NHTSA Complaint #10692093 — 2007 MERCEDES BENZ SL550

FREQUENTLY AND INTERMITTENTLY (NOT EVERY TIME) WHEN I START MY CAR'S ENGINE, THE SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT AND "TAKE CAR TO SERVICE FACILITY" MESSAGE DISPLAY APPEAR ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHEN THE SRS WARNING LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK, IRRESPECTIVE OF HOW THE WIPER CONTROLS ARE MANIPULATED (ONE SWIPE ... INTERMITTENT SWIPE ... SLOW SWIPE ... FAST SWIPE ... WINDSHIELD WASHER SQUIRTER). WHEN I TRY TURNING ON THE WIPERS WHILE THE SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED, THE ROLL BAR MALFUNCTION ALERT YELLOW SYMBOL ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND I HEAR AN AUDIBLE CLICKING SOUND FROM SOMEWHERE BEHIND THE SEATS (THIS IS A TWO-SEATER CAR). I TRIED CYCLING THE ROLL BAR ALL THE WAY THROUGH ITS RANGE OF MOTION ... FROM ALL THE WAY STOWED, TO ALL THE WAY DEPLOYED, BACK TO ALL THE WAY STOWED ... BUT THIS DID NOT CLEAR OR CHANGE THE ROLL BAR MALFUNCTION ALERT YELLOW LIGHT, DID NOT CLEAR THE SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING, AND DID NOT ACTIVATE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. MB DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE "PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SWITCH GEAR," BUT THIS DID NOT ELIMINATE THE SRS WARNING PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME I DROVE THE CAR FOLLOWING MB'S REPAIRS, THE SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT REAPPEARED, THE WIPERS REFUSED TO WORK, AND THE ROLL BAR MALFUNCTION ALERT YELLOW SYMBOL ILLUMINATED. I CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR IN THE RAIN IF THE SRS MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED, AS IT FREQUENTLY IS, NOR CAN I DEPEND ON THE SRS SAFETY SYSTEM. I NEED TO HAVE THESE VITAL SAFETY CONDITIONS RESOLVED. *TR