AFTER DRIVING FOR A FEW MINUTES, MY HUSBAND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. HE COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM UNTIL HE FELT HIS BACK BEING BURNED. HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE HEATED SEAT AND PULLED OVER. THERE WAS SMOKE AND A HOLE BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT ABOUT 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE SEAT BURNED A HOLE THROUGH HIS FLEECE JACKET & T-SHIRT LEAVING WHAT LOOKED LIKE A CIGARETTE BURN ON HIS BACK. IF MY HUSBAND HAD NOT BEEN DRIVING MY CAR, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THE CONNECTION THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE HEATING MECHANISM, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT ONLY THE BOTTOM OF THE SEATS WERE WIRED FOR THAT. THIS OCCURRED ON THE BACK PORTION OF THE SEAT ON HIS LEFT SIDE. I JUST FEAR THAT SOMEONE WOULD PANIC OR IT COULD TURN INTO A FULL BLOWN FIRE (I AM SURE WE WERE JUST SECONDS AWAY FROM SEEING FLAMES IF THE MECHANISM HAD NOT BEEN TURNED OFF SO FAST). FURTHERMORE, IF WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT A HIGHER SPEED IT VERY EASILY COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL ACCIDENT BECAUSE IT CAUSED HIM TO VEER INTO THE OTHER TRAFFIC LANE (LUCKILY NO CARS WERE IN THE LANE AT THE TIME). I HAVE READ MANY STORIES ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND I HAVE CHECKED ALL ONLINE SOURCES FOR SAFETY RECALLS ON THIS CAR. WHAT A DISSERVICE IT WOULD BE IF MERCEDES DOES NOT REPLACE THIS SEAT AND MAKE IT RIGHT FREE OF CHARGE. ONE BAD ACCIDENT IS TOO MANY, WE SHOULD NOT WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE GETS BADLY BURNED OR KILLED BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE. WE HAVE AN APPT. TO DROP OFF THE CAR NEXT WEEK FOR