NHTSA Complaint #10851085 — 2008 MERCEDES BENZ C300

COULD NOT START MY CAR WHILE STATIONARY. PUT KEY IN THE IGNITION AND GOT A MESSAGE ON THE DASH TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION. NO DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. THERE WAS NO CLICKING OR NOISE...IT WAS JUST DEAD. THE ALARM SYSTEM AND HEADLIGHT AND INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE ALL WORKING SO IT WAS NOT THE BATTERY. I CALLED ROADSIDE AND THE GAVE ME A JUMP, BUT CONFIRMED THAT MY BATTERY WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER WAITING FOR 5 HOURS. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT EVEN CONDUCT THE DIAGNOSTICS ON THE CAR UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING LOCK WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $1000. THEY DID NOT EVEN OFFER TO LOAN ME A CAR, OR ASK IF I NEEDED TRANSPORTATION. SO ESSENTIALLY THEY LEFT THEIR CUSTOMER STRANDED! THIS IS NOT THE SERVICE THAT IS EXPECTED FROM MERCEDES! I HAVE HAD CARS (ACURA AND BMW) LONGER THAN MY 2008 C300 WITH MORE MILES WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE A REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING LOCK. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG ALL MERCEDES AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER.