NHTSA Complaint #753414 — 2000 MERCEDES BENZ 400

ON FILLING THE FUEL TANK WITH GASOLINE, THE GASOLINE SPEWS OUT OF THE FILLER FITTING AS THE TANK FILLS BEYOND 3/4 FULL. THIS OCCURS WHETHER FILLING THE VEHICLE USING THE AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF FROM THE PUMP OR WHETHER VERY SLOWLY FILLING THE VEHICLE MANUALLY. THIS IS A NEW PHENOMENON INSOFAR AS IT HAS OCCURRED DURING THE LAST THREE FUELINGS OF THE VEHICLE. THIS DID OCCUR ONE TIME ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. WHEN REPORTED TO THE DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE, BUT WITH THE GASOLINE PUMP PUMPING TOO VIGOROUSLY. WHEN I ALMOST LITERALLY DRIBBLED GASOLINE INTO THE PUMP AT THE LAST FILLING, GASOLINE STILL SPEWED OUT OF THE TANK. I ATTEMPTED TO STOPPED THE OUTPOUR (AND I MEAN OUTPOUR) BY PLACING THE GASOLINE CAP ON THE CAR TO CLOSE OFF THE FLOW. AFTER THIS THE CAR MISFIRED WHEN DRIVEN. ALSO, THE GASOLINE GUAGE IN THE VEHICLE ONLY REGISTERED AT 3/4 FULL. IN THE LAST INCIDENT WHICH I JUST DESCRIBED, ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF GASOLINE ESCAPED SINCE I WAS "READY FOR IT" THIS TIME, SO IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEED OF THE FILLING OF THE TANK, NOR WITH THE VEHICLE HAVING BEEN "OVER-FILLED". I DID NOT REPORT THE LATEST INCIDENT TO THE DEALER SINCE THEY INDICATED THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME WITH THIS MATTER. *AK