Mercedes BENZ B Class Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

THIS IS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. IN NORMAL OPERATION, WHEN THE CAR IS SLOWING, AND ALMOST AT A STOP, IT COMES OUT OF REGENERATIVE BRAKING MODE, AND ENTERS THRUST MODE, SO THAT IF THE BRAKE IS RELEASED WHEN STOPPED, THE CAR WILL BEGIN TO ROLL. IN THIS VEHICLE, SOMETIMES THE CAR EXITS REGENERATIVE BRAKING MODE AND ENTERS THRUST MODE WHEN SLOWING AT HIGH SPEED, SUCH AS WHEN EXITING A HIGHWAY RAMP. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AS BRAKING IS MOMENTARILY AND UNEXPECTEDLY LOST WHEN IT IS NEEDED MOST. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANY ISSUES OR FAULT CODES. AS THE ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT, I AM STUCK. *TR

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE OUT OF PARKING STALL VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE, ALMOST AS IF EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS BEING APPLIED EVEN THOUGH EBRAKE WAS OFF. TURNING ON AND OFF IGNITION DID NOTHING. REPLACE 12 V BATTERY DID NOTHING. WARRANTY WORK ON CONTROL UNIT PERFORMED MULTIPLE TIMES IN 2017/2018/2019 EVEN THOUGH THE SOFTWARE 'FIXED' THE ISSUE RELATED TO THE RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 15V655000 IN 2015. DEALER STATES MUST REPLACE ENTIRE POWER TRAIN AT A COST OF $11,500. VEHICLE HAS 72K MILES AND LOAN BALANCE IS OVER $12K. THE POWER TRAIN PROVIDED BY TESLA WAS REPLACED IN TESLA'S OWN VEHICLES AS WELL AS IN TOYOTA RAV4 MODELS FROM THE SAME YEAR.

VEHICLE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INSTRUCTING TO STOP DRIVING VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. LIKE SO MANY OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS, MERCEDES DEALER-MECHANIC SAID THAT COOLANT HAD GOTTEN INTO BATTERY AND DRIVE UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST $12,000 - RENDERING CAR TOTALLED. INDEPENDENT EV SPECIALIST HAS PRESSURE TESTED COOLING SYSTEM AND FINDS NO LEAKS. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN A SAFE PLACE AT THE TIME I NEEDED TO STOP THE CAR. IF I HAD BEEN OUT ON THE FREEWAY DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC OR AT NIGHT, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSAFE. IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT AND DRIVE UNIT, IT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO FIRE, IF NOT POTENTIAL CRASH IF DRIVER LOSES POWER IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AT HIGH SPEED. AS AN ALL ELECTRIC CAR, BRAKES AND TRANSMISSION RELY ON POWER TO SAFELY BRING CAR TO A STOP.

THE "MALFUNCTION" LIGHT APPEARED AND VEHICLE LOST POWER IMMEDIATELY. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THEN SWITCHING THE IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, THE CAR OPERATED NORMALLY AND THE "MALFUNCTION" LIGHT DISAPPEARS. THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES: DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING (55 MPH), ON A COUNTRY ROAD (45 MPH), AND AT ALMOST A STOP (5 MPH). ONE OCCURRENCE WAS IN THE EARLY EVENING ON A HOT DAY AND TWO WERE EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN TEMPERATURES WERE COOL. TWO OF THESE FAILURES WERE VERY DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCES AND IT IS VERY LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS NEARBY ON THE ROAD AT THAT TIME. SINCE IT IS A FULLY ELECTRIC CAR IT LOSES MOMENTUM VERY QUICKLY AND I HAD TO DESPERATELY LOOK FOR A TURNOUT AT ONCE. ONE TIME MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN WERE IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR. MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE TO BE THE DRIVE UNIT AT A COST OF $9,000. THEY CLAIM THIS IS A DIFFERENT PROBLEM THAN THE PREVIOUS RECALL (WHICH THE CAR HAD COMPLETED). I HAVE READ THROUGH THE PREVIOUS RECALL INFORMATION AND IT SOUNDS VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT THIS CAR IS DOING. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THE NHTSA INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE PREVIOUS RECALL ACTUALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS 30,000 MILES BUT MERCEDES BENZ REFUSES TO FIX THE CAR BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN DECEMBER 2018 (SEVEN MONTHS AGO). THEY ONLY OFFER A 4 YEAR/50,000 MILE WARRANTY (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST).

THIS IS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. WHEN SLOWING DOWN THE PADDLE SHIFTERS CAN BE USED TO PUT THE CAR IN 'D-' MODE, FOR MORE AGGRESSIVE ENGINE BRAKING. THIS INCREASES THE RATE OF DECL WITHOUT USING THE MECHANICAL BRAKES. THIS HAS WORKED WELL FOR FOUR YEARS AND 65,000 MILES. TODAY THERE WAS A 'ONE TIME' MALFUNCTION. I DID THE USUAL 'D-' 'DOWN SHIFT' TO SLOWDOWN FROM 30 MPH, IN TRAFFIC, FOR RED LIGHT. THE CAR DID NOT AGGRESSIVELY SLOW DOWN AND I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I NOTICED THE CAR NEED EXCESSIVE BREAK PEDAL PRESSURE TO MAKE WHAT SHOULD BE A NORMAL STOP. I GLANCED DOWN AT THE POWER METER AND IT IS INDICATING POWER IS STILL BEING APPLIED TO THE MOTOR. THE INDICATOR WAS HALF WAY TO THE FIRST TIC AND DROPPING AS I SLOW DOWN. THIS IS ABOUT 25 AMPS POWERING THE MOTOR, NOT RECHARGING THE BATTERY. THIS AGGRESSIVE BRAKING INCIDENT IS NOT RELATED TO COLD THE WEATHER BATTERY PROTECTION MODE WHERE ENGINE BREAKING IS DISABLED UNTIL THE BATTERY REACHES MINIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURE. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS 40F. TO RECAP, WHILE APPLYING THE MECHANICAL BRAKES, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WAS STILL PRODUCING POWER AS INDICATED BY THE AMMETER, STOPPING THE CAR REQUIRED MORE THAN THE USUAL AMOUNT OF BRAKE PRESSURE.

ON SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2018, THE CAR SUFFERED A SUDDEN AND ABRUPT CATASTROPHIC SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY SON TO SCHOOL. WE WERE ON CITY STREETS DRIVING STRAIGHT AT NORMAL SPEED AND IT STALLED RIGHT IN AN INTERSECTION BUT I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO STILL HAVE SOME MOMENTUM TO GET INTO THE LEFT TURN LANE. THERE WAS A FLASHING RED TEXT WARNING ON THE DISPLAY FOR A FEW SECONDS- SOMETHING ABOUT TURN OFF IMMEDIATELY AND DO NOT RESTART. THEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN. I WAS TERRIFIED THAT WE WOULD GET INTO AN ACCIDENT ALL THROUGHOUT THE TIME WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE TOW TRUCK. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. NOTE THAT THE ELECTRIC DRIVE UNIT ON THIS CAR WAS REPLACED ON THE FOLLOWING DATES: 3/5/18 - 3/15/18(10 DAYS TO REPAIR) 9/20/18- 10/3/18 (14 DAYS) ON 10/10/18 THE CAR SUFFERED ANOTHER "MALFUNCTION VISIT WORKSHOP" AND HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP SINCE 10/11/18. THE CAR WAS TOWED. IT APPEARS TO BE THE ELECTRIC DRIVE UNIT AGAIN AND WILL BE THE THIRD TIME IT IS REPLACED. I BELIEVE THIS CAR IS DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS AND MERCEDES BENZ DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. I HAVE READ ABOUT SIMILAR DRIVE UNIT REPLACEMENTS FROM OTHER B CLASS OWNERS.

ELECTRIC CHARGER CABLE BURNT ITSELF AND CAUSING FIRE DANGER. MERCEDES DOES NOT GIVE SUPPORT FOR THIS FIRE HAZARD. THESE ELECTRIC CHARGERS ARE USED AT HOME (IN GARAGE) ETC. WHILE CHARGING THE ELECTRIC CAR. MERCEDES DOES NOT STAY BEHIND ITS ELECTRIC CHARGER THAT CAUSES EXTREME DANGER. *JS

IN PREPARING TO LEAVE A PARKING LOT ON NOVEMBER 23, 2016 IN HILLSBORO, OREGON, THE B-CLASS MERCEDES-BENZ ELECTRIC DRIVE AUTOMOBILE REFUSED TO MOVE AND A MESSAGE APPEARED IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SAYING "HAVE ME TOWED TO A DEALER" OR SOMESUCH. VEHICLE WAS TRANSPORTED TO BEAVERTON, OREGON MERCEDES-BENZ WHERE THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A DEFUNCT MAIN TRACTION BATTERY. BATTERY, WHICH COSTS ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE MSRP OF THE AUTOMOBILE, WAS ORDERED FROM GERMANY AND ARRIVED ON OR ABOUT DECEMBER 9, 2016 AS A WARRANTY REPLACEMENT. VEHICLE IS REPORTED TO BE READY FOR PICK UP ON DECEMBER 15. NO ACCIDENT WAS INVOLVED, THOUGH HAD THE TRACTION BATTERY CEASED TO PROVIDE POWER WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE OUTCOME MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. NO INDICATION OF IMPENDING BATTERY FAILURE WAS NOTED. THE BATTERY POWERED THE VEHICLE 12 MILES TO A PARKING LOT IN HILLSBORO FROM OUR RESIDENCE, BUT ON ATTEMPT TO POWER THE PARKED VEHICLE FROM THE PARKING LOT, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE OTHER THAN A MESSAGE TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE B-CLASS IN QUESTION HAD A FEW MILES OVER 20,000 ON THE CLOCK AND HAD BEEN IN SERVICE FOR LESS THAN 2 YEARS. VEHICLE IS LEASED FOR 36 MONTHS. WITH THIS EXPERIENCE, WE WILL BE GOING BACK TO THE TOYOTA PRIUS AS OUR GREEN VEHICLE.

EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING 70+ MPH ON BUSY HIGHWAY. WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS TRAFFIC COLLISION BECAUSE IT A STOPPED IN THE ROAD. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE FAILED. COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF "PARK" AND WAS UNABLE TO SWITCH IT INTO "NEUTRAL" TO ROLL THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE LANE OF HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC. THE INABILITY TO GET THE VEHICLE INTO "NEUTRAL" FURTHER COMPROMISED MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHER DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAY. MAIN LOW VOLTAGE 12V BATTERY DIED SOON AFTER INCIDENT AND CREATED AN ISSUE FOR TOW TRUCK OPERATOR. HE HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE GETTING IT INTO NEUTRAL BECAUSE THERE SEEMS TO BE NO STANDARDIZED MANUAL / MECHANICAL METHOD TO RELEASE THE PARKING PRAWL IN THE TRANSMISSION UNLESS THE LOW VOLTAGE 12V SYSTEM IS FULLY FUNCTIONING. PERHAPS THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE DRIVETRAIN UNIT LIKE TESLA HAS DONE OR THEIR CUSTOMERS. ELECTRIC POWERTRAIN UNIT USED IN THE MERCEDES IS IDENTICAL TO EARLY TESLA VEHICLES. TELSA REDESIGNED AND UPDATED THESE POWERTRAIN UNITS WITH FREE REPLACEMENTS THAT RESOLVE THIS ISSUE COMPLETELY. MERCEDES NEEDS TO DO THE SAME REPAIR FOR CUSTOMERS AS TESLA DID. SOFTWARE UPDATE IS OBVIOUSLY NOT A SUFFICIENT FIX FOR THIS ISSUE, THERE MUST BE PHYSICAL FAULTS AS WELL. ANOTHER ISSUE IS A MYSTERY CLUNK THAT YOU CAN FEEL THRU THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN STARTING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET SERVICE TECHS TO FIX THIS BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX IT. PERHAPS IT IS RELATED TO THE WELL KNOWN EARLY PRODUCTION TESLA DRIVETRAIN DEFECTS. MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 43,276 MILES. THIS VEHICLE ALREADY HAD THE SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GUARANTEE THAT THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. (( NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V655000 )) I HOPE MERCEDES STEPS UP TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE LIKE TELSA HAS DONE FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ B-CLASS ELECTRIC. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS STRUCK BY A PEBBLE. AFTER A WEEK, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS FRACTURED AND DID NOT FIT PROPERLY INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD SHOULD BE THICKER AND WAS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,619.

BEGINNING AT ABOUT 4500 MILES WE BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO THE SHOP AFTER COMING TO A STOP; WE CALL IT THE 'CLOMP!' IT WILL UNEXPECTEDLY ROCK FORWARD CREATING A VERY UNSAFE FEELING. THEN THE FOLLOWING MONTH, THE 'CLOMPING' PRESENTED ITSELF AGAIN SO MY WIFE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO DEMONSTRATE. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A LOUD TURBINE NOISE, AND THE ROCKING FORWARD AFTER COMING TO A STOP RE-PRESENTED ITSELF AGAIN SO WE RETURNED THE CAR TO SERVICE. THEN THE FOLLOWING MONTH THE CAR CONTINUED TO RANDOMLY LUNGE FORWARD AFTER COMING TO A STOP, MY WIFE CALLED THE SERVICE CENTER AND THEY PICKED IT UP AND PROVIDED HER WITH A LOANER WHICH WE'VE BEEN DRIVING EVER SINCE (JUNE 15TH). AT THIS POINT WE HAVE LOST ALL FAITH IN THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE AND HAVE REQUESTED A FULL REFUND. I WAS REFERRED TO MBUSA, BUT THEY HAD ME ON HOLD FOR OVER 30 MINUTES BEFORE I HAD TO HANG UP. I THEN INSISTED THAT THE DEALERSHIP INITIATE A REFUND WITH MB USA. WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WOULD TAKE 3-4 WEEKS TO HEAR A REPLY, HOWEVER SURPRISINGLY WITHIN JUST ONE WEEK WE RECEIVED A DISAPPOINTING NOTICE FROM MBUSA THAT OUR REQUEST WAS REJECTED. AFTER NOT HEARING ANY FURTHER RESPONSE FOR AWHILE, ON SATURDAY THE 5TH OF SEPT MY WIFE AND I RETURNED TO MB ESCONDIDO TO TRY TO GET SOME ANSWERS, AND HOPED TO AT LEAST UNCOVER ANY OPTIONS THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE SETTLED DIRECTLY THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP. MY WIFE AND I AGREED TO TAKE THE CAR ON A TEST DRIVE WITH A SERVICE TECHNICIAN TO SEE IF THE PROBLEMS WERE ACTUALLY RESOLVED, AND DURING THE TEST DRIVE CONFIRMED THAT THEY HADN'T. DURING THE DRIVE WE EFFECTIVELY RECREATED THE 'TRANSMISSION CLOMPING' AND RANDOM LUNGE FORWARD AFTER COMING TO A STOP AND THEN RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE CAR MAKING A OVERLY LOUD FAN NOISE, SIMILAR TO THE LOUD TURBINE NOISE PREVIOUSLY HEARD BEFORE HAVING THE COMPRESSOR REPLACED. I HAVE A VIDEO I CAN EMAIL

WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD THE CAR LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE BEYOND 10 MILE PER HOUR; FORTUNATELY, WE WERE JUST BLOCKS AWAY FROM OUR HOME. MY WIFE CALL THE SERVICE CENTER AND THEY PICKED IT UP AND PROVIDED HER WITH A LOANER. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,184.

I WAS CRUISING DOWN A PRETTY BUSY MAIN STREET. AS I WAS TRYING TO MANUEVER IN TRAFFIC, I SENSED THAT AS I WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS, THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I LOOKED AT THE DASH AND NOTICED THE CAR HAD MOVED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. I TRIED TO TURN THE KEY, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE, BUT STILL ON (FROM THE LOOK OF THE DASHBOARD). I QUICKLY TRIED TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, IN BETWEEN SPEEDING TRAFFIC, WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS, AS I WAS NEAR THE HIGHWAY ONRAMP AREA. ONCE I SAFELY PULLED ASIDE, I TRIED TO AGAIN TURN THE CAR ON USING THE KEY. AGAIN THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND PULLED THE KEY OUT. WHEN IN THE OFF POSITION, ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH LIT UP. I PULLED THE KEY OUT AND REINSERTED IT AND TURNED THE KEY AND THE CAR CAME BACK ON AND BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES BENZ B-CLASS ELECTRIC. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,827.