NHTSA Complaint #10918472 — 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300

WHEN I RETURNED TO MY CAR IN THE PARKING LOT AFTER GROCERY SHOPPING IN THE EVENING, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. THE RADIO AND LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD WORKED AND THE SEAT MOVED, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. I HAD THIS CAR CHECKED NOT TOO LONG AGO AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE, BUT THE CAR JUST DECIDED NOT TO WORK SUDDENLY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY SCARY FOR A FEMALE STRANDED IN A PUBLIC PARKING LOT AT NIGHT. I DID NOT GET ANY WARNING MESSAGES BEFORE THE INCIDENT. I HAD TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND TRY JUMP STARTING IT FIRST, WHICH WASN'T THE PROBLEM AS THE BATTERY WAS FULLY CHARGED. I ENDED UP HAVING TO TOW THE CAR EARLY NEXT MORNING BECAUSE THE DEALER WAS CLOSED AND HAD TO TAKE A CAB HOME. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALER AND STATED ALL THE "SYMPTOMS", MB KNEW RIGHT OFF THE BAT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, WHICH TO ME IS ALARMING. THEY TOLD ME THEY ARE 99% SURE IT IS EITHER ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH OR ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK PROBLEM AND IT WOULD COST ME $1200 TO REPAIR IT. IT OBVIOUSLY IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE. THEY ARE VERY WELL AWARE OF IT, YET THEY ARE NOT DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT, AS (THEY SAY) IT IS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM. HOW IS THIS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN THE DRIVER DOESN'T GET A SLIGHTEST WARNING OR EVEN A MESSAGE THAT THE CAR WON'T START AND WILL LEAVE YOU STRANDED WHEREVER YOU ARE? AS A YOUNG FEMALE LIVING IN A CITY WITHOUT FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO HELP OUT, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT IN A PUBLIC SPACE, THIS IS QUITE FRIGHTENING. I ALMOST HAD A PANIC ATTACK, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND NEVER HAD TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE ONLY REASON I HAD GOTTEN A MERCEDES BENZ WAS FOR ITS SAFETY. MB SITE STATES: "TRUE TO THEIR HERITAGE, THEY'RE ENGINEERED TO PROTECT YOU IN WAYS YOU MIGHT NEVER HAVE IMAGINED. AND WITH THE HOPE THAT YOU'LL NEVER HAVE TO." HOW DID MB PROTECT ME? MB HAS ONLY ENGINEERED THE CAR TO RIP OFF CUSTOMERS AND NOT LIVE UP TO ITS BRAND. THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING. *TR