wow I wonder whats to come of this?
Anyone having the same issue (odors from the A/C when first switched on) should check this out
March 19, 2018 — Mercedes-Benz air conditioner problems are being heard in a Georgia court as a lawsuit alleges the systems emit mold and mildew smells that chase occupants out of the vehicles.

According to the lawsuit, the odors are there the moment the air conditioners are turned on and are made worse by humid weather. The plaintiffs claim the air conditioners fail to remove condensation which makes the perfect environment for the growth of bacteria and mold.

While trying to cope with the smells, the plaintiffs say the air conditioner problems cause health problems, especially to the respiratory systems of occupants.

Named in the air conditioning lawsuit are the following vehicles:

2004-2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class
2001-2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
2000-2014 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
2013-2017 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
2003-2009 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
2004-2017 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
2003-2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
2007-2017 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
2010-2016 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
2006-2016 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class
2006-2015 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
1999-2017 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
2003-2012 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
2004-2016 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
2002-2013 Maybach 57 and 62
The lawsuit alleges the automaker tells dealers to replace cabin air filters and flush the air conditioning systems, but the plaintiffs claim the odors continue to make occupants sick. Additionally, Mercedes dealers allegedly refuse to pay for repairs even though the vehicles are still covered by warranties.

A big argument made by the plaintiffs concerns technical service bulletins (TSBs) Mercedes sent to dealers about how to handle situations when customers complained about air conditioner problems.

Bulletins about moldy odors were allegedly sent in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2016 and it's these bulletins that allegedly prove the automaker has known about the odors since at least 2007.

The plaintiffs also argue Mercedes should be held accountable because owners will continue to suffer future problems and expenses.

Mercedes-Benz filed a motion to dismiss the air conditioning lawsuit and did convince the federal judge to toss claims concerning express warranties. However, the lawsuit will continue based on implied warranty claims, allegations of fraud by concealment, unjust enrichment claims and alleged Mercedes violations of fair business practices.

Mercedes told the judge the wording of the lawsuit makes it clear the plaintiffs claim design defects cause the air conditioning problems, and the judge agreed by ruling the warranty doesn't cover design defects. It was this ruling that laid the foundation for the dismissal of express warranty claims.

Although the plaintiffs claim affected BMW owners could be harmed in the future because of the air conditioning problems, the judge disagreed and ruled in the automaker's favor.

The Mercedes-Benz air conditioning lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division - Sunil Amin and Trushar Patel, et al., v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC and Daimler AG.

The plaintiffs are represented by Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, and Corpus Law Patel, LLC
source:
https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2018/mercedes-benz-air-conditioner-problems-lawsuit.shtml

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Sounds like a shake down. I find it hard to believe that all of the models listed have some common failure point.

AC mold can occur on most any AC equipped car or even a house. They are contending that Mb " knew of the problem " since 2007 because they issued a few TSB's since then. There are many TSB's issued regardless of brand that address many possible ( AC or not ) problems seen in the field. Issuing a TSB isn't admission of a rampant problem, that is what recalls are for.

I think this is a case where customer expectations are outrunning reality.

People love to make lawsuits out of anything these days. If this one goes anywhere, literally every automaker out there is gonna have a followup, and not just in recent models.

As long as the air conditioner has been around, mold and mildew has been a problem. You have a cool moist environment that is frequently stopped, warmed up, and left humid. It's a perfect breeding ground for mold/mildew/bacteria. Go take a look at the evaporator on one of the 80s or 90s cars so popular on this site. Guaranteed it's plugged up with mold and gunk if it hasn't been recently cleaned. This is nothing new.

The user can stop a lot of that behavior by switching off the compressor and running high fan for a minute or two before shutting off the car. Blow the bulk of the moisture off the coil and you just won't have problems.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

I've had my fair share of problems with MB AC systems but this sounds like bull ****.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

Admittedly as a desert rat, I don't know what mold is BUT my wife was a smoker, albeit a careful one. While I never smelled smoke inside of my cars I did take preventative measures which should probably kill any mold smell also. Every 6 months or so, I raised the hood, turned on the engine and AC system and let it idle. I then sprayed a spray into the AC inlet louvers. This spray was available in janitorial supply houses for controlling the smells in motel rooms. I'm sure there would be something for mold especially now with the big furor over "there's mold in the room, shriek!!"
Anziani