[Mike T]

Man that is ultra disappointing. I'd recommend sending in a safety defect complaint to the federal agency concerned - if this is a common problem as Kamaal suggests, then it's recallable.

Definitely get it repaired, as few things are as scary as gasoline- fuelled fires. Keep the bill so when (if) the car is recalled you can get your cash back from the manufacturer. In fact I would ask them to pay now.

 

[Mike T]

If you contact the mothership to request a freebie, you could mention that if they decline to fix this obvious safety hazard for free, that the NHTSA will be getting a safety complaint. They'll probably ignore it anyway but I have had a few "goodwill repairs" over the years from my dealer with cars 10 years out of warranty.

 

[Mike T]

Write a letter to customer service at your dealer with a copy to M-B head office, a nice one about how you are a fan etc but you sure would appreciate some help on it.