| Issue ID | 1500107 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 11131566 |
| Manufacurer | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| Brand | MERCEDES BENZ |
| Model | E500 |
| Model Year | 2005 |
| File date | 21/09/18 |
| Component | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | 2005 mercedes e500 wagon has a strong fuel odor inside and outside the vehicle when the fuel tank is completely filled. This odor persists for a few days until the fuel level has gone down. This has persisted for about a year. Due to this safety issue, mb has extended the warranty on this part to repair it. Vehicle was taken to mb of plano for repair. Once the technician confirmed the fuel tank needed to be replaced, the technician followed the procedure which requires them to remove the muffler system to remove the fuel tank. The technician stated that a muffler bracket was rusted and would need to be replaced to complete the repair. The dealership notified me that this bracket is only available as a part of the complete muffler and would cost ~$600 to replace and would not be covered by the warranty. The muffler was operating properly and does not need to be replaced for any other reason. The dealership appealed the warranty and that was denied. I appealed to the mercedes executive referral team and they also denied the claim due to the age and mileage of the vehicle. If i am not willing to spend $600 to replace a perfectly good muffler, then i will have to drive a vehicle with two small children that has a live gasoline leak inside the cabin because mercedes benz will not replace the muffler bracket. I have been in contact with ralph at mercedes benz executive referral as well as the mercedes benz of plano service department. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 151000 |
| Number of Occurences | |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | PLANO, TX |
| VIN pattern | WDBUH83J05XXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | N |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | |
| No. of fatalities | |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
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| Vehicle speed | |
| 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 | |
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