2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING

INSIDE DASH WARNING SAYING "CHECK REAR RIGHT SIGNAL LIGHTS" AND RIGHT SIGNAL FLASHES QUICKER THAN NORMAL. UPON INSPECTION, LIGHTS WERE WORKING BUT BULB HOLDER INSIDE LIGHTS AND CONNECTION HARNESS WAS MELTED WHERE THE BROWN WIRE WAS. UNABLE TO REMOVE HARNESS OUT BECAUSE THE CONNECTOR WAS MELTED ON. SMELLED LIKE FRESH BURNT PLASTIC. SEVERE FIRE HAZARD! *TR

GROUND WIRE TO REAR RIGHT TAIL LIGHT MELTED AT THE CONNECTION POINT TO THE TAIL LIGHT BOARD AND HARNESS. SMELLED SMOKE AND FOUND DAMAGE SHORTLY AFTER. *TR

AFTER RECEIVING SEVERAL DASHBOARD WARNING MESSAGES AND, I WENT INTO HIGGENBOTHOM MERCEDES IN JACKSON, MS ON 10/12/12 MY VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A RIGHT REAR CONTACT PLATE AND HARNESS IS SHORTED OUT. ABOUT A WEEK IN A HALF AGO MY LIGHTS ON RIGHT SIDE (BOTH FRONT AND BACK TAIL LIGHTS) WILL FLASH ON AND OFF PERIODICALLY WHEN MY LIGHTS ARE IN THE AUTO POSITION AND THE ENGINE IS OFF. MY DAUGHTER EMAILED ME AN ARTICLE MENTIONING A POSIBLE DEFECT SO I CALLED MERCEDES AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT MY DEALERSHIP TO GET AN ESTIMATE AND THEN CALL THEM BACK AND A CASE MANAGER WOULD CONTACT ME IN 24 HOURS. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN 07/24/13 THEY DIAGNOSED THE CAR WITH NEEDING RIGHT TAILAMP BULB HOLDER PLATE. I CONTACTED MERCEDES AGAIN YESTERDAY AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE DIAGNOSIS AND SPOKE TO A CASE MANAGER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE ARE NO RECALLS AT THIS TIME AND THEY ARE STILL IN NEGOTIATION WITH NHTSA AND I CAN HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BUT MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, BUT AFTER FINDING MY PREVIOUS INVOICE I'M CONFUSSED AS TO WHAT REALLY NEED TO BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THAT IS CLEARLY 2 DIFFERENT DIAGNOSIS, BUT AT BOTH TIMES I WAS TOLD THE PARTS HAD BURNED OUT. I THINK MERCEDES SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND SOON BEFORE THERE ARE INJURIES OR FATALITIES SINCE THEY SAY NON HAS BEEN REPORTED AS OF NOW. *TR

STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS A FAILURE FOR HEAD LIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO REPAIR THE BULBS AND THEY TOLD ME THE CONTROL BOARD FAILED, MELTED AND THEY REPLACED IT. I WAS LATER TOLD THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE 2008 C300. *TR

NOTICED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT THE LEFT REAR BRAKE AND TAIL LIGHT WAS MUCH MORE DIM THAN THE CORRESPONDING LIGHTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THESE SAME LAMPS ALSO FLICKERED FROM DIM TO SLIGHTLY BRIGHTER AND REPORTED ON THE NEXT SERVICE APPOINTMENT. WHEN IT CAME BACK FROM THE DEALER THE PROBLEM WAS MARGINALLY BETTER; HOWEVER, IT STILL EXISTS TO THIS DAY. I SEE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON MERCEDES OWNERS HOTLINES WITH VARIOUS DEGREES OF SUCCESS AT THAT DEALERS. I HAVE ALSO SEEN COMMENTS ABOUT A SO-CALLED FIX THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED. MY COMPLAINT WAS NEVER PRINTED OUT ON MY COPY OF THE WORK ORDER FOR THAT SERVICE DATE EITHER. I'VE GIVEN UP.ON COMPLAINING TO MERCEDES AS I HAD ANOTHER COMPLAINT TO THE FACTORY WHICH ENDED UP JUST BEING BRUSHED OFF AS NORMAL. ONCE AGAIN NO DOCUMENTATION OF THAT VISIT WAS GIVEN EVEN THOUGHT A FACTORY REP WAS PRESENT. MY BELIEF IS THAT THE TAIL LAMPS SHOULD BE FAIRLY EQUALLY BRIGHT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE VEHICLES BEHIND YOU AN ACCURATE LOCATION OF THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE. A PROPER FIX THAT COMPLETELY CORRECTS THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE PERFORMED ON THESE VEHICLES AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNERS. I AM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS MESSAGES ON MY 2008 C300 MERCEDES REGARDING TAIL LIGHT/ BRAKE LIGHT OUT. I HAVE NOTICED THAT MY PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHTS/ RUNNING LIGHTS ARE MUCH DIMMER THAN THE DRIVER SIDE LIGHTS. I HAVE INSPECTED THE WIRING HARNESS ASSEMBLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND NOTICED SIGNIFICANT DISCOLORATION WITH THE "BROWN WIRE" AND ASSOCIATED CONNECTOR; THE CONNECTOR HAS ALSO BEEN "HOT" TO THE TOUCH. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER NEXT WEEK TO HAVE IT INSPECTED/ EVALUATED. I REALLY BECAME MORE CAUTIOUS FOLLOWING THE RECENT NEWS ARTICLE REGARDING 2008-2009 MERCEDES TAIL LIGHT ISSUES. SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT AND IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED/ CORRECTED. *TR

REAR DRIVERS SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHTS (BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, AND RUNNING LIGHTS) ARE NO LONGER FUNCTIONING. UPON INSPECTION, LIGHTS ARE BARELY FUNCTIONING OR NOT FUNCTIONING AT ALL WITH NO INDICATION OF FAULTY BULBS OR FUSES, AND WIRING HARNESS CONNECTING THE TAIL LIGHTS TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS EXTREMELY HOT. *TR

THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. AFTER EXAMINING THE WIRING AND HARNESS WERE MELTED. HAD TO BRING IN TO FIX. THE BACK BOARD WERE THE LIGHTS ARE ON WAS ALSO BURNT. NOW HAVING PROBLEMS ON THE LEFT SIDE. I JUST SAW ON THE NATIONAL NEWS WERE OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR CAR. IT SEEMS THE WIRING IS NOT PROPER SIZE TO HANDLE THE ELECTRIC LOAD. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH THE REAR LIGHTS GOING OUT. THE LIGHTS ARE RUNNING WAY TO HOT. SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT ON THIS YEAR 2008 VEHICLE. I HEARD THAT THIS IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY YOU. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE OF GETTING HIT FROM BEHIND BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WITH LIGHTS BURNING OUT OR MAYBE A FIRE FROM THE WIRING MELTING. MERCEDES SAYS THEY WILL NOT FIX AND THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE RECEIVED MULTIPLE WARNING SIGNALS INDICATING THAT MY TAIL LIGHTS AND TURNING LIGHTS HAVE FAILED. I INITIALLY THOUGHT MY BULBS WERE BLOWN BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE THAT ALL OF THEM WOULD BLOW AT ONE TIME. UPON CHECKING THE PANEL IN THE TRUNK I NOTICED THAT THE WIRES LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE BURNING. I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER AND THE SAID THEY HAVE NOTICED THE ISSUE BUT DO NOT KNOW THE CAUSE. I ASKED IF THIS WAS RECALLED AND THEY STATED NO, AND THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. AFTER DOING FURTHER RESEARCH I NOTICED OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES. I DO NOT THINK THAT IT IS FAIR THAT THE CONSUMER SHOULD HAVE TO INCUR THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH SUBPAR MANUFACTURING. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHT IS CONSIDERABLY DIMMER THAN THE DRIVER SIDE. AFTER EXAMINING THE PASSENGER TAIL LIGHT, I NOTICED THAT THE CONNECTOR OF THE WIRE HARNESS CONNECTED TO THE HOUSING THAT IS HOUSING ALL THE BULBS IS PARTIALLY MELTED AND IT IS EXTREMELY HOT WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE ON. I ALSO CHECKED THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE EXACT SAME THING IS HAPPENING ON THERE, TOO, BUT SO FAR TO A LITTLE LESSER EXTENT. LOOKS A LOT LIKE A FIRE HAZARD! *TR

THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CONNECTORS TO THE BULBS AND THE PANEL WAS MELTED DUE TO HEAT AND THEREFORE, DIMMING OF THE LIGHTS OCCURRED FOLLOWED BY COMPLETE MALFUNCTION. THE FIRST TIME WAS REPLACED UNDER MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. THE SECOND AND THIRD TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET BECAUSE VEHICLE'S MILEAGE EXCEEDED THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY COVERAGE. *TR

MY RIGHT TAIL LIGHT HAD BEEN DIM FOR AWHILE.I DO REMEMBER FROM TIME TO TIME SMELLING A FAINT ELECTRICAL BURN SMELL BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IS WAS COMING FROM. FINALLY WHEN IT WENT OUT, I PULLED THE LAMP ASSEMBLY WHICH HAS WHAT LOOKS LIKE A CIRCUIT BOARD WHERE THE BULB MOUNTS. THE COPPER "TRACES" WERE FRIED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID "SORRY, IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT WE WILL BE HAPPY TO SELL YOU ONE". I SAID "NO THANKS, IT WILL JUST FAIL THE SAME WAY". SO I TOOK IT HOME AND REPAIRED IT PROPERLY. NOW WORRIED THE OTHER ONE WILL DO THE SAME. *TR

RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT DASH MONITOR INDICATED A PROBLEM. FOUND THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT CIRCUIT BOARD GROUND WIRE BURNED AND SMOKING. PLASTIC CONNECTOR AND LIGHTING CIRCUIT BOARD MELTING. APPEARS THAT THE ELECTRICAL CURRENT DRAW IS GREATER THAN THE GROUND WIRE CAN HANDLE. TAKEN TO DEALER FOR FIX. NO RESPONSE AS YET, BUT BASED ON OTHER ONLINE REPORTS, IT APPEARS UNLIKELY THEY WILL SUPPORT A WARRANTY CLAIM FIX. *TR

MY MESSAGE CTR ON MY MERCEDES C 300 (2008) STEERING WHEEL SAID TO CHECK RIGHT, REAR TAIL AND BRAKE LIGHT. I HAVE CHECKED THE LIGHTS AND HAD A MECHANIC CHECK LIGHTS, AND ALL SEEM FINE. I HEARD THE REPORT ON WBZ RADIO ON 7-15-2013 ABOUT REAR LIGHTS ON MERCEDES 2008, AND 2009 POSSIBLY CAUSING FIRES, AND WONDER IF THE MESSAGE ON MY CAR MAY BE WARNING OF A POSSIBLE FIRE OR FUTURE FAILURE.. I CALLED THE MERCEDES SERVICE DEPT. AND THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM! I CALLED WBZ RADIO IN BOSTON, AND THEY DIRECTED ME TO NHTSB WEB SITE. THE MESSAGE TO CHECK REAR LIGHTS STILL COMES ON. *TR

THE TAIL LIGHTS OF MY MERCEDES BENZ C300 2008 STOPPED WORKING. WHEN I WENT TO MY LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER TO SEE WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR, THE SERVICE PERSON AT THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE FULLY AWARE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT IT. THEY SAID THAT THE PLASTIC COVERS OF BOTH REAL TAIL LIGHTS ALONG WITH THE WIRE HARNESS HAD MELTED. IN FACT, THE SERVICE PERSON PUT HIS HAND BACK THERE AND HE GOT BURNED BECAUSE THE ENTIRE WIRE ASSEMBLY WAS MELTED AND WAS SHORT. I ASKED THEM TO REPAIR THE CAR FOR FREE BECAUSE THIS IS A DEFECT SINCE THE WIRE HARNESS ASSEMBLIES AND PLASTIC TAIL COVER LIGHTS SHOULD NOT MELT UNDER ANY CONDITIONS. THIS IS BOTH A COLLISION HAZARD AND A FIRE HAZARD AND IT IS VERY COMMON IN THIS MODEL. MERCEDES BENZ USA REFUSED TO FIX THE VEHICLE FOR FREE AS THEY HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO DO SINCE THIS IS A DEFECT. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE PLASTIC COVER AND WIRE HARNESS OF THE REAL TAIL LIGHTS OF THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE THIS SITUATION IS DANGEROUS BOTH IN TERMS OF A FIRE HAZARD AND IN TERMS OF A COLLISION HAZARD. *TR

I RECEIVED MESSAGES ON MY DASH STATING TO CHECK REAR LEFT TURN SIGNAL AND REAR LEFT TAIL/BRAKE LAMPS. UPON PULLING OUT THE REAR LEFT (DRIVER'S SIDE) TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY, WHICH HOLDS ALL THE BULBS, I NOTICED THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS WOULD FLASH WHEN I JIGGLED THE WIRES BUT NOT STAY ON. I PULLED THE HARNESS PLUG FROM THE SOCKET ON THE ASSEMBLY HOLDING THE BULBS AND NOTICED A BLACKENED BURNT SPOT AND MELTED PLASTIC ON THE PLUG ITSELF, AND ALSO A BURNT SPOT INSIDE THE PLUG SOCKET WHICH ALMOST BURNED THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY UNIT. I HAVE PICTURES OF BOTH THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY UNIT PLUG AND SOCKET SHOWING THE BURNED MARKINGS. THIS IS A VERY CONCERNING ELECTRICAL SAFETY HAZARD THAT COULD LEAD TO A FIRE. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE SIMILAR TO 2 OTHER INCIDENTS REPORTED IN THE NHTSA DATABASE FOR THE MERCEDES BENZ C300 2008 MODEL YEAR (INCIDENT #S 10475771 AND 10466181). *TR

DRIVER INFORMATION SYSTEM SHOWED THAT THE REAR RIGHT BRAKE LAMP WAS OUT. WHILE CHECKING THE REAR TAIL LIGHT TO REPLACE THE BULBS WE CHECKED THE HARNESS AND IT WAS COMPLETELY MELTED! THEN I KNEW WHY I HAD SMELT A BURNING SMELL BEFORE. I CALLED MY NEAREST MERCEDES DEALER SHIP AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST AROUND $500-$600 TO FIX. I DIDN'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS TALKING ABOUT BUT IM OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS SHOULD BE FIXED BY MERCEDES. ITS ABSURD AND NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO ATTENTION FOR OUR SAFETY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES C- CLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE LIGHT BULBS CHANGED AND THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *TR

RIGHT REAR TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY. LIGHTS APPEARED DIM FOR A COUPLE MONTHS AND FIGURED LIGHTS WERE ABOUT IT GO OUT. WENT TO BUY NEW LIGHT BULBS TO REPLACE THE DIMMING BULBS AND WHEN I OPENED THE RIGHT SIDE TO INSTALL THE LIGHT I NOTICED THE ELECTRICAL CORD ATTACHED TO THE ASSEMBLY HAD MELTED. LIGHTS WERE STILL DIM AND CHECKED TO SEE WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE WHEN I TURNED THE LIGHTS ON AND IT MAKES A CRACKLING ELECTRICAL SOUND. I ASSUME THAT'S WHY IT SMELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING AND WHY THE 8 PRONG PIECE MELTED. 1-6 ON THE ELECTRICAL PIECE LOOK GOOD. 7 IS DAMAGED DUE TO NUMBER 8 COMPLETELY MELTING OFF. *TR

TAIL LIGHT MESSAGE. FOUND HARNESS MELTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHT. NOW I GET A MESSAGE FROM BOTH SIDES. *JB

WARNING LIGHT CAME ON TO CHECK RIGHT SIDE TAIL AND BRAKE LAMPS. WARNING SIGN TO ALSO CHECK RIGHT TURN SIGNAL. IT APPEARS THAT THESE COME ON AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 30S-1MIN. WHEN OPENED UP THE RIGHT BACK LIGHT KIT, THE PLASTIC HARNESS HOLDING THE BULBS AND WIRES IS BURNING SLIGHTLY AND SLIGHTLY CHARRED. LIGHT BULBS ARE WORKING AS THEY DO INITIALLY TURN ON, BUT THEN GO OFF AFTER 30S-1MIN. ALSO LIGHT COMES UP ON CHECK REAR LEFT TAIL AND BRAKE LAMPS. BUT THESE WORK FINE, AND THE LEFT BACK LIGHT KIT PLASTIC HARNESS APPEARS NORMAL AND FINE. *TR

BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. FIRST, I NOTICED THAT ONE OR THE OTHER OF THE RIGHT SIDE TURN SIGNALS FAILED TO FUNCTION BECAUSE I HEARD A RAPID CLICKING AS I MADE A RIGHT TURN INTO A PARKING LOT. ONCE STOPPED, I NOTICED THAT THE MERCEDES COMMAND SYSTEM SAID TO CHECK THE LEFT REAR TAIL AND BRAKE LIGHT BULBS. I SAW NO MENTION OF THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL. WHEN I LEFT THE PARKING LOT AN HOUR LATER, THERE WAS NO INDICATION ON THE COMMAND SYSTEM AS TO ANYTHING BEING WRONG. AT HOME, I REMOVED THE LEFT PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD AND SAW THAT THE TAIL LIGHT/BRAKE LIGHT BULBS WERE VERY DARK AND GAVE THE APPEARANCE OF HAVING FAILED. ON TESTING THEM WITH AN OHMMETER, I DISCOVERED THAT THEY IN FACT HAD NOT FAILED. EVEN SO I WANTED TO REPLACE THEM, AND ON THE 10TH, WHICH TURNS OUT TO BE 1 DAY AFTER MY 4 YEAR WARRANTY EXPIRED, I WENT BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE REP GAVE ME TWO REPLACEMENT BULBS. I CHANGED OUT THE OLD BULBS AND ALL APPEARED OKAY. HOWEVER, THE NEXT TIME I DROVE THE CAR LONG ENOUGH TO GET IT THOROUGHLY WARMED UP, I GOT INDICATIONS FROM THE COMMAND SYSTEM THAT NOT ONLY HAD A LEFT BRAKE LIGHT FAILED BUT ALSO THE RIGHT REAR TURN SIGNAL AND ALSO A RIGHT SIDE MARKER. I REMOVED THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT CIRCUIT BOARD AND FOUND A BURNED WIRE AND BURNED SPOT ON THE BOARD ITSELF. I SAW NOTHING ON THE LEFT REAR BOARD. ON THE 13TH, I CONSIDERED HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT DECIDED TO DRIVE IT. STANDING OUTSIDE THE CAR I SAW THAT THE RIGHT REAR TURN SIGNAL WASN'T WORKING AT TIMES, BUT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS APPEARED TO FUNCTION. IN SUMMARY, THERE APPEARED TO BE A MALFUNCTION IN ONE OR BOTH TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES THAT OCCURRED DUE TO HEAT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD ON THE RIGHT AND MADE OTHER NECESSARY AND RETURNED THE CAR IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE GOOD CONDITION. MY COST WAS 50% OF THE TOTAL.