2006 Mercedes Benz C230

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 35 MPH. I MOVED THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY AND STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. ONCE I STOPPED THE CAR IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS. I HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THEN MOVE IT BACK TO DRIVE TO GET THE CAR TO MOVE. THE CAR WOULD JUMP AND LURCH FORWARD WHEN I SHIFTED GEARS. I DROVE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER. THE MERCEDES DEALER TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SOFTWARE AND THAT THE SOFTWARE WOULD NEED TO BE UPDATED. I WENT TO PICK UP MY CAR AFTER THE "SOFTWARE " WAS UPDATED ($1,700 COST) AND DROVE THE CAR ABOUT 10 MILES WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE MERCEDES DEALER TO LET THEM KNOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOW ON. THE MERCEDES DEALER TOLD ME I HAVE A DEFECTIVE BALANCE SHAFT THAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED. THE MERCEDES DEALER ASK ME IF I HAD KEPT UP THE OIL CHANGES ON THE CAR. I TOLD THE THEM THAT I HAD. THE MERCEDES DEALER TOLD ME THAT I HAVE TO PAY $2,500 JUST FOR THEM TO TAKE THE ENGINE APART AND THAT THE TOTAL REPAIR WILL COST AROUND $6,000. I JUST PURCHASED THE CAR IN JULY 2010 ( 14 MONTHS OWNERSHIP) WITH ABOUT 19,500 MILES ON IT. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL SHOP WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL FILTER WAS DIRTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,089 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,499.

ON MARCH 12, 2011, DURING AN "A" SERVICE, I WAS INFORMED BY MY MECHANIC, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED DUE TO THE LEFT INTAKE CAM SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE BUT IT WAS NOT A BIG CONCERN. ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2011, DURING A "B" SERVICE, MY MECHANIC STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AGAIN FOR THE LEFT INTAKE CAM AND THE RIGHT EXHUAST CAM ADJUSTER MAGNETS WERE DEFECTIVE OR THE BALANCE SHAFT WAS WORN. AT THIS POINT THE CAR WAS RUNNING OK BUT HE SAID IF HE RUNS A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE ENGINE AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND IT READS A SECOND PROBLEM ON THE RIGHT SIDE CAM SIDE, THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY TEETH ON THE CAM SPOCKET DUE TO THE USAGE OF AN INFERIOR PRODUCT. HE EXPLAINED IT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $4,000.00 TO REPAIR, HE WAS REPAIRING A VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND SHOWED ME THE WEAR ON THE TEETH WHICH CAUSE THE INBALANCE OF THE SHAFT AND THE CAMS COME OFF LINE. IN MY MECHANICS OPINION, MERCEDES BENZ KNOWS ABOUT THEIR DEFECTIVE PART BYT THEY DO NOT WANT TO HAVE A "CAMPAIGN" TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE AND MY TYPE/YEAR ENGINE WAS MADE WITH THIS INFERIOR PART. I TRAVEL 80 MILES TO AND FROM WORK AND CANNOT AFFORD TO SPEND THIS MONEY FOR A REPAIR ON A VEHICLE THAT IS SUPPOSE TO LAST ME FOREVER. *TT

BOUGHT THIS CAR WITH 38000 ON IT. THE GET UP AND GO SEEMED SLUGGISH BUT MECHANIC SAID IT CHECKED OUT. HAD SOME MAJOR ISSUES. CAR WOULD BARELY GO, WENT DIRECTLY TO MERCEDES DEALERSHIP. DEALER SAID FUEL PUMP WAS OUT $793. ALSO SAID I NEEDED TO SERVICE THE TRANSMISSION, $350. THEY ALSO SAID I HAD A MUCH GREATER PROBLEM. A BALANCE SHAFT INSIDE THE MOTOR AND QUOTED ME $4600. THE CAR NOW HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT. THE WARRANTY WAS FOR 4 YEARS OR 50,000. THE CAR IS ONE YEAR OR 5,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. IT IS HARD UNDERSTAND WHY THIS TYPE OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IS OCCURRING SO SOON AFTER THE WARRANTY IS UP. I CHECKED THIS OUT ONLINE AND IT SEEMS LIKE I'M FAR FROM THE FIRST OWNER TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I SAW A LAWSUIT, TOO BAD I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PARTICIPATE. I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT MERCEDES ISN'T DOING THE RIGHT THING ON ITS OWN. PLEASE HELP! *TR

ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED: TWO DIAGNOSTICS SUGGESTED TWO SEPARATE PROBLEMS, WORN OUT BALANCE SHAFT AND ISSUES WITH THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST CAMSHAFT. CAR IS SLUGGISH ON ACCELERATION AND OCCASIONALLY WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. CAR MUST BE PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF, AND THEN THE COMPUTER RESETS. THIS IS A PERIODIC PROBLEM AND IS A PARTICULAR HAZARDOUS PROBLEM ENTERING HIGH SPEED HIGHWAYS, WHICH I MUST DO ON A DAILY BASIS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES C230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE INOPERABLE. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000. UPDATED 09/27/11 *BF UPDATED 2/23/12 *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE MISFIRED AND THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND CAM SENSOR, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO PROCESS A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

RECEIVED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NOTICE. TOOK C-230 (2006) TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CODE INDICATED A WORN TIMING GEAR PROBLEM AND WOULD REQUIRE MAJOR ENGINE REPAIR. THE COST ESTIMATE WAS $4000 TO $5000 TO TAKE THE ENGINE APART AND DETERMINE IF THE GEAR WAS WORN AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PERFORMED A INTERNET SEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES. CAR HAS 85,000 MILES AND WAS PURCHASED IN 2008 WITH 40,000. HAVE NOT HAD THE REPAIR PERFORMED YET. *TR

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT (REAR-ENDED) ON DEC 21ST 2010. THE COLLISION RESULTED IN MY VEHICLE BEING PUSHED IN TO ANOTHER VEHICLE (TRUCK) IN FONT OF ME. THE RESULTING CRASH PRODUCED DAMAGES TO THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE CAR TOTALING 15K. I NOTICED THAT MY DASHBOARD WAS LIT UP WITH WARNING SIGNALS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AT THE SEEN OF THE COLLISION. THE REAR LIGHT WAS EXPLAINABLE AS THE LIGHT WAS KNOCKED OUT IN THE CRASH. THE ENGINE LIGHT HOWEVER WAS A BIT OF A MYSTERY. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRS THREE DAYS LATER AFTER CONSULTING WITH THE DRIVER AT FAULTS' INSURANCE COMPANY. THE REPAIR COMPANY NOTED THE LIGHT ALSO. I COULD ARRIVE AT NO OTHER CONCLUSION BUT THAT THE COLLISION WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ENGINE LIGHT SUDDENLY COMING ON. THE INSURANCE COMPANY ARGUES THAT THE COLLISION HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT PARTICULAR LIGHT COMING ON. THE MATTER IS BEING DEALT WITH IN COURT. IN THE MEANTIME, I DID SOME RESEARCH AND RAN ACROSS HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON LINE, BY MERCEDES BENZ DRIVERS, COMPLAINING OF A CAM SHAFT PROBLEM THAT IS IDENTIFIED BY AN ENGINE LIGHT INITIALLY. IT APPEARS THAT A PART WAS DEFECTIVE YET NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED BY MERCEDES. I'VE REACHED OUT TO MERCEDES BENZ OF AMERICA. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS RESPONDING TO MY INQUIRY, THEY STOPPED INFORMING ME OF ANY FURTHER FINDINGS. THIS AFTER PROMISING TO APPRISE ME OF THE STATUS OF MY COMPLAINT. MY ISSUE IS TWO FOLD. HOW MUCH EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY BEFORE IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS PRODUCT AND THE SERIES OF CARS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY IT, WARRANTS A RECALL? SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS WIDE-SPREAD ISSUE? I MUST TELL YOU THAT AS A CONSUMER, IT IS NO MYSTERY WHAT MOST HAVE LOST TRUST IN GOVERNMENTS ABILITY TO SERVE AND PROTECT IT'S CITIZENS IN THESE MATTERS. I FOR ONE AM DISAPPOINTED IN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROCESS. I INITIALLY CONTACTED THIS OFFICE EIGHT MONTHS AGO AND HAVE HEARD NOTHING. REGARDS,[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *KB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BALANCE SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,037.