NHTSA Complaint #10777922 — 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E350

THE ENGINE OF MY CAR STALLED SUDDENLY, BRAKING POWER WAS REDUCED DRAMATICALLY. I WAS ABOUT TO GET INTO A SERIOUS CRASH BUT LIKELY THIS HAPPENED IN A LOCAL STREET AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN EVERYONE WAS READY TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP. MY DEALER TOLD ME THE ENGINE STALLED DUE TO A BROKEN VACUUM INTAKE MANIFOLD LINKAGE WHICH CONTROLS AIR IN AND OUT IN THE SYSTEM. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MANIFOLD ($2100) AND MERCEDES BENZ DOES NOT OFFER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS COMPONENT. I WAS SURPRISED WITH THE QUALITY OF MB ESPECIALLY WHEN I CHECKED THE INTERNET TO FIND OUT HUNDREDS WITH THE SAME INCIDENT AND WITH MANY UNPLEASANT CUSTOMERS. THE BROKEN INTAKE MANIFOLD LINKAGE IS 100% DESIGN ISSUE. MY CAR HAS 107K MILES, I HAD MY EXTENDED WARRANTY UP UNTIL 100K, SO I CAN'T BELIEVE THESE 7K MILES CAUSED THIS LINKAGE TO BE BROKEN. IT IS A DESIGN ISSUE (PROBABLY CHEAP PLASTIC PART THAT AGED OVER TIME). MB HAD SEVERAL EXTENDED WARRANTY ON OTHER MAJOR COMPONENTS SUCH AS: GAS TANK ($2,400) AND SBC PUMP ($2,000) DUE TO FATAL INCIDENTS, SO I AM NOT SURE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE IN CAR CRASHES BEFORE MB OFFERS THIS EXTENDED WARRANTY. I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM SAYING THIS ABOUT MB QUALITY, BUT JUST GO ONLINE AND YOU WILL FIND OUT MORE AND MORE ABOUT THESE ISSUES. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS COMPONENT IS THE FACT THAT IT IS UNPREDICTABLE BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON THE POSITION OF THESE FLABS (CLOSED, SEMI OPENED, OPENED POSITION). WHICH MAKES IT SCARY TO DRIVE THE CAR WHEN YOU KNOW THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN AT ANY TIME AND IT COULD IMPACT YOUR LIFE AND THE LIVES OF YOUR BELOVED ONES AND PROBABLY OTHERS WHO WOULD BE DRIVING AROUND YOU.