR FOR FOUR DAYS. IN THE MEAN TIME WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MERCEDES-BENZ OF USA NOTIFYING US OF EXTENSION OF WARRANTY ON FUEL SYSTEM FOR UP TO 15 YEARS. WHEN WE ASKED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT WE WERE TOLD THEY KNOW AND ARE FOLLOWING THE "BULLETIN" ISSUED BY THE COMPANY. INITIALLY WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS A LEAK ON THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK, HOWEVER THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO US BY REPLACING THE FUEL FILTER UNDER WARRANTY. THERE WAS NO PAPER WORK SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS ACTUALLY DIAGNOSED AND DONE. THE CAR IS STILL IDLING ROUGH, THE FUEL GAUGE IS NOT READING CORRECT (THOUGH THE TANK IS FULL, GAUGE SHOWS 1/4TH EMPTY). WE WILL TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP TOMORROW. FUEL LEAK IS A SERIOUS MATTER, WE WISH THE COMPANY HAD TAKEN SERIOUS STEPS TO FIX IT AND HAD INFORMED THE CUSTOMERS OF THE ACTUAL PROBLEM. HOPE NHTSA WILL LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. *TR