| Issue ID | 791233 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10331313 |
| Manufacurer | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. |
| Brand | MERCEDES BENZ |
| Model | E500 |
| Model Year | 2005 |
| File date | 03/01/10 |
| Component | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | Driving down the road when an alert that the srs system had detected a failure and lit up on the gauge cluster. Had a an independent mercedes shop read codes which were: failure of supplemental restraint system on a 2005 mercedes e500 wagon. The "srs" light came on for no apparent reason. The car was taken to a mercedes dealer for repair. The wiring harness in the steering column that sends and receives data to drivers side airbag 1 caused a failure in what is known as the squib for the affected airbag. The dealer told me that in the event of a crash the airbag would not deploy. They even knew about it and had a bulletin but no recall so i was charged about $735 for the repair. I was totally shocked that a brand that prides itself in safety technology would not stand behind the product and fix a known issue on a goodwill campaign that could be a potentially fatal parts failure. The problem is so common that they even have a kit for the wiring harness fix. After doing a lot reading on many mercedes info sites i found out it is affecting a potential of over 100,000 e class cars and the cl class cars that share the chassis and many components. I am glad i got it fixed because i know how much safer the car is with a functional airbag. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 77100 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | RICHFIELD, WI |
| VIN pattern | WDBUH83JX5XXXXXXX |
| 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 | |
| No. of fatalities | |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 65 |
| 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 |