Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - SUPPLY - 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 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DIFFERENTIAL PROPORTIONAL VALVE | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - CALIPER | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - DRUM | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - SHOES/LININGS | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - WHEEL CYLINDERS | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER | |||||
| TSB-42-10-109 | 06/15/2009 | 10030929 | Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an | 12/22/2009 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | ||||||
| PE10050 | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. | 12/21/2010 | 05/04/2011 | Brake lamp switch failure. | 11V208000 | |
| Odi opened the investigation based on reports that the subject vehicle brake lamp switch (switch) failure caused 1) inoperative brake lamps (stay on or fail to illuminate), and/or 2) shift interlock failure (shifter locked in park), and/or 3) the cruise control to fail to cancel with brake application.consumers also reported the illumination of a warning lamp on the instrument panel.the switch contains three sets of electrical contacts and a (normally extended) spring loaded plunger that actuates the contacts as it moves.as installed in the vehicle, the plunger contacts the brake pedal arm and is pushed into the switch; as the driver applies the pedal the plunger extends.one set of contacts (bls) operates the stop lamps, a second set (ewm) controls the shift interlock system, and a third set (bs) is used by an on-board diagnostic (obd) system to monitor switch operation.the cruise control monitors the bls signal to determine when the brake is applied, the primary way the system is disabled when set.the relative timing of contact actuation in response to plunger movement allows the obd system to detect a switch fault.when a fault is detected a malfunction indication lamp (mil) is illuminated (driver alert), a diagnostic trouble code (dtc) is stored (for the service technician), and cruise control operation is inhibited (as a failsafe).in its response to odi's january 2011 information request letter, mb explained its assessment of switch failures which was based primarily on evaluation of field return failures.mb identified both 1) electrical contact and 2) mechanical switch failure mechanisms.according to mb's analysis, electrical contact failure is the predominate failure type and the failure consequence depends on which contact fails.for instance mb claims that bls contact failures are momentary in nature and do not affect brake light operation but are nonetheless detected by the obd system, resulting in a dtc and subsequent replacement.electrical contact failures of the bs and ewm contacts result in a dtc also, and ewm contact failures result in the shifter being stuck in the park (which can be overridden by the consumer).accordingly mb maintains that electrical contact failures of the switch have no safety consequence since the brake lamps remain operational and the cruise control is always disabled.mb determined that mechanical failures of the switch, which are rare in their assessment, can result from internal wear and/or increased switch operating temperatures.high temperatures occur due to overheating of the bls contacts and can cause the internal plastic components to melt.in one scenario overheated bls contacts may melt to the extended plunger and are damaged when the brake pedal is released resulting in the brake lights staying on.in another scenario the increased temperatures and/or internal wear can cause the plunger to stick in the fully depressed position.in this case the cruise may not cancel when the brake is applied and the driver may have to use high brake pedal forces or other means (shifting to neutral or using the cruise master switch) to disengage the cruise.additionally the vacuum assist can be depleted if the driver pumps the brakes resulting in reduced braking effectiveness and even higher pedal forces.in its march 31, 2011 defect notification, mb stated that to remediate the potential need for excessive brake force it would conduct a safety recall (11v-208) to replace the switch with a more robustly designed component.the recall includes 136,751 model year 2000 - 2002 m-class and model year 2000 - 2004 m-class amg vehicles.owner notification letters will be mailed to consumers in september 2011.this action taken by mb is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation. | ||||||
| PE08002 | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. | 01/10/2008 | 04/28/2008 | BRAKE LINE RUPTURE | ||
| Mercedes-benz's response to odi's information request letter for pe08-002 indicated that the subject fuel/brake line bundle (part no. a1634201526) was used without significant change from model year 1998 through 2002 on all m-class light truck vehicles.mercedes further indicated that in 2002 a problem was identified in production that could cause unwanted contact between the fuel and brake lines.in may 2002, a production action was authorized as a result of post-production inspections of vehicles exhibiting contact between the fuel and brake lines.the action authorized the use of additional plastic spacer clips to eliminate such contact.mercedes has indicated that contact between the lines is more likely in vehicles equipped with v-8 engines due to less free space in the engine compartment. odihas received one complaint from the owner of a my2001 ml430 that was involved in a crash because of sudden lose of brake effectiveness. inspection of the vehicle after the crash showed that the loss of braking was the direct result of chaffing of the fuel line on the brake line that caused the sudden lose of brake line pressure when coming to a normal traffic stop.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-009) to further assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the rupture of the fuel line/brake line because of chaffing in all mercedes m-class vehicles equipped with v-8 engines. | ||||||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | ||||||
| PE08002 | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. | 01/10/2008 | 04/28/2008 | BRAKE LINE RUPTURE | ||
| Mercedes-benz's response to odi's information request letter for pe08-002 indicated that the subject fuel/brake line bundle (part no. a1634201526) was used without significant change from model year 1998 through 2002 on all m-class light truck vehicles.mercedes further indicated that in 2002 a problem was identified in production that could cause unwanted contact between the fuel and brake lines.in may 2002, a production action was authorized as a result of post-production inspections of vehicles exhibiting contact between the fuel and brake lines.the action authorized the use of additional plastic spacer clips to eliminate such contact.mercedes has indicated that contact between the lines is more likely in vehicles equipped with v-8 engines due to less free space in the engine compartment. odihas received one complaint from the owner of a my2001 ml430 that was involved in a crash because of sudden lose of brake effectiveness. inspection of the vehicle after the crash showed that the loss of braking was the direct result of chaffing of the fuel line on the brake line that caused the sudden lose of brake line pressure when coming to a normal traffic stop.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-009) to further assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the rupture of the fuel line/brake line because of chaffing in all mercedes m-class vehicles equipped with v-8 engines. | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - SWITCHES - BRAKE LIGHT | ||||||
| PE10050 | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. | 12/21/2010 | 05/04/2011 | Brake lamp switch failure. | 11V208000 | |
| Odi opened the investigation based on reports that the subject vehicle brake lamp switch (switch) failure caused 1) inoperative brake lamps (stay on or fail to illuminate), and/or 2) shift interlock failure (shifter locked in park), and/or 3) the cruise control to fail to cancel with brake application.consumers also reported the illumination of a warning lamp on the instrument panel.the switch contains three sets of electrical contacts and a (normally extended) spring loaded plunger that actuates the contacts as it moves.as installed in the vehicle, the plunger contacts the brake pedal arm and is pushed into the switch; as the driver applies the pedal the plunger extends.one set of contacts (bls) operates the stop lamps, a second set (ewm) controls the shift interlock system, and a third set (bs) is used by an on-board diagnostic (obd) system to monitor switch operation.the cruise control monitors the bls signal to determine when the brake is applied, the primary way the system is disabled when set.the relative timing of contact actuation in response to plunger movement allows the obd system to detect a switch fault.when a fault is detected a malfunction indication lamp (mil) is illuminated (driver alert), a diagnostic trouble code (dtc) is stored (for the service technician), and cruise control operation is inhibited (as a failsafe).in its response to odi's january 2011 information request letter, mb explained its assessment of switch failures which was based primarily on evaluation of field return failures.mb identified both 1) electrical contact and 2) mechanical switch failure mechanisms.according to mb's analysis, electrical contact failure is the predominate failure type and the failure consequence depends on which contact fails.for instance mb claims that bls contact failures are momentary in nature and do not affect brake light operation but are nonetheless detected by the obd system, resulting in a dtc and subsequent replacement.electrical contact failures of the bs and ewm contacts result in a dtc also, and ewm contact failures result in the shifter being stuck in the park (which can be overridden by the consumer).accordingly mb maintains that electrical contact failures of the switch have no safety consequence since the brake lamps remain operational and the cruise control is always disabled.mb determined that mechanical failures of the switch, which are rare in their assessment, can result from internal wear and/or increased switch operating temperatures.high temperatures occur due to overheating of the bls contacts and can cause the internal plastic components to melt.in one scenario overheated bls contacts may melt to the extended plunger and are damaged when the brake pedal is released resulting in the brake lights staying on.in another scenario the increased temperatures and/or internal wear can cause the plunger to stick in the fully depressed position.in this case the cruise may not cancel when the brake is applied and the driver may have to use high brake pedal forces or other means (shifting to neutral or using the cruise master switch) to disengage the cruise.additionally the vacuum assist can be depleted if the driver pumps the brakes resulting in reduced braking effectiveness and even higher pedal forces.in its march 31, 2011 defect notification, mb stated that to remediate the potential need for excessive brake force it would conduct a safety recall (11v-208) to replace the switch with a more robustly designed component.the recall includes 136,751 model year 2000 - 2002 m-class and model year 2000 - 2004 m-class amg vehicles.owner notification letters will be mailed to consumers in september 2011.this action taken by mb is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation. | ||||||
| PE10050 | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. | 12/21/2010 | Brake Lamp Switch Failure | |||
| Odi has received 15 vehicle owner questionnaire reports that allege that the brake lamp switch failed resulting in one or more of the following conditions: loss of illumination of the exterior brake lamps, an inability to shift the vehicle out of park gear position, and/or an inability to disengage the cruise control system once enabled and set.mercedes benz has previously issued technical service bulletin (tsb) 10016685, dated may 16, 2005, which discusses an improved and/or revised brake lamp switch service replacement part.odi is opening this pe to further evaluate this issue. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 01/10/2009 | 108631 | 1 | |
| Found identical problem per nhtsa action # ea08009 defect investigation. constant loss of brake pressure. warning lights indicated low brake fluid. found fluid under car and in front left wheel-well. upon inspection, found brake hard line from master cylinder was chaffed from adjacent fuel line, causing small pin-hole leak in brake line. when brakes were applied, brake fluid would spray out, resulting in insufficient braking pressure to hold vehicle at stops. contacted mercedes dealership service department, they were un-aware of any problems associated with this. estimated cost of repair was >$1000. ($112 for part, $975 for 6hrs labor) part number: a1634201526 purchased length of hardline myself at parts store. constructed and installed my own replacement part for $155 including purchase of tools to complete job. *tr | |||
| 04/24/2007 | 77000 | 3 | 11/12/2005 |
| While driving, ml500 began to brake randomly . also abs turned on while stopping and accelerating. also brakes were constantly screeching. warning lights for abs, bas, and washer fluid. fluid level was fine. i told dealer about these problems before warranty had expired. they ran a diagnostics test and found nothing was wrong. they advised me to bring the vehicle in should the same events occur. (the random breaking began to occur after warranty expired). the problem continued to persist and with the failure of abs system, i brought the ml500 back to the service center. after two days, i retrieved the vehicle and the cost to repair was $1100.00. conveniently they found the same problems i spoke of before after the warranty was up. we had no choice but to pay to restore function to the vehicle. after taking it home we noticed that the there was no sound in the vehicle. the sound and navigation voice worked perfectly before getting service. and afterwards it did not. we called the service center, and they said to bring it back at our earliest convenience, and they will fix the problem. i assume that this was a mistake on their part. when i returned to restore the sound they approached me and told me that a voice modulation unit beneath the driver's seat had gone out, and that it would cost $750.00 parts and labor to repair. they tried to explain to me that this was just a coincidence, and that the unit was in no way related or circuit linked to the sensors they replaced. i believe that they must have mistakenly shorted it. we have spent almost $10,000.00 in the past year for repairs to this vehicle and one other mercedes. they did not good will credit the work so i did not accept the repair service. there is no such thing as a $750.00 coincidence. the sound worked for almost 80,000 miles before service and now right after it failed... i don't think so. the mercedes service center refused to do any work for what we believe to be their responsibility. *tr | |||
| 10000 | 1 | ||
| Warranty issues and/or manufacturing defects that should be covered by warranty. *ph at the first 10,000 miles, the consumer noticed brake travel was too long and was advised by an service advisor that this was normal. however at less than 3,000 miles, the brakes were still not adequate and there was a squeaking noise from the rear brakes when braking. this time, the consumer was advised that the rear brake pads were gone and the rotors were scored due to too much city driving and the service advisor would not honor repairs under warranty. *tt *jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - ABS WARNING LIGHT | |||
| 04/24/2007 | 77000 | 3 | 11/12/2005 |
| While driving, ml500 began to brake randomly . also abs turned on while stopping and accelerating. also brakes were constantly screeching. warning lights for abs, bas, and washer fluid. fluid level was fine. i told dealer about these problems before warranty had expired. they ran a diagnostics test and found nothing was wrong. they advised me to bring the vehicle in should the same events occur. (the random breaking began to occur after warranty expired). the problem continued to persist and with the failure of abs system, i brought the ml500 back to the service center. after two days, i retrieved the vehicle and the cost to repair was $1100.00. conveniently they found the same problems i spoke of before after the warranty was up. we had no choice but to pay to restore function to the vehicle. after taking it home we noticed that the there was no sound in the vehicle. the sound and navigation voice worked perfectly before getting service. and afterwards it did not. we called the service center, and they said to bring it back at our earliest convenience, and they will fix the problem. i assume that this was a mistake on their part. when i returned to restore the sound they approached me and told me that a voice modulation unit beneath the driver's seat had gone out, and that it would cost $750.00 parts and labor to repair. they tried to explain to me that this was just a coincidence, and that the unit was in no way related or circuit linked to the sensors they replaced. i believe that they must have mistakenly shorted it. we have spent almost $10,000.00 in the past year for repairs to this vehicle and one other mercedes. they did not good will credit the work so i did not accept the repair service. there is no such thing as a $750.00 coincidence. the sound worked for almost 80,000 miles before service and now right after it failed... i don't think so. the mercedes service center refused to do any work for what we believe to be their responsibility. *tr | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS | |||
| 10/20/2003 | 22014 | 1 | 03/07/2002 |
| Warranty issues and/or manufacturing defects that should be covered by warranty. on october. 21, 2003 took my ml500 year 2002 to dealer for squealing and scraping brakes. service department could not diagnose the problem the squealing and scraping and told me that brake disc and pads looks fine. however they advised me to buy newer version of brake pads, which would not squeal. i refused to buy brake pads, as they should be covered under warranty. i was not satisfied, therefore took the vehicle again next day (october 22,2003) and talked to the sales person from whom i bought the vehicle. he and service manager performed test drive. dealership checked the brakes again and told the squealing and scrapping was due to a rock stuck between brake pads and disc. since yesterday, i had driven my vehicle only 24 miles but now the pads and rotors have been damaged. because of their negligence and unable to diagnose the problem, dealership charged me $348.04 for my 18 months old vehicle, that should have been covered under warranty. dealership and mercedes benz did not honor the warranty. same day, another customer came to the dealership with similar problem, his mercedes also had a rock stuck between brake pads and rotors. this appears to be a common defect in the mercedes that needs to be fixed for the safety of all. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 09/13/2010 | 1 | 11/01/2001 | |
| 2002 mercedes benz ml 500. consumer writes regarding vehicle brake failure *tgw the consumer stated the brakes failed on the vehicle due to the brake lines leaking. *jb | |||