NHTSA Complaint #11186241 — 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ E350

I HAVE A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ E 350 THAT I PURCHASED IN BUFFALO, NY. MY VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 75,000 MILES ON IT. MY VEHICLE IS REGISTERED IN MICHIGAN AND A USA VEHICLE. I AM CURRENTLY WORKING ON AN ASSIGNMENT IN CANADA. ON MARCH 5, 2019, I WENT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FROM MY HOTEL PARKING LOT IN OTTAWA, CANADA ON A TRIP TO BUFFALO, NY WHEN I HEARD THE VEHICLE MAKING LOUD NOISES TOWARDS THE FRONT END AND THE ABILITY TO STEER WAS LOST. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN AND WAS ESSENTIALLY IMMOBILIZED. I LEFT IT AS IS AND HAD IT TOWED TO STAR MOTORS MERCEDES, 400 W HUNT CLUB RD, NEPEAN, ON K2E 1B2, CANADA. FROM THE MECHANICS -THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRONIC STEERING BOX BOLTS BROKE FROM EXPOSURE TO SALT JUST AS STATED IN THIS ARTICLE WHERE MERCEDES BENZ IN FACT RECALLED 21,500 OF THESE VEHICLES IN CANADA, BUT NOT IN THE USA? HTTPS://CANADA.AUTONEWS.COM/AUTOMAKERS/MERCEDES-BENZ-CANADA-RECALLS-21500-VEHICLES-WHERE-ROAD-SALT-USED MY E350 HAS BEEN EXCLUSIVELY DRIVEN IN BUFFALO, DETROIT, TORONTO AND OTTAWA, CANADA, ALL AREAS WHERE SALT IS UTILIZED IN HUGE QUANTITIES. THE PRICE TO SERVICE AND CORRECT THIS ISSUE WHERE MERCEDES CLEARLY ADMITS THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THOSE BOLTS IS $4300 CANADIAN. I AM GLAD THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. I AM WRITING TO THE NHTSA TO REQUEST THAT THIS RECALL BE VALID FOR ALL AREAS WHERE SALT IS UTILIZED IN THE US AS THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE COULD CAUSE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS RESULTING IN DEATH OR BODILY INJURY IF NOT RECTIFIED. I HOPE NHTSA UNDERSTANDS THIS ISSUE IS NOT JUST IN EASTERN CANADA AS BUFFALO AND DETROIT USES MORE SALT ON THE ROADS THAT MOST CITIES IN CANADA. THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIPS THAT I SPOKE TOO, ALL KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SO MUCH SO THE PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER. I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IN GETTING MERCEDES BENZ TO EXTEND THEIR RECALL INTO THE USA.