1999 Mercedes Benz C230

WHILE DRIVING ON 11/21/2020 AT ABOUT 930AM ON NORTHBOUND I-75 DOING ABOUT 70MPH AS THE REST OF TRAFFIC IN GEORGIA WHEN MY SUNROOF (NOT OPENED) SUDDENLY DETACHED AND BLEW OFF THE VEHICLE. I INITIALLY HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND WASN'T AT FIRST WHAT HAPPENED. I LOOKED UP AND SUNROOF PANEL WITH THE GLASS WAS GONE. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO VEHICLES AROUND ME SO AS FAR AS I KNOW NO ONE WAS HIT OR INJURED. I EVENTUALLY PULLED OVER AND LOOKED AT THE TOP OF THE VEHICLE AND THE SUNROOF PANEL WAS GONE. I FINISHED BY BUSINESS THAT MORNING AND RETUNED HOME SAFELY TO OUR HOME IN OCALA, FL.

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON 75 NORTH WHERE SPEED IS 65MPH AT LUNCH HOUR AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED TO DECELERATE FROM 65 MILES AN HOUR TO ZERO IN SECONDS THE CAR STOPPED, I SAW MY LIFE BEFORE MY EYES IN MY REARVIEW MIRA AS CARS AND SEMI TRUCKS WERE SWERVING FROM PLOWING INTO ME AT 65 MPH TO 75 MPH...I ONLY HAD SECONDS TO REMOVE MYSELF FROM THE VEHICLE TO SAFETY WHERE I SAW A JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE PLOW INTO MY CAR AT HIGH SPEED I ONLY HAD SECONDS TO REMOVE MYSELF FROM MY CAR AND ESCAPE TO SAFETY AND RUN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD YEAH GUARD RAIL AS I WATCHED IN HORROR MY CAR BEING PLOWED INTO LIKE AN ACCORDION AND CUT IN HALF. I HAVE HAD THIS SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED TO ME WHILE MY CAR WAS BEING SERVICED AT THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND THEY GAVE ME A LOANER CAR 2013 TO DRIVE AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE NEW LOANER CAR FROM THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP, I WAS LUCKY AS I WAS DRIVING A LOANER WHEN IT STOPPED ACCELERATING IT JUST STARTED DECELERATING AS I WAS NEAR AN INTERSECTION TO COAST TO SAFETY I BELIEVE THIS IS AN OCCURRENCE AND CAN HAPPEN TO OTHERS THAT ARE DRIVING THESE CARS. *TR

THE RIGHT SUSPENSION APRON RUSTED, SNAPPED UPWARD, AND THE SPRING FELL OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR. IT IS NOT DRIVABLE BECAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE CAR IS ALMOST ON THE GROUND. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER, AND ASKED THEM TO INVESTIGATE WHY THIS HAPPENED. THEY SAID THAT THERE IS DANGER OF THE OTHER SPRING ALSO FALLING OUT. THE DEALER BELIEVES THAT THE APRON FAILED DUE TO THE AGE OF THE CAR AND THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. THEY STATED THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THE VEHICLE, AND THEY DID NOT BELIEVE IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. I, HOWEVER, DISAGREE. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING ON-LINE OF THE SAME SUSPENSION PROBLEM WITH THE E-CLASS FROM 1994 TO 1999 AND THE C-CLASS FROM 1998 TO 2000, THE YEARS WHEN THIS PARTICULAR SUSPENSION DESIGN WAS USED. MERCEDES NO LONGER USES THIS SUSPENSION DESIGN ON NEWER VEHICLES. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE SUSPENSION DUE TO IT POOR DESIGN, AND THAT THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THIS SIGNIFICANT SAFETY PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE CARS ON THE ROAD THAT ARE MUCH OLDER, WITH MUCH HIGHER MILEAGE, THAT HAVE INTACT SUSPENSIONS. LUCKILY, MY CAR WAS NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD, ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY, LIVES COULD HAVE BEEN LOST. I COULD JUST QUIETLY REPAIR THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, I FEEL IT IS MY DUTY TO REPORT WHAT I BELIEVE IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY PROBLEM FOR THE YEARS THIS SUSPENSION DESIGN WAS USED. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGED PARTS/SUSPENSION IF YOU NEED TO SEE THEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C230. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED CHEST AND BRUISING, AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A LEFT TURN WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT OF HER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING HER SEAT BELT BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT BUMPER WAS DAMAGED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES OVER HER ENTIRE BODY AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP BUT THE AIR BAGS WAS NEVER CHECKED FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT HEARD A BANGING NOISE WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. UPON EXAMINATION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS RESTING ON THE FRONT TIRE. SHE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING MOUNT FRACTURED FROM THE VEHICLE DUE TO SEVERE RUSTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE UNDERCARRIAGE HAD RUSTED SEVERELY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE AT AN IDLE, THERE WAS VIBRATION IN THE VEHICLE. ALSO, WHILE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THERE WAS A HESITATION. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR, BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO DETERMINED THE INNER COOLING SYSTEM WAS LEAKING OIL ONTO THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. THE INNER COOLER SYSTEM, VALVE, MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, AND OXYGEN SENSOR WERE REPLACED.