| Issue ID | 928706 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10464808 |
| Manufacurer | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. |
| Brand | MERCEDES BENZ |
| Model | E350 |
| Model Year | 2011 |
| File date | 02/05/12 |
| Component | WHEELS |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | This vehicle from mercedes-benz, in particular 2011 e350 4matic with 18in wheels does not meet certain standards of quality and durability and poses a serious safety concern. My vehicle has all 4 wheels dented and cracked from roads with normal to minor road surface abnormalities. The wheels on this car is not safe and does not meet the quality standards expected, they cannot support the weight of the car under normal driving conditions. These wheels easily dent and crack and can lead to a driver losing control of there vehicle. I have so far experienced 3 flats over the course of 1. 5 years that could have resulted in an accident. The dealer repaired dented wheels and soon after, the wheels were damaged again. The steering continues to vibrate at highway speeds and pulls slightly to one side because of the severity of the damaged wheels. There are many others customer with this vehicle that have similar complaints about the wheel quality and even the dealer is aware that this is an issue but states its a manufacturer defect and nothing they can do. As of now i have been to the dealer 3 times to inspect the wheels and repair the damages which they are not covering. I drive another vehicle, 2011 infiniti m, which has larger 20in wheels and it's been driven through the same roads with not one issue at all with the wheels. After driven the car for about 2 years, the infiniti still drives with no vibrations and wheels that are in excellent condition. If the wheels from mercedes-benz cannot handle the weight and oem tire that comes from the factory, then there is a problem with the quality and reliability of the vehicle. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 20000 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | STATEN ISLAND, NY |
| VIN pattern | WDDGF8BB8CRXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 0 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | 6 |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 30 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |