2000 MERCEDES BENZ S430 Electrical System Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ S430V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE DOORS FAILED TO PROPERLY CLOSE DUE TO A FUSE MALFUNCTION WITH THE DOOR VACUUM SYSTEM. MERCEDES-BENZ OF AUGUSTA (3061 WASHINGTON RD, AUGUSTA, GA 30907, (706) 860-1111) REPLACED THE FUSE, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 232,000.

Mileage: 232,000

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS NOT WORKING. ONLY 20,000 MILES SINCE OWNING THE CAR SINCE 1999. THE RECALL FOR SIMILIAR CAR WITH SAME ISSUES BUT THEY SAID NOT THIS CAR.

Mileage: 20,000

ON 11/18/16 I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 S430 WHEN WILE ACCELERATING TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY MY TRANSMISSION SLIPPED CAUSING MY ENGINE TO REV. I RELEASED THE GAS PEDAL & TRIED TO PRESS IT AGAIN TO RE ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION BUT IT DIDN'T WORK. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PLACED THE CAR IN PARK, THEN BACK TO DRIVE. I CAUTIOUSLY DROVE BACK HOME & PARKED THE CAR UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET A SHOP APPOINTMENT. ON 11/21/16 I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP, THEY SAID THE FLUID WAS FULL BUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING & NEEDED TO BE REPLACED? SO I TOOK IT HOME TO THINK, (NO PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING HOME). ON 11/22/16 I DROVE THE CAR OUT OF TOWN & AFTER ABOUT 20 MILES MY CLUSTER GAUGE STARTED FLICKERING THEN WENT OUT. HOWEVER, THE BLINKERS STILL WORKED ALONG WITH THE HAZARDS. SO WHEN I WAS DONE WITH MY APPOINTMENT I CHECKED MY FUSES & REPLACED THE ONES INDICATED ON THE CHART. WHILE A SMALL PORTION OF THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON IT WAS BRIEFLY & THEN EVERYTHING WENT OUT, BLINKERS & ALL. SO IN ALL MY FRUSTRATION, I'VE PARKED THE CAR & AM ATTEMPTING TO GET HELP. I FOUND THERE WERE RECALLS ON THE GAUGES BUT NOT MY VIN? IS THIS SOMEHOW CONNECTED TO MY TRANSMISSION? PLEASE HELP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 142,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 142,000

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 60 WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY DASHBOARD IS DARK AND I CAN'T SEE HOW FAST I WAS GOING. THEN AFTER A WHILE, THE LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN. AND THIS ON AND OFF INCIDENTS HAPPENS EVERY DAY FROM THE FIRST DAY. *TR

Mileage: 136,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MALFUNCTIONED AND THE GAUGES FAILED TO WORK DUE TO THE INTERMITTENT FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V028000 (INTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S430L (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS NOT ILLUMINATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

IN REFERENCE TO CAMPAIGN 06V028000 WHAT IS THE BASIS FOR EXCLUSION OF SOME CARS OF THE SAME YEAR VS OTHERS? JUST BECAUSE THE 7 CARS THAT WERE PART OF THE ORGINAL COMPLAINT FALL IN THE NARROWLY DEFINED VIN RANGE DOES NOT MEAN OTHER CARS OF THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR DO NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEFECTIVE CLUSTERS ARE THE SAME. I HAVE A 2000 S430 WITH A FAILED CLUSTER. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME PART FOR THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR THAT OTHER CARS ARE BEING REPAIRED FOR FREE, BUT MY CAR IS EXCLUDED BECAUSE ITS VIN RANGE IS STATISTICALLY NOT IN THE SAME NARROW VIN RANGE CORRESPONDING TO THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINT? THIS SEEMS VERY EXCLUSIONARY GIVEN MY CAR IS THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR AND THE PART IS THE SAME AND THERE IS NO BASIS TO EXCLUDE IT. I AM REQUESTING NHTSA TO WIDEN THE RECALL RANGE TO BE FAIR TO ALL OWNERS OF THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR WHERE SOME ARE BEING RECALLED AND SOME NOT. IF THE FAILED CLUSTERS WERE FROM DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS THAT WOULD BE ONE THING, BUT TO EXCLUDE CARS DUE TO VIN RANGE CORRESPONDING TO THEORIGINAL7CARS AS PART OF THE COMPLAINT IS VERY LOP SIDED. I REQUEST YOU TO PLEASE WIDEN THE RECALL. MY VIN ENDING RANGE IS[XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)*JS

Mileage: 133,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE IGNITION, THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000.

Mileage: 133,000

BAD INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, HAD A RECALL AND WONT REPLACE. *TR

Mileage: 140,000

DASH LIGHTS OUT, LOSING SPEEDOMETER AND ALL INSTRUMENTS. *TR

Mileage: 60,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE FAILURE AFFECTED THE ALL OF THE GAUGES, TURN SIGNALS, HEAD LIGHTS, THE HORN AND PREVENTED THE CONTACT FROM BEING ABLE TO OPEN THE TRUNK. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000. *TR

DASH LIGHTS GO OUT LOSING SPEEDOMETER AND ALL INSTRUMENT AIDS SUCH AS LIGHTS HIGH & LOW, TURNING SIGNALS, AND AIR BAG JUST TO MENTION A FEW. THE DASH PANEL CLUSTER CONTROLS SO MANY FUNCTIONS THAT CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BECOMES DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. MANUFACTURE HAS TREATED PROBLEM AS A WARRANTY ISSUE BUT IT SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

Mileage: 95,000

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON DASH GOES BLANK/DARK, CAUSING DANGEROUS DRIVING AT NIGHT DUE TO LOSS OF SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGE, TEMPERATURE, AND ALL OTHER GAUGES ON DASH. *TR

Mileage: 94,500