My car has always been service by Mercedes dealership. I barely drive my R350 Mercedes. My check engine light came on and I was told that my balance shaft and intake manifold needed to be replaced. The dealer said its a common problem that occur with the 2006 and they are not sure why its not a recall.

- Harrisburg, NC, USA

2006 Mercedes Benz R350 3.5 272 engine constant cel for P0016 P0017 cam balance shafts for left side intake and exhaust cam balancers worn gears due to incorrectly hardened gears during manufacture. If gears fail engine will fail timing chain may cause engine to seize or smash valves possibly causing a wreck if occurs at high speed. Mb has known that their engines are unsafe since 2007 issuing tsb's but not recalling engines expecting customers to pay from $4000 to $7500 for repairs after they have done minor repairs such as replacing the solenoids for the camshaft balancers ( as I have already done ) dealers say this is a common problem and pretty much all 2006 2007 272 engines have this problem over the whole classes of mb vehicles not just R class, but mbusa is denying this, since a class acion suit was filed against mbusa they have started to cover repairs to some people who's warranties have expired but not all....... a problem exists dealers know it exists and now mbusa is starting to admit it to some people a recall should be done and an investigation in to mbusa and their practices in covering up a defect of manufacture and subsequent cover up of their putting unsafe vehicles on to the us auto market, plus lemon law violations as they are telling owners to trade their vehiles or sell them ( dumping them onton the open market for people like myself to purchase them )..

- Charleston, WV, USA