Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||||
| RSB-2009100002 | 01/01/2010 | 10033607 | Mercedes benz: check for installation of spacer between brake and fuel line, install if necessary. the spacer between the brake line and fuel line may not have been installed. check for presence of a spacer, and if missing, install the s | 08/27/2010 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | ||||||
| EA08009 | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. | 04/28/2008 | 12/16/2009 | BRAKE LINE CHAFE | ||
| Analysis of complaints to odi and mercedes and warranty claim data submitted by mercedes indicates that the alleged defect has occurred at a low rate (36.5 complaints per 100,000 vehicles and 0.29 percent warranty claim rate), with no discernable defect trend indicating that the rate of chafing related brake line failures is increasing.there have been no new complaints since january 2009.when the analysis is limited to incidents of brake line leakage that resulted in allegations of reduced brake effectiveness, the rate drops even further (22.3 complaints per 100,000 vehicles and 0.04 percent warranty claim rate). mercedes provided data showing that in the rare instances when chafing did progress to brake line leakage the driver would be immediately alerted to a problem by illumination of the bright yellow esp/bas warning lamp and changes in brake pedal feel.continued operation with a leaking brake line would result in illumination of the bright red brake warning lamp and an audible chime due to low master cylinder reservoir level. continued operation with the brake warning lamp illuminated would ultimately drain the reservoir for the affected circuit, resulting in loss of the circuit and an approximately 80% increase in stopping distances. surveys conducted by odi and vrtc indicate that routing anomalies may be more common than the complaint and warranty data suggest for the subject line bundle, with line contact or other routing anomaly noted in 13 of 51 vehicles surveyed by odi and vrtc (25.5%).while evidence of contact between the fuel line and subject brake in a particular vehicle is not necessarily predictive of eventual line failure/leakage, significant chafing wear was noted in two survey vehicles (3.9%).to address concerns with line routing and ensure that lines with evident chafing do not progress to a leak condition, mercedes will conduct an owner notification program instructing owners to bring the vehicles to a dealer for a free inspection and repair.lines that do not have a spacer (rubber grommet or omega-clip) between the subject fuel and brake lines will have an omega-clip spacer installed to ensure adequate clearance between the lines.brake lines with chafe marks will be replaced. accordingly, this investigation has been closed. the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist. the agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted. for additional information regarding this engineering analysis refer to the ea08-009 closing report. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | |||
| 04/20/2008 | 106000 | 1 | |
| The check engine light came on and i took it to the mercedes dealer. i was told that my fuel tank sensor is broken and it needs to be replaced. mercedes dealers sell the fuel tank sensor with the fuel tank as one unit. therefore the cost of replacement is enormous. in addition after researching this issue. i have found that complaints for the ml models and the fuel tank is numerous and worth noticing. this defect has occurred in the majority of mercedes ml models and the dealer actually has a huge inventory of fuel tanks in order to profit from this defect. not only is it danger but it causes a headache for consumers for fail the emissions test because of the check engine light and the sheer cost of repair. *tr | |||
| 07/22/2001 | 2 | 12/29/1999 | |
| Fuel supply system or sensors failed while traveling at highway speeds. *yh | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP | |||
| 10/23/2002 | |||
| Consumer states that while driving at any speed and no warning the consumer can strongly smell gas fumes inside the vehicle dealer notified. mr | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY - FILLER PIPE AND CAP | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 1 | 06/01/2000 | |
| Model year 2000, gas station nozzle kept getting stuck in gas tank due to narrow opening which caused fuel to spray onto consumer, burning face/ scalp/ hair/ eyes ,and eye lids. consumer was aware of other people having same problem. consumer contacted manufacturer, and was told vehicle complied to 2003 epa standards. *ak *slc | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - STORAGE - FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM | |||
| 11/21/2003 | 1 | 10/19/2003 | |
| Mercedes benz (mb) has a defective harmonic balancer which they will not provide replacement for willingly. their official line is that they have no policy with regard to this. the part in question is on national backorder i was told by 2 different sources. mb was condescending & rude when i inquired about this. their dealerships provide no help. failure of this part can be dangerous. i have filed reports with my state attorney general & the bbb. a recall is necessary immediately!! p.s. (the fuel gage does not read full ever!) *la | |||