NHTSA Complaint #10991521 — 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350

IN MAY 2017, WHILE DRIVING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ACCELERATION WAS EXTREMELY REDUCED IN A VERY DANGEROUS WAY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS AN OIL LEAK THAT HAS BEEN LEAKING ON THE WIRING HARNESS, WHICH CAUSED WIRING/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR ENTIRE VEHICLE TO COMPLETELY FAIL. ESTIMATED REPAIR IS $13,500. THE VEHICLE HAS 34K MILES, AND THE ORIGINAL FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRED IN LATE FEBRUARY 2017. HAD ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT DEALER IN FEBRUARY, NO OIL LEAK DETECTED. DEALER SERVICE TECH WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE AND HAS SEEN TEN OR SO OF THEM. UNPROTECTED WIRING HARNESS SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO WARRANTY EXPIRATION, REPORTED SMALL ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS TO MB DEALER, BUT DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE/DETERMINE CAUSE. ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE COMPLETED AT MB DEALER PER MB SCHEDULE. CONTACTED MBUSA TO REQUEST A GOODWILL REPAIR CREDIT GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE REPAIR, THE HISTORY OF THE VEHICLE, HISTORY WITH MB, ETC. AND SINCE THIS DEFECT LIKELY PREDATED WARRANTY EXPIRATION. MBUSA CUSTOMER CARE CENTER WAS INDIFFERENT. PARTS ALONE ARE $8,000. MBUSA OFFERED TO CONTRIBUTE ONLY 10%.