2015 MERCEDES BENZ B-CLASS ELECTRIC Power Train Problems

MERCEDES DEALER NOTES : 07/19/2022 CLIENT STATES STEERING IS STIFF. STARTED ABOUT 1 TO 2 MONTHS AGO AND WOULD SHOW UP ONCE AND AWHILE. WHEN IT WOULD ACT UP WOULD NOT DRIVE IT AND IT WOULD LOCK THE STEERING . THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES, WITH ACCIDENT HAZARD. WE DID THE BELOW WORK. ELECTRIC POWER STEERING RACK FAULTY REPLACE COMPLETE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING RACK. WHICH COST US OVER $3000. NOW WE HAVE SIMILIAR PROBLEM STEERING IS TIGHT AGAIN, MAKING FLAPPING NOISE, DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING RACK, GEAR BOX 07/02/24 , MERCEDES HAS RECALL ON MANY MODELS DURING YEAR 2015-2018 FOR electric power steering systems, Mercedes says the cars use electric power steering systems that May have soldered contacts that weren't soldered correctly inside the control units. The bad contacts can cause a sudden loss of power steering while driving, causing serious problems if driving around a curve or at slow speeds.

Occasionally the car will lurch forward when coming to a stop. As you come to a stop it tries to propel the car forward as you are breaking and coming to a stop. Happens rarely but when it does it's a big safety concern.

Vehicle stopped suddenly and would not restart. Needs a new $17k drive unit and is out of warranty. Drive unit failed due to faulty design where coolant contaminated the electric motor. Vehicle only has 40k miles. The drive unit was built by Tesla for Mercedes. Tesla also built the same unit for Toyota for the electric Rav4. Toyota recalled their units free of charge for customers. Mercedes is aware of this issue and refuses to extend the warranty or recall the roughly 4000 B250E cars that they sold in the USA from 2014-2017.

THIS MB MODEL HAS AN ELECTRIC MOTOR THAT FAILS AT AROUND 35000 TO 40000 MILES, AND MAKES THE VEHICLE TO STOP SUDDENLY CAUSING SERIOUS RISKS TO THE DRIVER IF THIS HAPPENS IN ANY MAIN HIGHWAY. TWO WEEKS AGO MY WIFE WAS DRIVING NORTHBOUND AT THE FAST LANE OF THE PALMETTO EXPRESSWAY , IN MIAMI FL, WHEN THE CAR STOPPED GIVING NO TIME TO AVOID COMING TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY ONE FDOT RANGER WAS DRIVING SAME WAY AND PROTECT MY WIFE TURNING ON ITS EMERGENCY LIGHTS WHILE THEY WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK TO ARRIVE. THIS MODEL OF MB IS ASSEMBLED WITH A TESLA MOTOR THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN TO FAIL, BUT TESLA HAS TAKEN FAST ACTION TO AVOID INCONVENIENCES TO ITS CUSTOMERS. MB HAS DOING NOTHING TO ADVICE ITS CUSTOMERS ON THIS CRITICAL ISSUE, PUTTING ON RISK ON A DAILY BASIS ALL DRIVERS THAT RIDE TIS MB MODEL. I FIGURE IF OTHERS ARE FACING SIMILAR ISSUES, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET A RECALL SET UP IF MB DOES NOT STEP UP TO THE PLATE. IT TOOK FOUR YEARS FOR THESE ISSUES TO SHOW UP NEAR THE END OF MY WARRANTY, AND SINCE THE CARS REMAIN ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THROUGH THE 2017 MODELS, WE MAY EXPECT TO SEE OTHERS MODEL YEARS SHOW THE SAME ISSUES AS THE END OF THEIR WARRANTIES COME UP. I HOPE NOT, FOR EVERYONE ELSE BUT BEST BE PREPARED. MY VEHICLE CAN BEEN INSPECTED AT THE MERCEDES BENZ OF MIAMI DEALER WHERE REPAIR ARE UNDERWAY.

Mileage: 36,000

CAR STALLED WHILE GOING ON EXPRESSWAY AT 30 MPH. COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. HAD TO PULL OVER AND POWER OFF THE CAR. RESTART OF THE CAR AFTER A WHILE AND EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL.

Mileage: 3,000

WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, THE ENGINE HAS SWITCHES OFF AND THE CAR GOES IN NEUTRAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED ALREADY 3 TIMES (APPROXIMATELY ONCE PER MONTH). IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE, WHILE DRIVING ON A SMALL ROAD, AND WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN. THE CAR CAN BE RESTARTED NORMALLY. WE HAVE HAD THE CAR AT THE MERCEDES DEALER IN SEPTEMBER 2015, AND THE TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEM BY INSTALLING THE LATEST SOFTWARE. HOWEVER, IT JUST HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE THE LAST TIME THE CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING, WE LET THE CAR COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, WITHOUT TOUCHING ANYTHING BUT THE BREAK, AND MAKE A PICTURE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THIS PICTURE IS ATTACHED TO THE REPORT TO DOCUMENT THE INCIDENCE.

Mileage: 1,200

MY B-CLASS ELECTRIC HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. HERE'S THE DETAILS: LEFT THE HOUSE IN SAN DIEGO AT 7:00 AM. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE ABOUT 75+DEGREES. ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE START, I BRAKED SLIGHTLY TO MAINTAIN SPEED OF ABOUT 25 MPH, COASTED TOWARDS AND UPHILL, PUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR TO MAINTAIN SPEED AND THERE WAS NO POWER-JUST COASTING. THERE WAS NO UNUSUAL SOUND AND NO WARNING DISPLAYED. THE CAR APPEARED NORMAL EXCEPT THE GUAGE WAS SHOWING FULL REGENERATIVE BRAKING WHILE THE CAR WAS COASTING. TRANSMISSION WAS IN D-AUTO. POWER STEERING WORKED, AC AND RADIO WERE STILL ON. I BROUGHT IT TO A STOP. PUSHED THE BUTTON TO TURN IT OFF. AT THAT TIME ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH LIT UP. I PUSHED IT AGAIN AND THE CAR WAS BACK TO NORMAL WITH THE INDICATOR SHOWING ZERO BETWEEN REGENERATION AND DISCHARGE. I FINISHED THE DRIVE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. MILEAGE: 1620 MILES PURCHASED: JUNE 2015 MFG DATE: 4/15 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TWO HOURS LATER AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THAT THE FORUM SAYS THERE IS A CODE UPDATE AVAILABLE. WAITED THERE FOR 3 HOURS. THEIR PAPER WORK SAYS: 1639 541011, 540991, 540992. PROGRAMMED POWER TRAIN CONTROL UNIT. PERFORMED SHORT TEST; NO RELEVANT FAULT CODES. CHECKED POWER TRAIN CONTROL UNIT FOR SOFTWARE UPDATES. UPDATE WAS AVAILABLE. PROGRAMMED AND CODED POWER TRAIN CONTROL UNIT. COMPLETE.

Mileage: 1,600

ON 10-5-15, MY 2015 MERCEDES B CLASS WITH 3300 MILES DECIDED TO LOSE ALL POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF 101 IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. LUCKILY TRAFFIC WAS MOVING AT 15MPH, I HAD TO COMPLETELY STOP THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE LANE. PUT THE CAR IN PARK, SHUT IT OFF AND RESTART TO REGAIN POWER. THERE WERE NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR SIGNS THAT THE CAR WAS BROKEN, I JUST SIMPLY LOST ALL DRIVE POWER EVEN THOUGH I WAS IN D. IT WAS SCARY AS I WAS ON THE 101 AT ABOUT 4PM. THIS ALSO HAPPENED AT ANOTHER WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CAR, PLEASE GET MERCEDES TO FIX THIS BEFORE I GET REAR-ENDED AND CRUSHED.

Mileage: 3,300

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65MPH, EXPERIENCED COMPLETE AND SUDDEN LOSS OF DRIVE/POWER. CAR CHARGE WAS AROUND 1/2 FULL. HAD TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER AS THE CAR ROLLED TO A COMPLETE STOP. FINDING LOTS OF OTHER REPORTS ONLINE, DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE AFTER 1 WEEK. DEALER REPORTED OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS FROM OTHER DRIVERS.

Mileage: 1,280

I WAS DRIVING ON THE 91 FREEWAY IN ANAHEIM CA WHEN MY BRAND NEW (APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER) 2015 MB ALL ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. MY FOOT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR AS I LOST ALL POWER TO THE ENGINE. THE BATTERY WAS FULLY CHARGED. THE RADIO AND ALL OF THE ELECTRONIC INTERIOR FEATURES WERE INTACT. I WAS IN THE 3RD LANE OF TRAFFIC (OUT OF 5). LUCKILY THE TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AS I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I WAS QUITE UNNERVED BY THE INCIDENT BUT THE CAR STARTED UP AND I CONTINUED MY COMMUTE TO WORK UNEVENTFULLY. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND THEY EVALUATED THE CAR. THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE EVENT AND COULD NOT FIND AN ANOMALY IN THE ON BOARD COMPUTERS. I PRESENTED TESTIMONY FROM THIS VERY WEBSITE DISCLOSING 7 OTHER RECENT SIMILAR EVENTS IN THIS MODEL CAR. I ADVISED THE DEALERSHIP THAT I WAS NOT TAKING POSSESSION OF THE AUTO UNLESS SOMETHING WAS DONE. THEY PRESENTED THE INFORMATION TO MERCEDES BENZ/TESLA TECHNICAL SUPPORT. THE GATEWAY POWERTRAIN CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN TO THE MB DEALERSHIP THAT THIS MAYBE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THE DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE EXPRESSED SYMPATHY WITH MY SITUATION BUT DECLARED THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD TAKE UP WITH DAIMLER-BENZ. THE DEALERSHIP IS A SEPARATE ENTITY WHICH ONLY BUYS/SELLS AND PROVIDES MAINTENANCE FOR MB AUTOMOBILES. I EXPRESSED THAT THIS DEFECT HAS ME CONCERNED EVERY TIME I ENTER A FREEWAY. THE SERVICE MANAGER COULD NOT REASSURE ME THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I HOPE IT DOES NOT TAKE FATALITIES BEFORE THERE IS A RECALL.

Mileage: 1,000

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT 65-70MPH. NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM ON DASH BOARD, EXCEPT AN INDICATION THAT IT WAS AT MAXIMUM REGENERATION. GEAR SELECTION INDICATOR DISPLAYED THAT THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE, NOT IN NEUTRAL. NO RESPONSE FROM THROTTLE PEDAL PRESSING. SLOWLY DRIFTED ACROSS MULTIPLE LANES OF HIGHWAY UNTIL I REACHED THE SHOULDER AND CAME TO A STOP. TURNED CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON, AFTER WHICH THE CAR BEHAVED NORMALLY AGAIN.

Mileage: 2,380

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MERCEDES BENZ B-CLASS ELECTRIC. 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 4,500. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 4,500

THUMP! COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ON FREEWAY. RANDOM SHIFT TO NEUTRAL ISSUE. DRIVING HOME FROM THE PURCHASING THE CAR ON THE 101 SOUTHBOUND IN THE FAST LANE GOING 65 MPH. ACCELERATION WAS SUDDENLY LOST. THE POWER TRAIN MALFUNCTIONED AND SHIFTED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. THE GAS PEDAL WAS UNRESPONSIVE. HAD TO PULL OVER AT WOODMAN EXIT ON INERTIA ALONE. WE HAD JUST PURCHASED THE CAR ONLY 2 HOURS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT AND PUT 30 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED. MY RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE SHOWS THAT IT IS THAT SAME ISSUE THAT HAS CAUSED THE RAV4 EV RECALL. THIS ISSUE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND IS AFFECTING MANY OTHER B-CLASS OWNERS.

Mileage: 40

THIS INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE WE GOT THE CAR ON 06/25/2015. FIRST TIME, DRIVING DOWN A STREET AT 35 MPH AND THE CAR WILL SHIFT BY ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. THE CAR WILL NOT GO BACK TO DRIVE AND THERE IS NOT POWER TO THE DRIVE SYSTEM. THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT IT IS TO COAST TO A STOP AND TURN OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE SECOND TIME, ON 7/10/2015 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 55MPH AND SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN, BUT WAS PUT IN A MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE SHE WAS TRAVELING IN THE LEFT LANE AND THERE WAS NO CENTER MEDIAN. IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP EVER SINCE. THEY STATED THAT THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BUT HAVE NOT TIME ESTIMATE ON WHEN THEY WILL BE GETTING THE PART. THEY ARE NOT EVEN SURE IF THIS WILL CORRECT THE ISSUE. *TR

Mileage: 420