DRIVING IN NEW JERSEY ON ROUTE 80 WEST FOR 1-2 MILES THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF BURNT WIRES THAT SMELL SO BAD AND HAVE NOTICED THAT THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SEAT. IT WENT ON FOR FEW MINUTES WHERE THE WIRES ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MELTED TOGETHER. STOPPED THE CAR, SHOT THE ENGINE OFF, WITH WINDOWS OPEN AND TRIED TO PULL THE WIRES APART TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE.... BUT COULD NOT SEPARATE THE WIRES FROM EACH OTHER. CALLED THE MB DEALER NEAR OUR LOCATION AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN AFTER THE MBUSA SUGGESTED TOWING IT IN AND LATER WE WERE TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER. THE LOCAL MB DEALER MANAGER I TALKED TO WAS VERY HELPFUL AND UNDERSTANDABLE AND HE TRIES TO SUPPORT ME THE BEST WAY HE COULD WHERE HE AGREED TO LOOK AT THE CAR AT REDUCED RATE TO HELP OUT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE. THE CAR IS AT THE MB DEALER NOW. MBUSA SENT AN EXPERT TO INSPECT THE CAR AT THE MB DEALER AND AFTER A WEEK I WAS TOLD THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED. MBUSA RULED OUT ANY CONNECTIONS TO A PREVIOUS WORK DONE MB DEALER ON THE DRIVER SEAT HEATER. I WAS ALSO TOLD, BY MBUSA, THAT THE ISSUE IS AN INTERNAL AND THEY CAN??T DISCUSS THAT WITH ME AND I SHOULD GO THRU MY CAR INSURANCE SINCE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT??S APPROX. $12,000 JOB TO REPLACE THE MAIN HARNESS WHICH WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DAMAGE. I HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY TO PURCHASE THIS SUV WHICH SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE AND RELIABLE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY AND NEVER EXPECT THIS