2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R350

2006 MERCEDES BENZ R 350, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AT APPROX 66,000 MILES; POSSIBLE BALANCE SHAFT WEAR INDICATIONS; MB DEALER CLEARED CEL AND PERFORMED TEST DRIVE WITHOUT IT REAPPEARING; CEL ILLUMINATED AGAIN WITHIN 50 MILES; SUBSEQUENT VISIT TO MB DEALER CONFIRMED EARLY WEAR ON BALANCE SHAFT GEAR AND TIMING CHAIN; MERCEDES BENZ KNOWS THAT THE MATERIALS USED WERE INSUFFICIENTLY HARDENED, CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR AND POSSIBLE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER RESULTING IN NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES WITHOUT WARNING , THEREBY PRESENTING A DANGER TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS; SAFETY RECALL IS IN ORDER FOR VEHICLE OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ENGINE TYPES

2006 MERCEDES R350, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. REPLACED MAGNETS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT RETURNED. DIAGNOSED AS DEFECTIVE BALANCE SHAFT & GEAR. MERCEDES SAYS MOTOR HAS TO BE REMOVED TO REPLACE BALANCE SHAFT, GEAR, TIMING CHAIN, OIL PUMP AND RELATED TENSIONERS AND GUIDES. THIS IS A DEFECT THAT MB HAS BEEN AWARE OF SINCE 2007. CAR IS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY BECAUSE DRIVING IT RISKS SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO POSSIBLY JUMPING TIME. *TR

MERCEDES BENZ R 350, EARLY WEAR ON BALANCED GEAR AND TIMING CHAIN,LESS THAT 40,000 MILES,CODE1200 AND 1208,MERCEDES BENZ COMPANY KNOW THAT THE MATERIALS USED ON THAT PARTS AREN'T STRONG ENOUGH, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GO ON AND FUEL ECONOMY IS VERY LOW,THE COMPANY KNOW THE CAUSE AND MAKE CHANGE ON NEW PARTS MATERIALS,BUT NO SAFETY RECALL HAS BEEN POSTED TO CUSTOMERS WITH THAT PROBLEMS. *TR

MERCEDES-BENZ BALANCE SHAFT ISSUES THAT EFFECT 2006 PLUS YEARS, R350 AND OTHER MODELS THAT HAVE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON, GIVING A FAULT CODE, BALANCE SHAFT ISSUE. THE FIX IS VERY EXPENSIVE, RANGING FROM $4,000 TO $7,500. MERCEDES-BENZ HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM SINCE THEY ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IN 2007. HOWEVER, CURRENTLY MB IS NOT NOTIFYING CONSUMERS OR PAYING FOR THE TOTAL REPAIR OF THE BALANCE SHAFT. *TR

AFTER A NORMAL DAY OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE, I STOPPED FOR A SMALL AMOUT OF TIME SWITCHED THE CAR OFF. WHEN I RETURNED THE CAR WOULD NOT START, AFTER 30 MINUTES OF THIS I HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALER. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS HE INFORMED ME THAT HE CHECKED THE FUEL PUMP AND IGNITION SYSTEM. EVERYTHING CHECKED OK. HE REINSTALLED THE PARTS AND THE CAR STARTED FINE FOR THREE DAYS. I PICKED UP THE CAR ONLY TO HAVE IT STALL AGAIN IN A MATTER OF HOURS, WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. *LN

ON MY 2006 MERCEDES BENZ R350, THE REAR BRAKELIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS REGULARLY FAIL TO ELIMINATE. THE LIGHTS ARE VERY INCONSISTENT AND WHEN THEY FAIL A BACK-UP SUBSTITUTE LIGHT COMES ON. A MESSAGE APPEARS ON THE DASH INDICATING THAT THE SUBSTITUTE LIGHTS ARE ON. AFTER CHANGING THE BULBS NUMEROUS TIMES, I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC AT MERCEDES THAT THE CONTACT MAY BE WORN OUT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ R350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE TAILLIGHTS FAILED. THE EXTERIOR LIGHT WARNING LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED, INDICATING THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NONFUNCTIONAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPAIRED THE WIRING HARNESS AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,106. UPDATED 02/10/11 *BF UPDATED 02/22/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ R350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD NOT TURN ON. THERE WAS A WARNING LIGHT THAT INDICATED THAT THEY DID NOT FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A WIRING PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

OUR 2006 R350 HAD ALL THE TAIL LIGHTS BURN OUT AT THE SAME TIME RESULTING IN A SAFETY ISSUE. THERE APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR WITH A WIRE HARNESS THAT CONTROLS THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS. WHEN THIS HARNESS FAILS THE TAIL LIGHTS STOP WORKING. MERCEDES KNOWS ABOUT THE ISSUE AND HAS A TSB ON IT, BUT WILL NOT COVER REPAIRS IF THE VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON ONLINE MERCEDES FORUMS REGARDING THIS DEFECT. *TR

ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2010 I STARTED UP MY VEHICLE AND NOTICE A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARS ON MY DASHBOARD. I DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR TWO MORE DAYS AND THE LIGHT DISAPPEARED. AND THEN ON THE FOURTH DAY THE LIGHT APPEAR AGAIN. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACT THE MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE AND ASKED THE ABOUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I WAS INFORMED NOT TO PANIC IT'S PROBABLY THE GAS CAP NOT PROPERLY ON OR SINCE I WAS AWAY FOR ONE WEEK AND MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE MAYBE THAT IS WHY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. I THEN DECIDE TO TAKE MY VEHICLE RIGHT TO MERCEDES BENZ BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES WITH THIS MESSAGE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND INFORMED THE SERVICE ADVISOR ABOUT THE LIGHT. LATER ON THAT DAY I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL INFORMING ME THE VEHICLE NEEDS A COUNTER BALANCER? I ASKED HIM HOW DOES HE KNOW AND HE REPLIED THAT THE TECHNICIAN SAW SMALL METAL PARTICLES IN MY OIL PAN. MY VEHICLE WAS FULLY SERVICED IN MARCH, 2010 THE REPAIR HE TOLD ME WILL BE VERY COSTLY BETWEEN $4000-$6000 FOR A COUNTER BALANCER ! I LEFT THE VEHICLE AND CALLED MERCEDES BENZ CUSTOMER CARE TO ASK THEM ABOUT THIS PART. THE CUSTOMER CARE REP INFORMED ME THAT THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND TO GO GET MY VEHICLE BEFORE THEY START THE REPAIR. I WENT BACK TO GET MY VEHICLE AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND MAY STOP ON ME WHILE IN DRIVE. I HAD NO OTHER RECOURSE BUT TO HAVE MY VEHICLE REPAIR. WHEN I PICK UP MY VEHICLE SEVERAL DAYS LATER I ASKED AGAIN ABOUT THE REPAIRS AND WAS GIVEN A LENGTHY REPAIR BILL WITH ALOT MORE ITEMS THEN WHAT THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID NEEDED TO BE DONE TO MY VEHICLE. I CALLED ANOTHER TECHNICIAN WHO IS ALSO EMPLOYED WITH MERCEDES BENZ AND ASK ABOUT THIS PART, AND HE TOLD ME MERCEDES BENZ KNOWS ABOUT THE COUNTER BALANCER IN SOME OF THE 350 ENGINE BUT WILL NOT RECALL THEM. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY MERCEDES BENZ IS NOT RECALLING THIS EXPENSIVE PART ! *TR