Federal Investigation Expanded for Mercedes Fuel Leaks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has expanded their investigation into a number of vehicles from Mercedes Benz’s E-Class luxury line, now covering more than 250,000 sedans over potential fuel leaks that may have developed from repairs from an earlier recall. The investigation was first launched into a small number of high performance E55 AMG models from the 2003 through 2006 model years after 20 complaints were received noting the obvious smell of gasoline while refueling.

Since the initial investigation, an additional 533 complaints have been received claiming the same smells on a number of models throughout the E-Class lineup, prompting the expansion into an engineering analysis, the highest level of federal investigation. Now included alongside the E55 AMG are the E320, E350, E500, EA550, and E63 AMG from the 2003 through 2008 model years. Should a regular defect be uncovered, a recall covering more than half a million vehicles could be on the horizon for Mercedes Benz.

According to initial indications, the problem, a small fuel leak from the upper portion of the gas tank, may have been the result of repairs performed in a 2008 recall intended to fix the pollution control system. In the recall, a faulty fuel filler flange was discovered which had the potential to crack and spell gasoline during refueling. During the repair process of the flange, it is possible that additional damage was done to the gas tank itself. A total of 6,000 vehicles were included in the recall.

In a statement released alongside the announcement, Mercedes stressed their full cooperation with the investigation while calming nerves about the potential dangers. “We are talking this topic seriously and are cooperating with the NHTSA… Neither we nor the NHTSA have received any reports of fire, accidents, or injury.”

Fuel leaks and fire issues have become common occurrences for a number of auto makers in recent years, as even the largest brands suffered through damaging defects that were shown to lead to fires. Just last week, Chrysler announced a recall on their popular Dodge Challenger coupe as a result of incorrectly installed wiring harnesses which could overheat and catch fire. Last year, Ford asked owners of more than 11,000 Ford Escape SUVs to avoid using their vehicles as fuel leaks had been shown to cause a significant fire risk. Faulty power window switches in hundreds of thousands of Toyota vehicles also carried the potential to overheat and ignite. Other makers like Honda and General Motors dealt with similar issues, all needing service actions to help alleviate the fire potentials.

Should a recall be deemed necessary, it will be important for owners to respond quickly, avoiding the possibility for harm as a result of dangerous fires, even in normal driving conditions. Recalls are issued when a defect has proven itself regularly dangerous across a wide number of vehicles; choosing to ignore this fix of the problem will only leave owners open to the threat of accidents. For owners of E-Class Mercedes vehicles, results of the NHTSA’s investigation should be of primary curiosity. If a common defect is uncovered, taking the correct steps to fix the issue will give the best opportunity for continued safe driving.