Recently, I took my 2012 Mercedes E350 4Matic for an oil change and after inspecting the vehicle, I was informed by my mechanic that the car had a rusted sub-frame, with visible holes near the right rear wheel. I was told this needed to be immediately addressed as it was a safety issue. He explained that if not fixed, the wheel could detach from the vehicle while driving and could result in a crash or serious injury/death. My mechanic indicated that Mercedes Benz of America is aware of this issue and they do not offer any assistance with the necessary repair. However, I did some research online and learned that if you own a Mercedes, have this same issue and also live in Germany, you can take it to a dealer for a free repair. I find it outrageous that this is not a valid safety recall and even more so, having to pay nearly 3K for the repair in order to make the car safe to drive.

- Darnestown, MD, USA

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact noticed smoke fumes coming from the front driver side tire while the vehicle was parked. The contact was able to exit the vehicle before it caught fire. A fire report was not filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle remained at the contact's residence. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12V557000(fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

- Queens, NY, USA

I have had 3 irreparable tire blowouts in less than 12 months: Approximate dates April 21, 2014, May 12, 2014, and February 2, 2015. All 3 were the result of hitting potholes. Okay, that happens to other cars on occasion. But I consider the result to be a design defect in either the wheel/tire combination, which would be the fault of Mercedes, or a defect in the Continental tires alone. The car is a 2012 Mercedes E350 with sport suspension. As a result, the stiff suspension combined with the low profile Continental oem tires (dot hw2P-N1H6) is a potential combination that is potentially lethal, not to say expensive to maintain at approx. $300 per tire replacement.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

Large bubble (approx 2" across) on outer sidewall of left front tire. There was no impact to cause this tire defect. This is the second similar incident with these original equipment tires since the car was purchased new. The original equipment tires on this Mercedes Benz E350 are: Continental, contiprocontact, 245/40 R18 97V. These tires do not have significant tread wear. Having had 2 tire defects out 4 tires in 8,500 miles on this vehicle, I am afraid to take this car on a road trip at high speed. I am an attorney; this appears to me to be a significant safety hazard, product liability problem. The tire dealer who has handled both tire replacements can provide further detail and tire serial numbers: Big O tire, 3090 kietzke lane, reno, Nevada 89502, 775-827-5000. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Reno, NV, USA