NHTSA Complaint #11323812 — 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300

TURNED IGNITION KEY TO START VEHICLE. NOTHING HAPPENED. NO CRANKING OR CLICKING. COMPLETE SILENCE. STEERING WHEEL AND TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WERE BOTH LOCKED INTO POSITION AND COULD NOT BE MOVED EVEN THOUGH IGNITION WAS IN THE 'ON' POSITION. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH A DEFECT IN THE 'ELECTRICAL IGNITION SYSTEM/ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK (EIS/ESL)' AND IS THE SUBJECT OF A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THIS CONDITION OCCURRED ON ONE PREVIOUS OCCASION WITHIN THE LAST 45 DAYS. ON BOTH OCCASIONS VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY HOWEVER IF IT WERE OCCUR WHILE MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK AND DRIVER WOULD BE UNABLE TO AVOID A COLLISION. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED AND WIDELY KNOWN SAFETY DEFECT FOR WHICH THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BEAR THE COST OF CORRECTING (AT THE CURRENT TIME VEHICLE OWNERS ARE CHARGED BETWEEN $1200-$1700 TO PERFORM THE DEFECT CORRECTION OUTLINED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN). *TR