US investigating Mercedes E-Class fuel leaks

WASHINGTON - Agence France-Presse

In this July 16, 2009 file picture an employee of the Daimler AG working on a car of the Mercedes-Benz E-class on the production line in the Mercedes-Benz site in Sindelfingen, Germany. AP photo

US road safety regulators are investigating fuel leaks on Mercedes-Benz E-class cars after hundreds of complaints from owners of the vehicles.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it would conduct an engineering analysis of the luxury cars after receiving 370 consumer reports on the fuel problems.
 
"The complainants alleged fuel leaks or a strong odor of gasoline both inside and outside of their vehicle, particularly after refueling," the NHTSA said in a posting on its website Monday.
 
No accidents, injuries or deaths have been reported in relation to the problem.
 
The NHTSA did not give the model years of the E-class cars under study.
 
According to one of the complaints, the consumer noticed a "strong gasoline fuel smell after refueling the vehicle." Taken to a dealership, the vehicle was repaired but the technician noted a fuel leak after the repairs were completed.
 
Another consumer planned to wait to fix the issue "to see if Mercedes-Benz initiates a recall based on NHTSA recommendations."