NHTSA Complaint #11139238 — 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S430

DEFECT IN ACCELERATOR AND ELECTRONIC ATTACHMENTS, PART NO220 300 00 04. WHEN PART FAILED, INITIALLY, CAR ONLY POWERED TO LOW SPEED UNDER LOAD. HAD TO DRIVE IT OUT OF DESERT AND OVER MOUNTAIN AT LOW SPEED, BUT DOWN HILL OK. EVENTUALLY PARKED IT OFF ROAD. WHEN NEXT STARTING IT, IT REVVED TO 3500 RPM AND HELD. TRIED TO MOVE IT, IT DROPPED TO IDLE SPEED AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I PARKED IT AND HAD MECHANIC CHECK IT. DETERMINED THE ACCELERATOR WAS FAULTY. GAS PEDDLE DID NOT AFFECT ENGINE SPEED. HE POUNDED ON PEDDLE WITH HAND. ENGINE JUMPED TO 5000 RPM. TURNED IGNITION OFF, REPEATED PROCEDURE SEVERAL TIMES, ENGINE SPEED VARIED, CONTROLLED ENGINE SPEED BY TURNING KEY OFF AND ON WHILE IN DRIVERS SEAT. ONE TIME RIVVED TO 5000 RPM, PUT IT IN GEAR WHILE STEPPING ON BREAK. ENGINE KEPT ON REVVING WITH FULL POWER, REAL WHEELS SPINNING ON DIRT, HELD BY BRAKE. TURNED ENGINE OFF IMMEDIATELY AND REMOVED PART DESCRIBED ABOVE. CAR IS OLD, ABOUT 160K, NOT ALL THAT GOOD CONDITION. I EXPECT TO REPLACE THE PART WITH ONE FROM A MERCEDES DISMANTLER, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THE MALFUNCTION IS DUE TO AGE AND GETTING A USED PART MIGHT RECREATE THE SAME PROBLEM LATER. THE SYMPTOM FOR THE PROBLEM IS AT LEAST CONSISTENT WITH THAT OF CARS JUST RUNNING AWAY UNCONTROLLABLY, LIKE A DRIVER STARTS HIS CAR IN THE GARAGE, AND IT JUST TAKES OFF RIGHT THROUGH THE GARAGE WALLS. WHEN I REPLACE IT, I WILL KEEP THE OLD UNIT. YOU CAN HAVE IT TO INSPECT. THE ELECTRONICS ARE SEALED. I SHOULD LIKE YOU TO TELL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY SIMILAR REPORTS REGARDING MERCEDES S SERIES, AND IF YOU INSPECT THE PART, TELL ME WHAT YOU FIND.