This Problem Across All Years
Coolant leak causing catastrophic drive unit failure.
Coolant leak causing catastrophic drive unit failure.
THE "MALFUNCTION" LIGHT APPEARED AND VEHICLE LOST POWER IMMEDIATELY. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THEN SWITCHING THE IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, THE CAR OPERATED NORMALLY AND THE "MALFUNCTION" LIGHT DISAPPEARS. THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES: DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING (55 MPH), ON A COUNTRY ROAD (45 MPH), AND AT ALMOST A STOP (5 MPH). ONE OCCURRENCE WAS IN THE EARLY EVENING ON A HOT DAY AND TWO WERE EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN TEMPERATURES WERE COOL. TWO OF THESE FAILURES WERE VERY DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCES AND IT IS VERY LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS NEARBY ON THE ROAD AT THAT TIME. SINCE IT IS A FULLY ELECTRIC CAR IT LOSES MOMENTUM VERY QUICKLY AND I HAD TO DESPERATELY LOOK FOR A TURNOUT AT ONCE. ONE TIME MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN WERE IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR. MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE TO BE THE DRIVE UNIT AT A COST OF $9,000. THEY CLAIM THIS IS A DIFFERENT PROBLEM THAN THE PREVIOUS RECALL (WHICH THE CAR HAD COMPLETED). I HAVE READ THROUGH THE PREVIOUS RECALL INFORMATION AND IT SOUNDS VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT THIS CAR IS DOING. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THE NHTSA INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE PREVIOUS RECALL ACTUALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS 30,000 MILES BUT MERCEDES BENZ REFUSES TO FIX THE CAR BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN DECEMBER 2018 (SEVEN MONTHS AGO). THEY ONLY OFFER A 4 YEAR/50,000 MILE WARRANTY (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST).
THE "MALFUNCTION" LIGHT APPEARED AND VEHICLE LOST POWER IMMEDIATELY. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THEN SWITCHING THE IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, THE CAR OPERATED NORMALLY AND THE "MALFUNCTION" LIGHT DISAPPEARS. THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES: DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING (55 MPH), ON A COUNTRY ROAD (45 MPH), AND AT ALMOST A STOP (5 MPH). ONE OCCURRENCE WAS IN THE EARLY EVENING ON A HOT DAY AND TWO WERE EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN TEMPERATURES WERE COOL. TWO OF THESE FAILURES WERE VERY DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCES AND IT IS VERY LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS NEARBY ON THE ROAD AT THAT TIME. SINCE IT IS A FULLY ELECTRIC CAR IT LOSES MOMENTUM VERY QUICKLY AND I HAD TO DESPERATELY LOOK FOR A TURNOUT AT ONCE. ONE TIME MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN WERE IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR. MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE TO BE THE DRIVE UNIT AT A COST OF $9,000. THEY CLAIM THIS IS A DIFFERENT PROBLEM THAN THE PREVIOUS RECALL (WHICH THE CAR HAD COMPLETED). I HAVE READ THROUGH THE PREVIOUS RECALL INFORMATION AND IT SOUNDS VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT THIS CAR IS DOING. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THE NHTSA INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE PREVIOUS RECALL ACTUALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS 30,000 MILES BUT MERCEDES BENZ REFUSES TO FIX THE CAR BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN DECEMBER 2018 (SEVEN MONTHS AGO). THEY ONLY OFFER A 4 YEAR/50,000 MILE WARRANTY (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST).
ON SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2018, THE CAR SUFFERED A SUDDEN AND ABRUPT CATASTROPHIC SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY SON TO SCHOOL. WE WERE ON CITY STREETS DRIVING STRAIGHT AT NORMAL SPEED AND IT STALLED RIGHT IN AN INTERSECTION BUT I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO STILL HAVE SOME MOMENTUM TO GET INTO THE LEFT TURN LANE. THERE WAS A FLASHING RED TEXT WARNING ON THE DISPLAY FOR A FEW SECONDS- SOMETHING ABOUT TURN OFF IMMEDIATELY AND DO NOT RESTART. THEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN. I WAS TERRIFIED THAT WE WOULD GET INTO AN ACCIDENT ALL THROUGHOUT THE TIME WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE TOW TRUCK. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. NOTE THAT THE ELECTRIC DRIVE UNIT ON THIS CAR WAS REPLACED ON THE FOLLOWING DATES: 3/5/18 - 3/15/18(10 DAYS TO REPAIR) 9/20/18- 10/3/18 (14 DAYS) ON 10/10/18 THE CAR SUFFERED ANOTHER "MALFUNCTION VISIT WORKSHOP" AND HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP SINCE 10/11/18. THE CAR WAS TOWED. IT APPEARS TO BE THE ELECTRIC DRIVE UNIT AGAIN AND WILL BE THE THIRD TIME IT IS REPLACED. I BELIEVE THIS CAR IS DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS AND MERCEDES BENZ DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. I HAVE READ ABOUT SIMILAR DRIVE UNIT REPLACEMENTS FROM OTHER B CLASS OWNERS.
ON SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2018, THE CAR SUFFERED A SUDDEN AND ABRUPT CATASTROPHIC SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY SON TO SCHOOL. WE WERE ON CITY STREETS DRIVING STRAIGHT AT NORMAL SPEED AND IT STALLED RIGHT IN AN INTERSECTION BUT I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO STILL HAVE SOME MOMENTUM TO GET INTO THE LEFT TURN LANE. THERE WAS A FLASHING RED TEXT WARNING ON THE DISPLAY FOR A FEW SECONDS- SOMETHING ABOUT TURN OFF IMMEDIATELY AND DO NOT RESTART. THEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN. I WAS TERRIFIED THAT WE WOULD GET INTO AN ACCIDENT ALL THROUGHOUT THE TIME WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE TOW TRUCK. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. NOTE THAT THE ELECTRIC DRIVE UNIT ON THIS CAR WAS REPLACED ON THE FOLLOWING DATES: 3/5/18 - 3/15/18(10 DAYS TO REPAIR) 9/20/18- 10/3/18 (14 DAYS) ON 10/10/18 THE CAR SUFFERED ANOTHER "MALFUNCTION VISIT WORKSHOP" AND HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP SINCE 10/11/18. THE CAR WAS TOWED. IT APPEARS TO BE THE ELECTRIC DRIVE UNIT AGAIN AND WILL BE THE THIRD TIME IT IS REPLACED. I BELIEVE THIS CAR IS DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS AND MERCEDES BENZ DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. I HAVE READ ABOUT SIMILAR DRIVE UNIT REPLACEMENTS FROM OTHER B CLASS OWNERS.
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING 70+ MPH ON BUSY HIGHWAY. WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS TRAFFIC COLLISION BECAUSE IT A STOPPED IN THE ROAD. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE FAILED. COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF "PARK" AND WAS UNABLE TO SWITCH IT INTO "NEUTRAL" TO ROLL THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE LANE OF HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC. THE INABILITY TO GET THE VEHICLE INTO "NEUTRAL" FURTHER COMPROMISED MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHER DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAY. MAIN LOW VOLTAGE 12V BATTERY DIED SOON AFTER INCIDENT AND CREATED AN ISSUE FOR TOW TRUCK OPERATOR. HE HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE GETTING IT INTO NEUTRAL BECAUSE THERE SEEMS TO BE NO STANDARDIZED MANUAL / MECHANICAL METHOD TO RELEASE THE PARKING PRAWL IN THE TRANSMISSION UNLESS THE LOW VOLTAGE 12V SYSTEM IS FULLY FUNCTIONING. PERHAPS THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE DRIVETRAIN UNIT LIKE TESLA HAS DONE OR THEIR CUSTOMERS. ELECTRIC POWERTRAIN UNIT USED IN THE MERCEDES IS IDENTICAL TO EARLY TESLA VEHICLES. TELSA REDESIGNED AND UPDATED THESE POWERTRAIN UNITS WITH FREE REPLACEMENTS THAT RESOLVE THIS ISSUE COMPLETELY. MERCEDES NEEDS TO DO THE SAME REPAIR FOR CUSTOMERS AS TESLA DID. SOFTWARE UPDATE IS OBVIOUSLY NOT A SUFFICIENT FIX FOR THIS ISSUE, THERE MUST BE PHYSICAL FAULTS AS WELL. ANOTHER ISSUE IS A MYSTERY CLUNK THAT YOU CAN FEEL THRU THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN STARTING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET SERVICE TECHS TO FIX THIS BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX IT. PERHAPS IT IS RELATED TO THE WELL KNOWN EARLY PRODUCTION TESLA DRIVETRAIN DEFECTS. MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 43,276 MILES. THIS VEHICLE ALREADY HAD THE SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GUARANTEE THAT THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. (( NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V655000 )) I HOPE MERCEDES STEPS UP TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE LIKE TELSA HAS DONE FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING 70+ MPH ON BUSY HIGHWAY. WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS TRAFFIC COLLISION BECAUSE IT A STOPPED IN THE ROAD. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE FAILED. COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF "PARK" AND WAS UNABLE TO SWITCH IT INTO "NEUTRAL" TO ROLL THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE LANE OF HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC. THE INABILITY TO GET THE VEHICLE INTO "NEUTRAL" FURTHER COMPROMISED MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHER DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAY. MAIN LOW VOLTAGE 12V BATTERY DIED SOON AFTER INCIDENT AND CREATED AN ISSUE FOR TOW TRUCK OPERATOR. HE HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE GETTING IT INTO NEUTRAL BECAUSE THERE SEEMS TO BE NO STANDARDIZED MANUAL / MECHANICAL METHOD TO RELEASE THE PARKING PRAWL IN THE TRANSMISSION UNLESS THE LOW VOLTAGE 12V SYSTEM IS FULLY FUNCTIONING. PERHAPS THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE DRIVETRAIN UNIT LIKE TESLA HAS DONE OR THEIR CUSTOMERS. ELECTRIC POWERTRAIN UNIT USED IN THE MERCEDES IS IDENTICAL TO EARLY TESLA VEHICLES. TELSA REDESIGNED AND UPDATED THESE POWERTRAIN UNITS WITH FREE REPLACEMENTS THAT RESOLVE THIS ISSUE COMPLETELY. MERCEDES NEEDS TO DO THE SAME REPAIR FOR CUSTOMERS AS TESLA DID. SOFTWARE UPDATE IS OBVIOUSLY NOT A SUFFICIENT FIX FOR THIS ISSUE, THERE MUST BE PHYSICAL FAULTS AS WELL. ANOTHER ISSUE IS A MYSTERY CLUNK THAT YOU CAN FEEL THRU THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN STARTING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET SERVICE TECHS TO FIX THIS BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX IT. PERHAPS IT IS RELATED TO THE WELL KNOWN EARLY PRODUCTION TESLA DRIVETRAIN DEFECTS. MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 43,276 MILES. THIS VEHICLE ALREADY HAD THE SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GUARANTEE THAT THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. (( NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V655000 )) I HOPE MERCEDES STEPS UP TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE LIKE TELSA HAS DONE FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.
WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD THE CAR LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE BEYOND 10 MILE PER HOUR; FORTUNATELY, WE WERE JUST BLOCKS AWAY FROM OUR HOME. MY WIFE CALL THE SERVICE CENTER AND THEY PICKED IT UP AND PROVIDED HER WITH A LOANER. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,184.
WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD THE CAR LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE BEYOND 10 MILE PER HOUR; FORTUNATELY, WE WERE JUST BLOCKS AWAY FROM OUR HOME. MY WIFE CALL THE SERVICE CENTER AND THEY PICKED IT UP AND PROVIDED HER WITH A LOANER. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,184.
I WAS CRUISING DOWN A PRETTY BUSY MAIN STREET. AS I WAS TRYING TO MANUEVER IN TRAFFIC, I SENSED THAT AS I WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS, THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I LOOKED AT THE DASH AND NOTICED THE CAR HAD MOVED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. I TRIED TO TURN THE KEY, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE, BUT STILL ON (FROM THE LOOK OF THE DASHBOARD). I QUICKLY TRIED TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, IN BETWEEN SPEEDING TRAFFIC, WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS, AS I WAS NEAR THE HIGHWAY ONRAMP AREA. ONCE I SAFELY PULLED ASIDE, I TRIED TO AGAIN TURN THE CAR ON USING THE KEY. AGAIN THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND PULLED THE KEY OUT. WHEN IN THE OFF POSITION, ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH LIT UP. I PULLED THE KEY OUT AND REINSERTED IT AND TURNED THE KEY AND THE CAR CAME BACK ON AND BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY.
I WAS CRUISING DOWN A PRETTY BUSY MAIN STREET. AS I WAS TRYING TO MANUEVER IN TRAFFIC, I SENSED THAT AS I WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS, THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I LOOKED AT THE DASH AND NOTICED THE CAR HAD MOVED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. I TRIED TO TURN THE KEY, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE, BUT STILL ON (FROM THE LOOK OF THE DASHBOARD). I QUICKLY TRIED TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, IN BETWEEN SPEEDING TRAFFIC, WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS, AS I WAS NEAR THE HIGHWAY ONRAMP AREA. ONCE I SAFELY PULLED ASIDE, I TRIED TO AGAIN TURN THE CAR ON USING THE KEY. AGAIN THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND PULLED THE KEY OUT. WHEN IN THE OFF POSITION, ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH LIT UP. I PULLED THE KEY OUT AND REINSERTED IT AND TURNED THE KEY AND THE CAR CAME BACK ON AND BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY.