2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Steering

I STOPPED AT A KWIK TRIP (2006 N SPRING ST, BEAVER DAM, WI 53916) TO PUT GAS IN MY 2008 MERCEDES C300. CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER FILLING UP. MY STEERING WAS LOCKED AND SO WAS MY SHIFTING AS I WAS STUCK IN PARK. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING THINGS SUCH AS THE BATTERY, FUSES, ETC I LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND OUT MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN THE SAME SITUATION. THERE ARE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE AND FORUMS WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VIEWS AND NUMEROUS POSTS DESCRIBING WHAT SEEMS TO BE A ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK (ESL) OR ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM (EIS). I KNOW MERCEDES HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE ARGUED IT IS NOT A SAFETY HAZARD BUT THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES WHERE IT CAN BE A BIG SAFETY HAZARD. LUCKILY IT WAS SUMMER HERE IN WISCONSIN WHERE I WAS STUCK AT THAT GAS STATION FROM 7:30PM - 1:00AM. SO ESSENTIALLY THE PROBLEM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FILLING UP WITH GASOLINE. IT IS JUST WITH THE CAR SUDDENLY NOT STARTING. IT IS A ESL FAILURE AND IT ISN'T ONLY A SAFETY HAZARD, MERCEDES IS CHARGING 1300-1900 FOR WHAT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE WITH CERTAIN MODELS! I FILED THIS THANKS TO A FORUM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER THERE IS A LOT OF EVIDENCE OF THIS ON THE WEB.

TRIED TO START THE CAR TOTALLY DEAD, STEERING COLUMN LOCKED, TOWED IT TO THE MECHANIC THE MECHANIC STATES THAT HE IS TRYING TO PURCHASE THE PART FROM MERCEDES. MERCEDES STATES THAT THE CAR MIGHT HAVE TO TOWED THERE BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THEY HAVE TO HANDLE THE REPAIR. WAITING TO HEAR IF MERCEDES WILL SELL THE PART 8/1/16. OBVIOUSLY A RECALL ISSUE HOW CAN THE GOVERNMENT HELP US WITH THIS OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

I WENT TO THE CINEMA AS REGULAR DAY, NO RAIN NOR HOT. WHEN I'M BACK AFTER 2 HOURS, THE CAR SUDDENLY COULD NOT START WITHOUT WARNINGS OR ANYTHING ELSE. THE LIGHT STILL GOOD, BATTERY IS GOOD, RADIO STILL ON. SO I WENT ON RESEARCH AND THERE ARE TONS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS C300 MODEL ON THE STEERING LOCK PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW WHY MERCEDES BENZ LET IT HAPPEN, THERE ARE NO FAULT FROM CUSTOMERS; THEY SHOULD RECALL TO CHANGE THE STEER WHEEL, WHICH EASY COST YOU $1,600. I WOULD NOT HAPPY AT ALL FOR MERCEDES BENZ QUALITY CONTROL SINCE IT LET THE C300 HAS THAT DEFAULT WITHOUT ANY NOTICES OR ATTEMPT TO ALERT CONSUMERS.

08 MERCEDES C300W -- WENT INTO H.E.B FOR 5 MINS, CAR WAS STATIONED ON FLAT SURFACE. RETURNING TO VEHICLE I INSERTED THE KEY, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WOULD NOT START, NO CRANK WHAT SO EVER. LIGHTS AND RADIO WORKED, BUT THE WINDOWS, STEERING AND SHIFTER WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. DEALER SAYS ITS THE STEERING LOCK AND LOTS OF CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM; UNFORTUNATELY, MERCEDES HAS NOT PUT A RECALL ON IT AS OF YET. TOTAL COST $1,500.00 AS OF 07/05/2016. PART 575.00 DIAGNOSE 175.00 AND LABOR 750.00 WOW. I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER MERCEDES. I NOW KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO THOSE WHO ASK HOW I FEEL ABOUT MERCEDES. VERY DISAPPOINTING.

CAR SUDDENLY WOULD NOT START. STEERING LOCKED, IGNITION WOULD TURN, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. IN A LOANER CAR NOW. SAID IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $1200.00 TO FIX THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK PROBLEM. TECHNICIAN SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG C300. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE, AND MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE.

ONLY 45,000 MILES ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK FAILED NEED TO TOW THE CAR.

THIS IS THE 2ND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME SAME ISSUE WITH THE EIS STEERING MECHANISM. FIRST TIME I PAID OVER $800 TO HAVE THE PART REPLACED THEN SECOND TIME I AM BEING CHARGED OVER $900 & THAT'S WITH A DISCOUNT! I COMPLAINED & MERCEDES DOES NOT CARE! VERY FRUSTRATING WHEN YOU THINK YOU PURCHASED A CAR FOR RELIABILITY & QUALITY BUT IT IS ALWAYS BREAKING DOWN. MERCEDES KNOWS THE PROBLEM & IS WELL AWARE OF IT BUT WILL NOT FIX IT BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING A LOT OF MONEY FROM IT! I WAS AT THE GAS STATION READY TO LEAVE & CAR WOULD NOT START. THE LIGHTS WERE ON & RADIO BUT NO LUCK GETTING THE KEY TO TURN AT ALL. HAD TO GET A TOW TRUCK & PAY MORE BECAUSE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO NEUTRAL. I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN & THEY COULD NOT HELP WITH ANY DISCOUNTS EITHER! JUST NOT RIGHT! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!!!

ON 3/6/16 THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT GAS STATION FOR A FEW MINUTES. UPON MY RETURN TO THE CAR, THE CAR WOULDN'T START. CONTACTED ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEY TRIED IN VAIN TO START CAR. HAD TO TOW VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP. NEXT DAY, MECHANIC TESTED AND RAN DIAGNOSTICS - FOUND BAD EZL STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY. MILEAGE WAS 92950 AT TIME OF FAILURE. COST $1200. HAD TO WAIT A WEEK TO GET PARTS AND FOR REPAIR. RENTAL EXPENSE WAS AN ADDITIONAL $200. GRAND TOTAL - $1400.

ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK FAILURE. COULDN'T GET CAR STARTED. ONLY 63K MILES. WHY HAS THIS ISSUE NOT BEING RECALLED YET?

CARS STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP WHILE CAR WAS PARKED SEVERAL TIMES AND AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS WITH THE KEYS IT EVENTUALLY STARTED UP. BUT ONE DAY I PARKED IT AND IT WOULD NOT START UP AT ALL. HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO MERCEDES SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS THE EIS AND THAT IT WOULD COST 1300 DOLLARS TO REPAIR. DID RESEARCH ONLINE AND NOTICED THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR THIS VEHICLE YEARS 2008-2009 AND THAT THIS IS MORE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A MERCEDES BENZ RECALL RATHER THAN PASSING THIS COST OFF TO THE CONSUMER. I TALKED THIS OVER WITH THE SERVICE TECH AND HE STATED THAT HE GETS NUMEROUS VEHICLES IN FOR THIS SERVICE AND THAT HE ANTICIPATES THAT THIS WILL EVENTUALLY BE A RECALL IN THE FUTURE BUT PRESENTLY I WOULD NEED TO PAY UP FRONT AND WAIT FOR THE RECALL TO BE GENERATED BY MERCEDES. THIS IS UNFAIR THAT A DEFECTIVE PART IS BEING PASSED ON TO THE CUSTOMER, MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 50,000 AND IT IS APPARENT THAT THIS PART GOES BAD ON THE VEHICLE JUST ABOUT THE TIME THE WARRANTY EXPIRES. MERCEDES NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND IT'S VEHICLE AND SATISFY ITS CUSTOMERS WITH A RECALL OF THIS PART.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 MERCEDES 300C, PARKED THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 10 MINUTES RETURNED TO LEAVE AND IT WOULD NOT START. THE KEY LOCKS AND UNLOCKS THE DOORS, THE LIGHTS COME ON, THE RADIO TURNS ON, AND THE DASH LIGHTS UP. YOU CAN INSERT AND TURN THE KEY BUT THE CAR WILL NOT START. THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED AND THE DRIVE IS LOCKED IN PARK. I TRIED JUMPING IT AND IT DID NOTHING I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS THE BATTERY BUT HAD IT CHECKED ANYWAYS. NOW I'M STRANDED AND HAD TO CALL AAA AND WAIT FOR 2 AND 1/2 HOURS TO HAVE IT TOWED ON A FLAT BED BY A 2ND TOW DRIVER(THE 1ST TOW TRUCK COULDN'T TOW IT BECAUSE THE CAR WOULDN'T SHIFT IN NEUTRAL) TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE EIS AND STEERING LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE COST WAS $1647.24. AFTER RESEARCHING EIS REPLACEMENT THIS IS A COMMON AMONG AMONG MANY MODELS AND MERCEDES SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.

MY C300 WAS FUNCTIONING PERFECTLY WITH NO ISSUES. WHEN I CAME OUT TO START THE CAR, IT WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY. I HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALER AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT'S THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK FAIL. I LOOKED THIS UP AND IT IS SOMETHING VERY COMMON WITH THE 2009 MODEL. THERE ARE SEVERAL POST ON THE INTERNET ASKING FOR THIS TO BE A RECALL ITEM. THIS IS THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME. THIS NEEDS A RECALL.

ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK FAIL OR EIS THE CAR WILL NOT START

STEERING LOCK FAILURE: I CAN NOT TURN WHEELS AND START THE ENGINE. A LOT OF MERCEDES CUSTOMERS COMPLAINTS ABOUT EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAS TO BE TOWED AND REPAIR ONLY BY THE DEALER. IT SHOULD QUALIFIED FOR RECALL!!!

PARK THIS CAR ON MY DAUGHTER SCHOOL AFTER CLASS TURN OFF WHEN TRAY TO STAR ENGINE NOTHING HAPPENS THE STEERING LOCK DOESN'T WORK AND SHUT DOWN ALL CAR COST ME 1600 PLUS TWO WEEK RENT A CAR BECAUSE DE PART HAVE TO BUY ON GERMANY BELIEVE IT OR NOT THE PART COST $350 TWO HRS DEALER WORK $1250

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES C CLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING SYSTEM SEIZED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

2008 MERCEDES BENZ C350 - 70,677 AFTER DRIVING THE CAR IN THE MORNING, I WENT TO CRANK THE CAR LATER IN THE DAY AND IT WOULD NOT START. IGNITION WOULD TURN, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED - ONLY A CLICKING SOUND WHEN I REMOVED THE KEY. LOCKS, ALARM, LIGHTS (INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR), RADIO AND AIR CONDITIONER WORKED FINE, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK AND THE BRAKE WAS LOCKED IN PLACE. BATTERY TESTED NORMAL AT 12.4 VOLTS. I TRIED THE SECOND KEY, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT START. TOOK IT TO MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A STEERING LOCK / IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM AND IT WAS A COMMON ISSUE THEY SEE IN THIS YEAR AND MODEL. THEY WANTED $1,200 TO REPLACE THE STEERING LOCK. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM IN MERCEDES BENZ 2008 C CLASS, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL AND MERCEDES WILL NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

PARKED THE CAR AND WENT TO WORK. CAME BACK AND THE CAR COULDN'T START. HAD TO TOW TO THE DEALERS PLACE LAST NIGHT. TODAY, GOT A CALL FROM THEM SAYING THE STEERING GOT LOCKED AND SAID TAT IT IS VERY COMMON ON THESE CARS. IT WILL COST ABOUT $1200 TO TEAR UP STEERING AND CHANGE THE ESL. BY CHECKING ONLINE Y'DAY EVENING AND TODAY, I CAME TO KNOW, THIS IS NOT NEW AND MOST OF THE 2008/2009 C300 HAVE THIS ISSUE. WE ASKED DEALERS NOT TO REPAIR IT AS THEY ARE WAITING ON OUR WORD. I AM PLANNING TO CONTACT THE BENZ CUSTOMER SERVICE FIRST AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY. THEN I WILL GO AN ATTORNEY AND FILE THE COMPLAINT. I DO SEE THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE DID NOT EVEN RESPOND TO THE REQUEST. SO, I DO NOT WANT WASTE MY TIME BY CALLING THEM AND GETTING UPSET. THEY HAVE THE DETAILS AND CONTACT INFO IF THEY WANT TO CONTACT ME. WE BUY BENZ FOR RELIABILITY AND THAT VERY POINT IS NOT TRUE LOOKING AT THIS ISSUE AND CHECKING THE ONLINE COMPLAINTS. LUCKILY WE DO HAVE A 3RD CAR THAT OUR SON USES AND I CAN LEAVE BENZ IN GARAGE UNTIL THIS ISSUE GETS FIXED FROM BENZ CORPORATION.

CAR WILL NOT START - DID A SEARCH COMMON FAULT STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAIL - MERCEDES NEEDS TO RECALL FIX FOR FREE

I WENT TO A STORE AND WHEN A RETURN BACK FOR MY CAR, MY MERCEDES BENZ C300 2088 DIDN'T START, I THOUGH IT WAS THE KEY BUT WHEN I USE MY OTHER KEY DIDN'T WORK ETHER. I TOWED MY CAR AND TOOK IT TO THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALER. NOW THE TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE STEERING COLUMN LOO AND THEY WANT ME TO CARGO ME OVER $1400. I DON'T THINK IS FARE BECAUSE IT IS A MANUFACTURE PROBLEM, A LOT O PEOPLE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THINK, EVEN THE EMPLOYES TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE ONE CAR A WEEK FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THAT HAS TO BE A RECALL. I'M NOT PAYING FOR A MANUFACTURE PROBLEM. LETS DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

THE CAR CUT OFF AND THEN WOULD NOT STAR TOR GO INTO GEAR AFTER THAT. TRIED USING BOTH KEYS WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE VEHICLE.

ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILED

MY WIFE WAS GOING TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL WENT TO START THE CAR AND CAR WON'T START. THE KEY WOULD TURN LIGHT S WORK BUT ENGINE WOULDN'T TURN OVER HAD IT TOWED TO GAINESVILLE MERCEDES WHERE THEY SAID THE STEERING INTERLOCK SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1200.00. THERE ARE LOTS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME ISSUE LUCKY MY WIFE WAS NOT ALONE AT AND THIS HAPPENED NO WARNING AT ALL!! *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A SNAP , AS SOON I TRY TO PULL OVER MY STEERING WHEEL BECOMES VERY STIFF, VERY HARD TO TURN. HAD TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK. WHEN I OPEN THE HOOD IT SMELL LIKE SOMETHING BURNT AND I SAW THE BELT IN PIECES. I SPOKE TO MY MECHANIC AND HE CONFIRMED IT WAS THE BELT AND THE IDLE PULLEY. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND ALOT OF C CLASS CARS ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. HOPEFULLY MERCEDES BENZ CAN FIX THIS BEFORE A TRAGEDY HAPPENS. *TR

MY CAR WOULD NOT START, BUT THE KEY TURNED OVER. I HAD IT TOWED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK, AND MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN REPAIR IT. I WAS TOLD THAT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PART. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I DID RESEARCH AND SAW THAT HUNDREDS OF CARS OF THE SAME MODEL HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS PART. I INFORMED THE DEALER THAT I WAS AMAZED THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL BECAUSE IT IS EVIDENT THAT THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THIS PRODUCT AND MERCEDES NEEDS TO ADDRESS IT, AND I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. MY SERVICE ADVISOR ADMITTED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PART BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. THE GENERAL MANAGER FORWARDED MY CONCERNS TO MERCEDES. THEY CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. IT IS BETWEEN THE DEALER AND ME, SO AS OF NOW, I AM PROBABLY GONNA END UP PAYING NEARLY A $1000 FOR A PART THAT IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT THERE IS NOT ONE! *TR