NHTSA Complaint #11372796 — 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ E43 AMG

I BOUGHT A 2018 MERCEDES BENZ E43 ABOUT A YEAR AGO WITH APPROXIMATELY 9,000 MILES. TODAY THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 22,000 MILES. IN THOSE 13,000 AND ABOUT ONE YEAR OF USE THE VEHICLE HAS DAMAGED THREE FRONT WHEELS AND FOUR FRONT TIRES. THE FIRST WHEEL HAD A 1.5' TRANSVERSE CRACK ALONG THE INNER RIM LIP AND WAS NOTICED BY ME ONLY 1,000 MILES OR LESS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THIS NECESSITATED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE RIM AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TWO FRONT TIRES. THE SECOND WHEEL THAT WAS DAMAGED HAD A 6'-7' AND POSSIBLY LONGER LONGITUDINAL CRACK (SEE PHOTOS) ALONG THE INNER LIP THAT INDICATES THAT THE RIM FAILED STRUCTURALLY AND ALMOST CATASTROPHICALLY. THIS PARTICULAR FRONT RIGHT RIM WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE TIRE THAT WAS ALSO DAMAGED ON OCTOBER 10, 2020. TWO WEEKS LATER THE SAME WHEEL / TIRE ASSEMBLY WAS DAMAGED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE RIM WAS BENT AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON. THIS VEHICLE UNDER TYPICAL AND CONSERVATIVE DRIVING CONDITIONS AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WITH THE SUSPENSION SET ON 'COMFORT' HAS DAMAGED THREE FRONT WHEELS AND FOUR FRONT TIRES. AS A RESULT OF THESE REPEATED AND CONTINUAL FAILURES OF THE FRONT WHEEL / TIRE ASSEMBLIES IT HAS BECOME RATHER CLEAR THAT THESE 20' DIAMETER WHEELS FAIL STRUCTURALLY BECAUSE THEY ARE MARGINAL IN TERMS OF YIELD STRENGTH AND HAVE ZERO ROAD HAZARD IMPACT RESISTANCE BUILT INTO THEM. THIS DEFECT MAKES THESE WHEEL / TIRE ASSEMBLIES AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE VERY UNSAFE TO OPERATE BECAUSE A CATASTROPHIC WHEEL / TIRE ASSEMBLY FAILURE CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME. AN INVESTIGATION OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS MANDATORY. THE CONFIGURATION AND USE OF 20' WHEELS WITH LOW-PROFILE RUN-PLAT PIRELLI TIRES ON THE 2018 E43 IS HIGHLY DEFECTIVE BECAUSE IT CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC WHEEL / TIRE ASSEMBLY FAILURE, LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND LOSS OF LIFE.