— A Mercedes-Benz gas leak lawsuit alleges model year 2003-2009 W211 E-Class cars leak liquid gas and cause harmful gas vapors so severely the seats get wet.
New Jersey resident Helena Barinova claims she bought a new Mercedes-Benz E350 in 2005 that started leaking gas to the point of saturating the back seat. The lawsuit alleges leaks can occur both outside and inside the Mercedes-Benz cars and cause health problems and a severe risk of fire.
The lawsuit alleges Barinova tried to get a dealership and Mercedes to do something about the problem but they refused to fix the issue. The plaintiff claims she had to pay her own money to replace parts associated with the fuel delivery system but the leaks kept occurring.
In the Mercedes-Benz lawsuit, the plaintiff says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has over 100 complaints about gas leaks and odors in and around Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars.
CarComplaints.com has also heard from upset Mercedes owners about a dangerous gas smell in their cars, including in the 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350.
"After filling up the gas tank, I notice when I walk around to the driver's side of the car I smell gas. It's gotten very bad over time. Once I park the car in the garage the smell is extremely strong. These fumes could cause explosions, injury and/or death. If you park these vehicles in your garage an explosion could occur killing your family and/or destroying your home." - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350 owner / Jacksonville, Florida
"Repair was made at the local dealer. Tried hard to get the smell out of the car. Shampooed seats mats etc. Shortly after the fix filled the car again same problem arose but not as bad. Dealer said they couldn't do anything else. Suggestion was to never fill the tank again. Fear is of fire but dealer said not to worry.....but the mechanic isn't driving it." - 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350 owner / Mobile, Alabama
The lawsuit alleges Mercedes-Benz failed to repair or replace defective gas tanks under warranties and concealed the alleged defect. Furthermore, the plaintiff claims Mercedes-Benz technicians will replace the fuel sending units under warranty, but only if an owner keeps complaining.
In December 2012, Mercedes-Benz recalled model year 2011-2012 cars to replace fuel filters that leaked gas. Then in March 2013, NHTSA opened an investigation into model year 2003-2006 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG cars after complaints about a strong smell of gas in the cars.
The Mercedes-Benz gas leak / gas smell lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County - Barinova v. Daimler AG, et al.
The lead plaintiff is represented by Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow & McElroy LLP.