NHTSA Complaint #11287409 — 2010 MERCEDES-BENZ S400

WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE HYBRID SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN THE ENGINE AND FAILS TO RESTART. THIS PLACES THE DRIVER, PASSENGER AND OTHERS AT RISK OF COLLISION AS VEHICLE WILL REMAIN STOPPED IN TRAFFIC. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO MERCEDES-BENZ AS IF IS A FAILURE OF THE POWER ELECTRONICS MODULE. IT HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO TWO SERVICE CAMPAIGNS: 2012880004 NOVEMBER 2012 2015030006 JUNE 2015 HOWEVER IT APPEARS THAT THE DEFECTIVE PART IS REPLACED WITH A SIMILARLY DEFECTIVE PART. FURTHERMORE MERCEDES-BENZ NO LONGER MAKES THIS PART AVAILABLE FOR THIS MODEL WHICH WAS PRODUCED THROUGH 2013. THIS DEFECTIVE PART THIS MODEL AT HIGH RISK FOR THE SAFETY OF ITS OWNERS, PASSENGERS AND OCCUPANTS OF OTHER VEHICLES AS THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED IN THE ROAD. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED BY MANY. OF NOTE THERE WERE FEW OF THIS VEHICLE MADE (S400 IS AN EARLY HYBRID MODEL MADE BY MERCEDES-BENZ) SUCH THAT A LOW NUMBER OF REPORTS REPRESENTS A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THIS MODEL. THE FREQUENCY IF EVENTS CAN BE SEEN IN A SEARCH OF S400 POWER ELECTRONICS MODULE PROBLEMS I HAVE CONTACTED MBUSA WHO STATES THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND THEY HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFECTIVE PART. THEY HAVE ALSO STATED THAT THEY HAVE NO LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE TO PRODUCE PARTS FOR A MODEL THAT ENDED 6 YEARS AGO.