NHTSA Complaint #11321457 — 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ E43 AMG

I BOUGHT THIS 2018 VEHICLE WITH 9,000 MILES. I NOTICED AFTER COUPLE WEEKS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING AIR FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. AT THAT POINT THE CAR LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. I FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE FRONT LEFT ALLOY WHEEL HAD DEVELOPED A 1.5" LONG CRACK AT THE INSIDE LIP OF THE WHEEL AND IT WAS LEAKING AIR FROM THERE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM TO INSTALL A NEW RIM AT NO COST TO ME. THEY REFUSED TO DO THAT BUT THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE RIM (WELD IT) AND THAT IT WOULD BE AS GOOD AS NEW. TODAY, ON 04/17/2020 I TOOK THE CAR TO REPLACE THE TWO FRONT TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE WORN AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT LESS THAN 16,000 MILES. WHEN THE TIRE SHOP TECHNICIAN PUT THE TIRE WITH THE REPAIRED RIM ON THE BALANCE MACHINE HE DISCOVERED THAT THIS ALLOY RIM WAS BENT OUT OF SHAPE AND WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON. I AM A PH.D. IN MECHANICAL / AEROSPACE ENGINEERING AND GIVEN MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE, I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE FRONT RIMS OF THIS VEHICLE ARE NOT STRUCTURALLY SOUND BECAUSE THEY CANNOT SUPPORT THE LOADS THEY ARE SUBJECTED TO UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THEY SLIGHTLY DEFORM AS A RESULT OF THE CORNERING LOADS THEY ARE SUBJECTED AND CRACK AT THE INSIDE LIP WHERE THE WHEEL HAS LESS STRUCTURAL SUPPORT. LARGER CORNERING LOADS ARE USUALLY APPLIED TO THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL AND THIS IS WHY MY LEFT FRONT WHEEL FAILED AT LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. THE LOADS APPLIED TO FRONT WHEELS ARE EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH STIFF RUN FLAT TIRES AND A STIFF SUSPENSION THAT DOES NOT ABSORB CORNERING LOADS BUT DELIVERS THEM RIGHT ONTO THE RIM, WHICH IS NOT STRUCTURALLY SOUND AND UNABLE TO TAKE THESE CORNERING LOADS, DEFORMS AND CRACKS AT THE INSIDE LIP. I ASK YOU TO PLEASE INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION OF THIS RATHER UNSAFE CONDITION THAT CAN RESULT IN COMPLETE LEFT FRONT (OR RIGHT) RIM FAILURE AND LOSS OF LIFE.