NHTSA Complaint #11112200 — 2003 MERCEDES BENZ E320

DAUGHTER DRIVES THIS CAR. I HAVE OWNED IT SINCE 2005. MERCEDES NEVER NOTIFIED US NOR MADE US AWARE OF AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE DEFECTIVE FUEL TANKS. A MECHANIC TOLD US ABOUT THE WARRANTY AND TOLD US TO CONTACT MERCEDES IMMEDIATELY. FEBRUARY 2018 I CONTACTED CORPORATE OFFICE AND THEY TOLD ME TWICE THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE THE CAR TAKEN TO MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THEM CONFIRMED THE ISSUE. TWICE MERCEDES CORPORATE OFFICE REPS TOLD ME TO DRIVE IT TO DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THEM EVALUATE THE CAR, CONTACT CORPORATE FOR AN " EXCEPTION". I DID JUST SO. THE CAR RUNS OKAY, HOWEVER, THE STRONG GAS SMELL INSIDE THE CAR IS FRIGHTENING AND I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I COULD NOT CHANCE MY DAUGHTER DYING IN A AUTOMOBILE EXPLOSION. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE BEEN RENTING CARS FROM ENTERPRISE FOR MY DAUGHTER FOR THE PAST 2 MONTHS SINCE HER CAR IS OUT OF COMMISSION. FOR GOD'S SAKE, SHE'S OUR DAUGHTER AND THE CAR COULD EXPLODE! THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT THE FUEL TANK IS INDEED DEFECTIVE AND IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. HOWEVER, THE REPS AT CORPORATE DECIDED TO NOT TO EXTEND THE "EXCEPTION" AFTER ALL. MERCEDES NEVER NOTIFIED US OF THE FUEL TANK DEFECT/RECALL/WARRANTY EXTENSION. THOUGH IT'S DRIVABLE, I REFUSE TO HAVE MY DAUGHTER RISK HER LIFE. I DID EVERYTHING CORP OFFICE SAID I SHOULD DO AND NOW THEY ARE BACK PEDDLING. THEY ARE MAKING US PAY FOR THE ROUNDTRIP TOWING AND THIS IS UNFAIR. GROSS MISREPRESENTATION. DRIVING WITH A FUEL TANK LEAK IS DEADLY. THEY NEED TO HONOR THIS REPAIR. THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE INSTRUCTED ME TO TOW A CAR TO THEIR AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP IF THEY KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE EXCEPTION.