2002 MERCEDES BENZ CLK320 Electrical System Problems

WHILE ON MY WAY TO WORK I STOP TO GET GAS. I GET IN MY CAR TO LEAVE AND KEY WILL NOT TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. ALSO STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. I WAS STRANDED AND HAD CAR TOWED THE MB DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID FIRST I HAVE TO BUY NEW KEY BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING WHICH COST ME $380. GOT NEW KEY AND THAT WASN'T THE PROBLEM. THEN THEY SAID MY EIS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY REPLACED THE EIS, THEN I GET A CALL SAYING CAR STILL WILL NOT START. NOW THEY SAY I NEED A ESL(ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK) NOW MY TOTAL JUMPED UP TO 2,200. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED THAT ALL THESE PROBLEMS CAN GO OUT AT THE EXACT SAME TIME WITH NO WARNING AT ALL. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS COMMON PROBLEM IN MERCEDES. *TR

CLUSTER RECALL FOR MB CLK 430 2002 W208 COMMENTS: DEAR NHTSA REP., I OWN A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ CLK 320 THE VIN# IS:________. MY CONCERN IS OVER ITS FAULTY DISPLAY READOUTS THAT I HEAR MANY OTHER OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING. THE SAFETY CONCERN IS THAT THE LEFT HALF OF THE DISPLAY BLANK AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO READ. IT'S HAZARDOUS AS I HAVE TO SQUINT TO READ THE DISPLAY WHICH TAKES MY EYES OFF THE ROAD LONGER THAT THEY SHOULD BE. AS PART OF THIS CLUSTER, THE TEMPERATURE PIXELS AND THE GEAR SELECTION PIXELS, WHICH LEADS ME AT TIMES TO INCORRECTLY DOWN SHIFT NOT KNOWING IF I AM IN 1ST, 2ND, 3RD OR 4TH GEAR, ARE HARDLY FUNCTIONAL WHICH HAS BEEN MAINLY UNREADABLE FOR SOME TIME NOW. I WENT TO THE MB DEALER AND REQUESTED TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND FOUND OUT THAT THE ONLY WAY IS TO CHANGE THE PART,...

WHEN DRIVING ON RTE 6 IN HYANNIS, MASSACHUSETTS IN MY MERCEDES CLK 430 (THE DROP DOWN OPTIONS ONLY INCLUDE CLK 320) , THE "BATTERY ALTERNATOR" LIGHT WENT ON ON THE DASHBOARD. WITHIN SECONDS THE ENTIRE CAR SHUT DOWN AT HIGH SPEED. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE RIGHT LANE AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER WITH A VERY HARD STOP ONTO THE SHOULDER. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THERE WAS AN "OPEN RECALL" ON MY CAR FOR PRECISELY THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO FIND OUT WHY I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. THEY CLAIMED THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT INSTEAD A "SERVICE BULLETIN" WAS ISSUED AND THAT, UNDER THIS CIRCUMSTANCE NO NOTICES WERE REQUIRED TO BE SENT TO THE CAR OWNER. THE RATIONALE WAS THAT THIS WAS NOT DEEMED A "SAFETY" ISSUE. I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE POSSIBILITY OF A TOTAL SHUT...