2007 Mercedes Benz ML500

The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes Benz ML500. The contact stated that while her boyfriend was driving, the front and back seat warmers were operating and the driver noticed smoke. The contact mentioned there was a smoke odor and noticed the front driver seat caught on fire. The contact stated that the driver extinguished the fire with his clothes by smothering the seat. In addition, there was a hole in the seat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they failed to provide a diagnosis and informed the contact the seat was going to be unplugged. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 199,800.

I GOT INTO MY CAR AND TURNED ON THE SEAT WARMER. AFTER 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I COULD SMELL SMOKE BUT THOUGHT IT WAS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. A FEW SECONDS LATER I FELT A BURNING SENSATION ON MY LOWER BACK. I REACHED MY LEFT HAND BEHIND ME TO CHECK AND FELT SOMETHING HOT, WHEN I PULLED MY HAND OUT MY FINGER TIPS WERE COVERED IN MELTED LEATHER. THE SMOKE BY THEN INCREASED, I SHUT THE SEAT WARMER OFF AND EXITED THE HIGHWAY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

I WAS INFORMED THAT MY CAR HAD A RECALL IN FEBRUARY AND THE LOCAL MERCEDES-BENZ DEALERSHIP HAS JUST GAVE ME THE RUN AROUND ABOUT GETTING A WELDER TO COME DO THE JOB. THEY HAVE NOT GOT BACK TO ME ABOUT GETTING A WELDER TO COME AND I FEEL LIKE IF IT'S A SAFETY RECALL THAT THEY SHOULD GET ON THE BALL TO GET THE VEHICLE UP TO CALL. THEY DIDN'T GIVE ME THE RUNAROUND WHEN THEY TOOK MY MONEY FOR REPAIRS THEY DID TO MY CAR.

ON NOVEMBER 22, 2015 I TURNED ON MY HEATED SEAT AS I WAS EXITING A SHOPPING MALL PARKING LOT. WHEN I GOT ON THE MAJOR CITY STREET I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH WHEN I FELT SOMETHING REALLY HOT ON MY BACK SO I JUMPED IN MY SEAT AND READJUSTED MY TOP, I FELT THE HEAT ON MY BACK AGAIN AND THIS TIME IT WAS HOTTER. I CAME TO A STOPLIGHT AND TURNED AROUND TO LOOK AT THE SEAT AND COULD SEE FIRE BURNING A HOLE THRU THE SEAT. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED PATTING THE SEAT TO STOP THE FIRE FROM SPREADING AND THEN TURNED OFF THE HEATED SEAT CONTROL. I CALLED THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP AND ASKED IF THEY HAD A RECALL ON THE SEATS AND WAS ADVISED NO BUT THEY DID HAVE PROBLEMS WITH SOME. THEY ADVISED ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN AND THEY WOULD FIX AT NO COST TO ME. THEY REPLACED THE SEAT BACK.

I OWNED A 2007 MERCEDES ML500, THE REASON I DON'T OWN THE VEHICLE ANY LONGER IS BECAUSE IT BURNT UP IN MY PARKING LOT OUTSIDE OF MY OFFICE. THE EVENING BEFORE THE FIRE I HAD DINNER OUT AND WHEN I WENT TO UNLOCK MY CAR DOORS, THE RIGHT BLINKER LIGHT FLICKERED AND REMAINED ON. AS I GOT INTO THE CAR THE SOUND OF THE BLINKER WAS VERY QUICK AND I TURNED IT OFF BUT REALIZED THEN THAT IT WENT COMPLETELY OUT ALONG WITH THE RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING I MADE AN APPOINTMENT T GET THOSE FIXED, IN THE MEANTIME I DROVE TO WORK AND PARKED. ONE OF MY CO-WORKERS WHOSE OFFICE FACES THE PARKING LOT SAID THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY CAR. WE CALLED 911 RAN OUTSIDE AND WHEN WE OPENED THE DRIVERS DOOR THERE WERE FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT. WE USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER BUT THE FLAMES KEPT COMING BACK UNTIL THERE WAS A WHOOSH SOUND AND THE FIRE EXPLODED OUT OF THE CAR. AT THAT POINT WE ALL RAN FOR SAFETY AND HAD TO SIT AND WATCH WHILE MY CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD PUT IT OUT. THE ENTIRE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WAS A BLACK CHARRED MESS FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK, THE EXTERIOR WAS BURNT AND IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. PRELIMINARY RESULTS ARE POINTING TO AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN THE SEAT. FYI - THE SEAT WARMER HAD NOT BEEN TURNED ON AT ALL, IN FACT, NO ONE HAS SAT IN THAT SEAT FOR WEEKS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 ML 500 SUV, THE PASSENGER SEAT HEATER MALFUNCTIONED, RESULTING IN AN ELECTRICALLY INDUCED SMOLDERING FIRE. THE HEAT SOURCE BURNED A DIME SIZED HOLE COMPLETELY THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT, SMOKE STARTED TO APPEAR AND MY SKIN STARTED TO BURN RIGHT THROUGH MY CLOTHES. THINKING MY CLOTHES MIGHT BURST INTO FLAMES, I IMMEDIATELY CAME TO A STOP AND SAFELY JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND THEN MOMENTS LATER TURNED OFF THE CAR. THANKFULLY MY CLOTHES DID NOT CATCH FIRE AND I WAS NOT IN BUSY TRAFFIC OR THIS MIGHT HAVE ENDED DIFFERENTLY. IF THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH SEAT HEATERS IN OTHER MERCEDES BENZ CARS, THIS MALFUNCTION COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS HARM TO ITS OCCUPANTS AND OTHER DRIVERS. THE CAR DEALERSHIP WILL REPLACE THE PARTS AND REPAIR THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR. *TR