Remember guys gas evaporates very quickly, so if it smells it is probably relatively fresh....best not to mess around

 

Everyone,

UPDATE: We just came back from vacation and I was getting things in order around the house. I decided to fill up the E55(wifes car) for her and come home and wash it. Long story short....fuel was pouring out below the rear seat on the driver side. I took the rear seat out and the inspection cover on the drivers side. MASSIVE FUEL LAKE ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK. Gas was everywhere and running down onto the lower splash sheilds then on the ground.

Mercedes is trying to kill us in our 90k AMGs folks. Its 110 degrees out in AZ and if I had left this car in the garage and closed the door.....I would not be here to write this. The water heater pilot light would have taken care of my family.

4-08 the recall was performed. They replaced the entire fuel sender assm.
6-09 the gas smell returned. They replaced all the seals for the assm.
8-10 the gas is pouring out of the drivers side assembly again with or without the car running.

All this over just 12,000 miles in over two years. Houston, we still have a problem. Dont think because you have had the recall done you are in safe waters.

I will update more on this but I have already notified MB USA and NTHSA about my concerns. I wish this were a problem about an idiot that doesnt know how to hit the brake pedal. We are driving a ticking time bomb.

 

Just wanted to update you all on what happened with me:

I had the exact same issue as 03RSTT and many of you are having. The cabin of my 2003 E55 started smelling like gas, took it to the dealer, he said that both fuel sending units (there's one on either side of the gas tank) were leaking gas out the tops. He could not tell if it was a small crack in the plastic of the sending unit assembly or a broken o-ring seal on top. Either way he said both had to be replaced.

I had already done my research on this and other forums' posts and played dumb to see where he'd take it. I said "Oh wow, well that seems like a huge safety issue. Have you ever heard of anything like this happening with these cars? Have you heard of any bulletins or recalls?" He said he'd never seen or heard anything like this issue before. I let him get off the phone so he could call my extended warranty company to see if they'd cover it.

Next day he calls back and says the warranty doesn't cover the sending units. By now I have all my research handy (and have already priced out the replacement of both units - $2,000) and said "Well there's been a recall for this exact issue on this exact car, it's a major safety concern and I'm going to contact MBUSA as well as NHTSA on this matter." He solemnly asked for the recall campaign number (2008-020001) and pledged to look into it.

A few days later (without my calling MBUSA, NHTSA, or doing anything other than mentioning the above to him) he calls back and says the replacement of both sending units will be covered as a "goodwill gesture" by Mercedes Benz.

Clearly the above posts, complaints to MBUSA and NHTSA, and general uproar over this issue have gotten MBUSA's attention, because he'd clearly contacted his service manager who contacted MBUSA who said they'd cover it and to use the words "goodwill gesture", which other posters here (the lucky ones) have heard from their dealers as well.

Here's my advice: if you have this issue, bring it to your dealer, let him diagnose it, then bring up the recall and explain that you're prepared to complain to MBUSA and NHTSA (campaigns at the NHTSA exist for this issue for I believe all model years of the W211 E55). Hopefully you'll get the same answer.

 

An update:

As background, both my fuel sending units were cracked and leaking. Took to dealer, he diagnosed it, was going to be about $2,000 to fix, I brought up the recall, dealer looked into it and decided to cover it as a "goodwill gesture".

Picked up the car from the dealer and asked about what was going on and why he covered it. He said that he hadn't known about the recall till I told him about it, he looked it up and saw it addressed exactly this issue. He couldn't see what the previous dealer who performed the recall work actually did (there were several options: replace sending unit, replace seal, do nothing). He said the dealer itself and Mercedes the company were involved, somehow sharing the cost of the repair/replacement. He said the part had been updated since '03 and so I shouldn't have this issue again.

Unfortunately it sounds like most people with this issue see it happen again, so I'm just waiting for it. I asked specifically about the warranty on the repair, and he said that since it was a "goodwill gesture" (read: free) there was no warranty on the sending units. However, I do have a feeling that if the exact same issue happens again, and I bring it to this dealer who supposedly did the work that was supposed to fix it for good, they won't just saddle me with the whole cost again. I'm very happy with this dealer and the way they've handled it, just not too pleased with Mercedes design...

Not much else to report, have been driving the car for a few weeks since the repair and have had no issues, but it will take time to tell. Once again can't stress enough that if you have this issue, take your car to the dealer and mention 2008-020001. Also, go to NHTSA and file a formal complaint, as I and countless other E55 owners have.

 

I dont know if anyone will still help on this one, but i just called, using the campaign number as a reference and they said it applied to 210s but not 211s. I have a 2005 E500 and i see gas on top of my drivers fuel pump assembly. hose is fine, looks like the seal around the pump itself (little circle). They said it didnt apply to me. Any help would be appreciated, otherwise i will try it myself.

 

Umm this is patently false. If you go to the first page of this thread, 2nd post, the recall page itself is attached. It clearly states it applies to 2003-2006 E-Class and 2006 CLS-Class vehicles. This is the W211, not the W210.

I can't guarantee that the dealer will fix anything for free, but he needs to at least get his facts straight. You're suffering from the exact problem that this campaign addresses.

 

The recall states for certain model year 2003-2006 E Class and 2006 CLS-Class vehicles. Not just all of those vehicles. If his VIN isn't included, then unfortunately the poster is out of luck. This has been discussed before on several forums.

It will show up in the VMI. The poster needs to ask the dealer to run the VMI on the vehicle.

But yes, it's incorrect in that it covers the W211, not the W210.

 

Hello Calvin,

I am having the same issue to my 2006 CLS55 AMG which is W219 model. Do you think I can use.

 

No smell of fuel yet. Internet's full of horror stories about cars that only started smelling of fuel after the work was done. Love the new-car smell inside my car so tempted to hold on a while longer.

The IC coolant pump usually fails without codes. Problem usually gets noticed only when power drops from time to time...
Brgds

 

Hello everyone!
I recently purchased an '06 CLS55. I had the same issues that everyone here experienced, fuel vapor smells in the car along with a check engine light going off. I brought the car in and the tech confirmed that the fuel sending units under the back seats were leaking due to a crack in the housing unit. It was fixed ($2,000 to do so) and the service manager also pulled up the vehicle record confirming that the recall repair had been performed. He's checking whether the recall might cover the repair, but I doubt it will happen...
Has anyone else out there had similar problems on their CLS55?

 

So I have had this recall done once before on the car and the issue is back. Mercedes basically told be to go kick rocks when I called them back about the matter. Seems to me the part hasn't been re-engineered to be fixed. They just put the same part back in to prolong the same problem. Now since they fixed it once already they expect us to pay for it the 2nd time. So is the general idea here is that we are expected to pay for this part every 3-4yrs if we plan on keeping the vehicle? I am very dissapointed with them right now. To me this problem seems like it would fall under the lemon law?