Posting to see if anyone has any ideas on this. 2005 C240 which up till now has never had any issues. I had the car out for a short time on Sunday, drove back into the garage, put the car in park, and went to pick up a few things from the seat. I then went to turn the key in the ignition to turn the car off, but when I stepped on the brake to remove the key, the brake was frozen, and would not budge. I then tried putting the car in reverse, and stepped on the gas to pull back out of the garage, but the car was unresponsive. Finally had to leave it running in park, key in ignition, and call roadside assistance. The driver thought I was imagining things, till he tried to depress the brake, and uttered "Holy cow". Car was towed to the dealer, and Monday morning I got a call from the service manager asking me what the problem was. I don't know what happened after the car left here, but according to him, the car was off, and the key was in the box. They spent two days testing the car, and insist "There is nothing wrong with the car. It is fine". Obviously not fine if it happened even once, and no assurance it will not happen again. If it is not related to only the "park" position", the brake could freeze while I am driving, and attempt to stop at a light. I am very reluctant to get back behind the wheel of this car, and am making calls to dealers about a new car. Has anyone had this problem? Does anyone know what could possibly have happened here, and no, I did not pump the brakes - I simply put my foot on it, only to discover it would not budge.

I am not sure you're not imagining things. I just don't get the description.

You drove it into the garage, put it in park but left the engine running.
You got stuff out, then turned the car off. You say "I stepped on the brake to remove the key" - no such requirement. You do not have to step on the brake to remove the key.

So at this point the engine was off, but you say you put the car in reverse and stepped on the gas and it was "unresponsive" - makes sense, the engine was off.

Now you've started the engine again and left it in park and running.

I just don't follow, I guess. The brake pedal in my C would get very firm after the engine was off. As far as I can tell there is no way that the ignition could hold the key in the off position.

Actually, you do have to depress the brake to remove the key from the ignition. The car was never off. I put it in park and left it running to pick a few things up from the seat. I then turned the key in the ignition to off, and went to step on the brake to remove the key. The brake was frozen. The car was not off - it was still running, and was in Park. I was not able to turn the car off, because I could not remove the key from the ignition. When I put it in reverse, therefore, the car was running, not off.

Okay.. what?

1. You do not have to press the brake to remove the key. Your information is wrong. Since your profile is not updated I cannot tell where you live in the world but there seems to be a language issue.

2. You turned the key off, but the engine continued to run?

"I was not able to turn the car off, because I could not remove the key from the ignition" This sentence makes no sense.. you couldn't turn the engine off because the key wouldn't come out?

what is that you don't understand what he is saying?!?! he wants to take the damn key out while the car is running and in order to take the key out he need to step on the brakes otherwise the car will continue rolling

it has to be issue with the brain of the car, not the engine

There's an issue with the brain here, for sure.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, no you most certainly do not have to depress the brake to take the key out.

The only way I see the key not coming out is that you turn the key all the way back?????