1998 MERCEDES BENZ E CLASS — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I AM WRITING REGARDING AN INVESTIGATION INTO MERCEDES BENZ E300 (W210 CHASSIS) FAILURES. WHILE DRIVING ON THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE, ROUTE 90 ON MONDAY, MY SPRING PERCH FAILED, BROKE AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND WAS LOST ON THE HIGHWAY. THE PERCH LET GO WITH A VERY LOUD BANG, THEN A PRONOUNCED BUMP (PRESUMABLY AS THE REAR TIRE DROVE OVER THE SPRING ASSEMBLY.) THE CAR SUDDENLY DROPPED HARD ON THE FRONT RIGHT BUMP STOPS. LOTS OF WARNING LIGHTS - BAS, ASR, ETC. I THOUGHT I BLEW A TIRE OR HIT SOME ROAD DAMAGE. SURPRISINGLY, JUST A LITTLE SWERVE IN THE LEFT LANE AND I MADE IT TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AFTER A 1/4 MILE. I HAD HEARD OF THE SPRING PERCH FAILURES FROM THE USER FORUMS AT WWW.MERCEDESSHOP.COM. AT THIS POINT I WAS PRETTY SURE IT WAS A PERCH OR POSSIBLY SOMETHING WORSE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO TIRE SMOKE, BURNING OR NOISE. I CHECKED THE TIRES & DROVE IT 15 MILES HOME. PUT IT UP ON JACKS & FOUND NO SPRING AT ALL & SOME DISCONNECTED SENSOR WIRES. DROVE IT 10 MILES TO MY INDEPENDENT SHOP. WAITING FOR WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. STILL NO WORD FROM THE DEALER HE CONTACTED. I GUESS THAT'S MY NEXT MOVE. *TR

I AM WRITING REGARDING AN INVESTIGATION INTO MERCEDES BENZ E300 (W210 CHASSIS) FAILURES. WHILE DRIVING ON THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE, ROUTE 90 ON MONDAY, MY SPRING PERCH FAILED, BROKE AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND WAS LOST ON THE HIGHWAY. THE PERCH LET GO WITH A VERY LOUD BANG, THEN A PRONOUNCED BUMP (PRESUMABLY AS THE REAR TIRE DROVE OVER THE SPRING ASSEMBLY.) THE CAR SUDDENLY DROPPED HARD ON THE FRONT RIGHT BUMP STOPS. LOTS OF WARNING LIGHTS - BAS, ASR, ETC. I THOUGHT I BLEW A TIRE OR HIT SOME ROAD DAMAGE. SURPRISINGLY, JUST A LITTLE SWERVE IN THE LEFT LANE AND I MADE IT TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AFTER A 1/4 MILE. I HAD HEARD OF THE SPRING PERCH FAILURES FROM THE USER FORUMS AT WWW.MERCEDESSHOP.COM. AT THIS POINT I WAS PRETTY SURE IT WAS A PERCH OR POSSIBLY SOMETHING WORSE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO TIRE SMOKE, BURNING OR NOISE. I CHECKED THE TIRES & DROVE IT 15 MILES HOME. PUT IT UP ON JACKS & FOUND NO SPRING AT ALL & SOME DISCONNECTED SENSOR WIRES. DROVE IT 10 MILES TO MY INDEPENDENT SHOP. WAITING FOR WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. STILL NO WORD FROM THE DEALER HE CONTACTED. I GUESS THAT'S MY NEXT MOVE. *TR

1998 MERCEDES BENZ E-320, SPEED <15 MPH HAD THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE COIL SPRING EJECTED AND HOUSING COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE MAKING THE FRONT END DROP DOWN ONTO DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THE IMPINGEMENT OF THE BODY ONTO THE TIRE AND WHEEL AND/OR THE SPRING ITSELF PRECLUDED ANY STEERING CONTROL. THE COIL SPRING MOUNT OR "SADDLE" HAD SEPARATED FROM THE WELDED POINT TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. MERCEDES OFFERRED TO PAY 25% OF THE REPAIR FEE DUE TO EXCELLENT SERVICE HISTORY. WE REPEATEDLY REQUESTED A TEAM FROM MERCEDES TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THIS VEHICLE WOULD BE IDEAL TO INVESTIGATE AS NO OTHER COMPLICATING CRASH HAD OCCURRED. THEY REFUSED THIS. MY WIFE AUTHORIZED THE REPAIR BUT INDICATED THAT WE WANTED ALL PARTS TO BE SAVED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA.THE NEXT DAY, THE SERVICE MANAGER REPORTED THAT MERCEDES NOW OFFERRED TO PAY 50% OF REPAIR COST BUT REQUIRED A "WAIVER" BE SIGNED TO "HOLD HARMLESS" MERCEDES FROM ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS OR DAMAGES INCURRED WITH THIS PART OF THE VEHICLE. WE REFUSED TO SIGN ANY WAIVER AS IT IS OUR EXPECTATION THAT THE REPAIR BE COMPLETED IN A MANNER TO ENSURE THE VEHICLE'S FUTURE SAFETY. WE CONTACTED THE BODY SHOP WITH THE PLAN TO INFORM MERCEDES THAT WE WOULD BE TOWING THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER SHOP FOR FURTHER INSPECTION/ REPAIR. WE WERE INFORMED THE REPAIR HAD ALREADY BEEN COMPELTED AND THAT THE CAR WAS NOW AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR ALLIGNMENT BUT OLD PARTS WERE SAVED FOR US. MERCEDES NEVER INFORMED US OF ANY OPEN INVESTIGATION REGARDING THIS VEHICLE EVEN WHEN DIRECTLY ASKED THIS QUESTION. WE ANTICIPATE THE REPAIR TO EXCEED $1,000 PLUS TOWING. I DISAGREE WITH INFORMATION PROVIDED BY MERCEDES IN EARLIER INVESTIGATIONS INDICATING THAT THIS FAILURE WOULD NOT RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I COMPLETELY LOST ALL ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT CRASHING BECAUSE IT OCCURRED AT LOW SPEED WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES OR OBJECTS AROUND ME. *TR

THE MAIN SUSPENSION SPRING FROM MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE FELL OUT ON THE GARAGE FLOOR AND THE CAR CAME DOWN ON THE TIRE. TWO MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVING ON THE ROAD AT 60 MPH AND HAD IT OCCURRED TWO MINUTES EARLIER SOMEONE WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE POOR DESIGN BY MB CAUSED EXCESS RUST AND FAILURE IN THE 1998 MB E320. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP, THE FRONT END COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SPRING PERCH FRACTURED. THE SPRING PERCH WAS REPLACED.