2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R350

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A FAULTY BALANCE SHAFT. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ANOTHER MERCEDES-BENZ MECHANIC WHERE THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED AGAIN, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED A THIRD TIME. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN EXPERIENCING ENGINE FAILURES AFTER THE DEALER (SILVER STAR MOTORS, 36-11 NORTHERN BLVD, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101, (855) 216-2452) SERVICED IT DUE TO A FAILURE WITH THE SUN ROOF NOT PROPERLY CLOSING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SUN ROOF CLIP AND OIL CAM COVER, THE TRANS OIL LEAK WAS SEALED, AND THE OIL FILTER, HOSES, AND DRIVE BELT WERE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE FURTHER DIAGNOSED TO SERVICE THE ENGINE. THE DEALER SERVICED THE ENGINE AND FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE DROVE ROUGHLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER THEN INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V006000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

ELECTRICAL WIRING AROUND HEADLAMPS IS CRUMBLING AND EXPOSING LARGE LENGTHS OF BARE WIRES, WITH UP TO ABOUT 6" OF COPPER WIRING EXPOSED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I REPLACED A BURNED OUT HALOGEN HEADLAMP IN JUNE, THE OTHER ONE IN AUGUST, AND THE FIRST ONE WENT OUT AGAIN ABOUT A WEEK AGO (AND THIS RATE OF HEADLAMP REPLACEMENT IS MORE OR LESS TYPICAL; I KEEP TWO SPARES IN MY CAR AT ALL TIMES, AS BURNOUTS ARE SO FREQUENT). THE BARE WIRES MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE EXTREMELY SHORT BULB LIFE AND COULD ALSO CAUSE ARCING AND POTENTIALLY AN ENGINE FIRE. ALTHOUGH AN ENGINE FIRE HAS NOT HAPPENED YET, THE ARCING IS EXTREMELY LIKELY. HOWEVER, THE AREA WHERE THIS OCCURS IS SO HAS EXTREMELY RESTRICTED ACCESS AND DIRECT VISION INTO AND AROUND THE HEADLAMP MOUNT IS NOT POSSIBLE. ONLY UPON INSERTING MY IPHONE INTO THE AVAILABLE SPACE WAS I ABLE TO SEE THE EXTENT OF THE WIRING INSULATION DETERIORATION.VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE SEGMENTED INSULATION ON THE BROWN WIRE FLAKED OFF ON MY FINGERS WHEN I INSTALLED THE NEW HEADLAMP. ALTHOUGH THE BROWN WIRE WAS MOST AFFECTED, THE YELLOW WIRE ALSO SHOWS SIGNIFICANT SIGNS OF DETERIORATION. I WORKED IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY FOR OVER TEN YEARS AS AN OEM SUPPLIER AND VEHICLE MANUFACTURER AND SUCH DEFECTS AS THIS TEND TO INDICATE INFERIOR MATERIALS OR MANUFACTURING PROCESSES. MATERIALS THIS FRAGILE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT IN THE QA PROCESS AND RETURNED TO THE SUPPLIER BEFORE INSTALLATION ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE.

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.