2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R350

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R350V2. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC LEVELING BECAME DEFECTIVE WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH. IN ADDITION, THE LEVELING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE DEALER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V682000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

DROVE CAR TO A STORE IN CITY AND IT WORKED FINE, CAME BACK OUTSIDE TO START THE CAR AND IT BECAME HARD TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. TOOK CAR TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE POWER STEERING, HYDRAULICS, RACK AND PINION AND RESERVOIR (HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS OF A RECALL FROM 2008 FOR THE SAME MAKE AND VEHICLE). NHTSA CAMPAIGN NO. 08V682000

MY MERCEDES R350 SPORADICALLY BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. I NOTICED THAT THIS HAPPENS AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF CITY STREET DRIVING. THE STEERING GETS SO TIGHT THAT IT REQUIRES BOTH HANDS AND A LOT OF EFFORT TO JUST STEER THE WHEEL PARTICULARLY WHEN PARKING. BECAUSE OF THIS CONSTANT BATTLE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL I STARTED FEELING PAIN ON MY SHOULDER. THE STEERING WHEEL FLUID LEVEL IS FINE AND THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT. I CALLED MERCEDES BENZ AFTER FINDING OUT THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE 2008 R350S FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT I WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THE RECALLED BATCH BASED ON MY VIN#. MAYBE THERE IS JUST NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS YET FOR MY 'BATCH' THAT THEY REFUSE TO FIX THE VERY SAME PROBLEM THAT THEY ISSUED A RECALL FOR. MY CAR IS THE SAME MODEL, MANUFACTURED IN THE SAME YEAR AND IS EXHIBITING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE DEFECT IDENTIFIED IN THE RECALL. WHAT CAN I DO TO HAVE MY CAR INCLUDED IN THE RECALL?

CAR OCCASIONALLY DIFFICULT TO STEER AFTER DRIVING FOR DISTANCE IN MOUNTAINS. FLUID LEVELS APPEAR TO BE OK BUT PASSERBY'S TELL ME THEY CAN HEAR STEERING NOISE THAT I DO NOT HEAR INSIDE WHEN DRIVING. I SAW THAT THERE IS RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE AND STEERING RACK PIN- WONDERING IF MY VEHICLE IS PART OF RECALL TO BE REPAIRED BY MERCEDES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ R350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, AN ABNORMAL NOISE EMITTED AS THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE EXTREME FORCE IN ORDER TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING OIL PRESSURE DRIVING PIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ R350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT LISTED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V682000 (STEERING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80000.

I HAVE AN MERCEDES R350 MODEL YEAR 2008. IT HAS 60,050 MILES NOW BUT I HAVE JUST BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK - $4000 QUOTED FROM MERCEDES-BENZ VALENCIA IN CALIFORNIA. IT HAS A FLUID LEAK FROM THE STEERING RACK. I KNOW THAT THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN (ID NUMBER 08V682000) FOR CERTAIN 2008 MERCEDES GL, ML AND R-CLASS VEHICLES. I WONDER MERCEDES-BENZ WILL REPLACE THE STEERING GEARS FOR MY CAR WITH FREE OF CHARGE.

THIS VEHICLE HAS A BALANCE SHAFT AND INTAKE MANIFOLD ISSUE AS WELL AS A AIR SUSPENSION PROBLEM. BOTH PROBLEMS ARE A MANUFACTURE DEFECT THAT IS COMMON IN OTHER MB R350 VEHICLES. MB ACCEPTS THAT THIS VEHICLE MODEL HAVE A CONGLOMERATE OF PROBLEMS AND IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE A RECALL. THIS VEHICLE IS ALWAYS MAINTAIN AND SERVICE BY AN AUTHORIZED MB DEALER AND THEY INSURE THAT IN ANY OF THE PREVIOUS SERVICES THE DIAGNOSIS WAS NEVER IDENTIFIED OR MENTION. THE LOW SUSPENSION IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT MAY CAUSE THE WHEELS TO RUB AGAINST THE FENDERS AND CAUSE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL. THE BALANCE SHAFT MAY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO LOOSE POWER AND CREATE A REAR ENDING CRASH. *TR 10/01/2012 *JS UPDATED