Some drivers plan legal action against Beijing Benz

Some Mercedes-Benz C-Class drivers plan to file a class action lawsuit against Beijing Benz Automotive Co for potential health problems caused by the smell in cars.

"Designated persons are collecting information about the affected drivers and will bring a class action suit over quality problems of C-Class cars to the court after detailed discussion with lawyers," said a Benz driver surnamed Chen who declined to tell his full name, a member of an online right protection group on QQ, which had 395 members from all over the country by press time.

"My Benz C200 has a strange smell ever since I bought it, making me too uncomfortable to drive," said a Benz driver surnamed Yuan who bought a car from Suzhou Lei Shing Auto Services, an authorized Benz retailer in East China's Jiangsu Province, on April 29.

During a test on June 21, the Jiangsu-based Detection Technology Co found that Yuan's car contained 0.404 milligrams of formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical, per cubic meter, over three times higher than the national standard, Yuan said.

"Many people around me have encountered the same quality problems which are unacceptable because of the health risks. But until now I have not received any constructive solutions from either Beijing Benz or Lei Shing," Yuan told the Global Times Thursday.

Lei Shing's gate has been blocked by drivers for more than a week now, he said.

Beijing Benz Automotive Co, a joint venture founded by Beijing Automotive Group, Daimler AG and Daimler Northeast Asia Ltd, could not be reached for comment.

Liu Tangshan, an after-sales service manager at Lei Shing, revealed to the Global Times Thursday that Lei Shing was summoned by Wuzhong District People's Court in Suzhou over the smell in Benz cars which could cause health problems.

"We have actively reacted to this allegation and will obey the court's decisions," Liu told the Global Times Thursday.

"Beijing Benz is jointly responsible for the cars its retailers sell. The drivers can either sue Beijing Benz or the retailers for the quality problems in the cars," Wang Xu, a lawyer from Beijing-based Lantern Law Firm, told the Global Times Thursday.