2006 MERCEDES-BENZ Amg CLS55

STRONG FUEL ODOR INSIDE CABIN, AND FUEL LEAK ON GROUND OUTSIDE. REPAIRED TWICE UNDER WARRANTY. FIRST REPAIR FAILED; SECOND REPAIR TEMPORARILY SUCCESSFUL. SINCE SECOND REPAIR, FUEL ODOR FAINT BUT NOTICEABLE, SPORADIC, BUT WITH NO FUEL LEAK VISIBLE ON GROUND OUTSIDE. USUALLY OCCURS WHEN CAR IS STARTED AFTER SITTING IN THE SUN FOR SOME TIME IN HOT WEATHER, AFTER A RECENT REFUELING. INCIDENCE ABOUT ONCE MONTHLY (CAR IS USUALLY NOT PARKED OUTSIDE). THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER ANY WARRANTY. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SHOWED ME THE (ORIGINAL) PLASTIC PART OVER THE FUEL TANK UNDER THE LEFT REAR SEAT WHICH SHOWED SLIGHT FUEL SEEPAGE (THE REPLACED-UNDER-WARRANTY PLASTIC PART UNDER THE RIGHT REAR SEAT STILL LOOKS NEW AND UNAFFECTED). IN MY OPINION, THIS MATTER IS RELATED TO THE 2003-2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS FUEL ODOR INCIDENTS UNDER CURRENT (RECENTLY UPGRADED) NHTSA INVESTIGATION. *TR

REFERENCE PE12001 & EA13003 AFTER FILLING UP I SMELLED A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR IN THE CAR. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE ODOR WAS COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. IT SMELLED LIKE THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR SEAT CUSHION HAD BEEN SOAKED IN GASOLINE. THE ODOR WAS SO STRONG, DRIVING THE CAR WITH THE WINDOWS UP WAS IMPOSSIBLE. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MERCEDES AMG CARS. AS INSTRUCTED ONLINE, I REMOVED THE SEAT CUSHION OPENED AN ACCESS PANEL AND COULD SEE LIQUID GASOLINE POOLING ON TOP OF THE FUEL LEVEL SENDER UNIT. I COULD ALSO SEE WHERE THE UNIT HAD CRACKED, ALLOWING GAS TO ESCAPE THE TANK. I CONTACTED MBUSA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY ADVISED ME TO SEE THE DEALER. AS EXPECTED, THE DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAULTY FUEL SENDER UNIT. THEY CONTACTED MERCEDES ON MY BEHALF TO ATTEMPT TO GET ASSISTANCE WITH THIS REPAIR. MERCEDES DENIED ALL ASSISTANCE UNDER THE STANDARD AND EMISSIONS WARRANTY LEAVING ME WITH OVER $1000 IN REPAIRS. IN 2009, MY CAR WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER RECALL #2008-020001 WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, BUT IT CLEARLY FAILED TO FIX THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY. I HAD TO GET MY CAR REPAIRED BY A THIRD PARTY REPAIR SHOP AND FEEL DISGUSTED BY THE MERCEDES INABILITY TO FIX SUCH A FAULTY AND SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW. THEY WOULD RATHER MAKE THEIR CUSTOMERS PAY $1000-2000 TO AVOID PASSING OUT FROM GASOLINE FUMES OR RISK BEING KILLED IN AN EXPLOSION FROM A COLLISION. *TR

MY VEHICLE IS A 2006 MB CLS55. AFTER FILLING UP MY VEHICLE WITH FUEL, I NOTICED A LEAK IN MY GARAGE AND A STRONG ODOR COMING FROM INSIDE THE CAR BOTH WHILE RUNNING AND WHILE SHUT OFF. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND VERIFIED THAT BOTH FUEL PUMPS ARE LEAKING FROM THE TOP. THESE LEAKS RESULT IN A POOL OF FUEL DIRECTLY UNDER THE REAR SEATS. I RECEIVED A $2,200 DOLLAR VERBAL QUOTE FROM A DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE BOTH FUEL PUMPS. THEY ADVISED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL 55 SERIES VEHICLES. *TR

GASOLINE LEAK CREATING EXTREME ODOR INSIDE AND AROUND CAR EXTERIOR. DEALERSHIP STATES FUEL SENDING UNITS AND TANK NEED TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. MY CAR WAS INCLUDED IN THE RELATED RECALL #2008-020001 AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY SERVICED AT DEALERSHIP 1/19/09 TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. OBVIOUSLY THE PROPOSED REMEDY WAS INEFFECTIVE. ACCORDING TO TESTIMONY OF HUNDREDS OF OTHER E/CLS OWNERS WITH IDENTICAL, PERSISTENT ISSUES- THIS IS A DEFINITIVE DESIGN ISSUE AND HAS CREATED A SERIOUS SAFETY AND HEALTH ISSUE THAT REQUIRES MB TO SUFFICIENTLY RECTIFY ONCE AND FOR ALL. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500. WHEN FACED OR PARKING DOWNWARDS ON A HILL, THE CAR ROLLS FORWARD WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO CHANGE GEARS. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO BRAKE IN TIME, YOU WILL HIT SOMETHING. TWICE I ALMOST HIT THE PARKED CAR IN FRONT OF ME, ONCE A WALL IN A SUBTERRANEAN PARKING GARAGE. FOR EXAMPLE. I AM PARKED ON A HILL FACING DOWN. I NEED TO BACK UP TO PULL OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE. BEFORE I CAN SHIFT (THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION), THE CAR IS ROLLING FORWARD TOWARD THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THE 2006 MERCEDES MODELS HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION. IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF GEARS FROM 5 TO 7, THEY HAD TO ELIMINATE THE "PARK LOCK" FEATURE. I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A TRANSMISSION LIKE THIS IN 40 YEARS OF DRIVING. I BELIEVE IT IS A REAL SAFETY HAZARD. *JB

I OWN A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS AMG. THE RIDE HAS DEGRADED AND IT NOW VIBRATES SIGNIFICANTLY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY STATE ALL 4 RIMS ARE BENT. THIS IS PROBABLY TRUE HOWEVER, THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN CAREFULLY AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED WHICH WOULD CAUSE ALL 4 WHEELS TO BE BENT. A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET REVEALED OTHERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THE RIMS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE OF SUFFICIENT STRENGTH TO COPE WITH NORMAL DRIVING EVEN IN CALIFORNIA. *NM

MY 2006 MERCEDES CLS55 AMG HAS HAD 6 DENTED RIMS WITHIN THE FIRST 13 MONTHS (11,000 MI). MY DEALER SOLD ME WHEEL AND TIRE INSURANCE, BUT STATES THE RIM MUST BE CRACKED BEFORE IT WILL BE REPLACED. I'VE ALREADY REPLACED TWO RIMS AT $1100 EACH, AND THE CAR IS ALMOST UNDRIVEABLE DUE TO VIBRATION. THE TIRES SUPPLIED WITH THE CAR ARE COMPLETELY WORN OUT, AND ONE HAS A SIDEWALL BUBBLE. IF THE CURRENT TREND CONTINUES, I WILL HAVE TO SPEND CLOSE TO $20,000 IN RIMS OVER A 39 MONTH LEASE PERIOD. THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN AT NORMAL SPEEDS, MOSTLY OVER SMOOTH HIGHWAYS. A REPORT FROM TIRE RACK.COM REGARDING THE FACTORY SUPPLIED TIRES SUGGESTS THAT THEY NOT BE USED AT TEMPERATURES BELOW 40F! THE WHEELS AND TIRES SUPPLIED BY MERCEDES BENZ ON THIS CAR ARE COMPLETELY INADEQUATE FOR NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, AND I WOULD NOT HAVE LEASED THE VEHICLE HAD I BEEN INFORMED OF THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT. *JB