This does only take a few minutes. To file your complaint about the mirror, please visit the NHTSA Website at:
Home | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) | U.S. Department of Transportation
and click the 4th link on the left, File a Complaint About Your Vehicle or Child Seat, then click the Vehicles link. You’ll be asked to provide:
• Make
• Model
• Model Year
• Other essential information - Although not required, the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is critical to proper evaluation of a vehicle complaint. This can be found on your registration or insurance card, driver side dash viewable through the windshield, or driver door jamb.
Then click the Continue with Vehicle Complaint.
This will present you with the Official Online Complaint form number O.M.B. NO. 2127-0008. The first of 3 parts will ask you for your contact info.
The second page will ask for a Description of the problem. Probably best to use your own words, but I’ll copy my complaint below. After you click Proceed, on the next page, check Vehicle checkbox, to report Report defective equipment that was included with the vehicle at time of purchase, and click Proceed again. You’ll then select the year, make, model, etc. Remember the SLK230 is the R170. Click Proceed again.
The 3rd page lets you select the component, which should be Visibility. Then enter your VIN. Here’s a tip, if you’re lazy like me and don’t want to walk to your car to write down the VIN, I believe automotive insurance companies will tell you your VIN if you check your auto insurance policy online. After you've entered your VIN, then you can confirm and submit. It took me all of 5 minutes, including getting my VIN from my insurance website.
Here is my full complaint text below.
Vehicle Information
VIN: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Year, Make, Model: 1999, MERCEDES BENZ, 170
Failure Mileage: 85000
Speed:
Vehicle Component Information
Component 1: VISIBILITY
Complaint Information
Description: The inside rear view mirror in my 1999 Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 (R170 Model) is an electro chromic self-dimming mirror that has no manual backup. The mirror contained a fluid which leaked out causing the self-dimming mirror to fail to provide dimming against rear approaching headlights resulting in the driver to either be blinded or to have to turn the mirror away which greatly eliminates rear view capability in the interior. There are many documented cases of these mirrors failing in various makes and models as a result of usually from the internal fluid leaking. I contacted the OEM mirror maker, and spoke with a Steve Chenlo, from Magna Donnelly (his direct line is 616-786-7495), who refused to take ownership of the problem. His advice was to purchase another mirror at approximately $200, and pay for installation, which was approximately $100 from the dealership. About a year ago, I have documentation that Magna Donnelly was replacing these mirrors for free but stopped for unknown reasons.
Approximate
Incident Date: 7/1/2008 Fire: No
Num. Deaths: 0 Property Damage: Yes
Num. Injured: 0 Crash: No
Police Report: No
If anybody finds them cheaper let me know. The plain type tinted glass is like 90 bucks or less I think. 
Linear Mode
