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 | |
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. | ||||||
| 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 | |||
| 09/06/2012 | 75830 | 1 | |
| My dad was driving the car and we had just come to a stop at an intersection. when the light turned green, he accelerated and just as we crossed the intersection, the brakes locked up. i thought my dad had slammed on the brakes, but he had his foot on the gas pedal. it was as if the car had a mind of its own and started to brake on its own volition---even though we didn't want it to. there was a loud screeching sound and a few seconds later you can smell the stench of burning rubber. thankfully, the car behind us was not tailgating or that person would have run straight into us! my father then let go of the gas pedal and stepped on the brake to decelerate until the car came to a complete stop. we then saw that two indicators were lit on the dashboard: a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark and a yellow square with the letters bas/esp in it. he then shifted to park and turned off the ignition. we waited for about five seconds before starting up the car again. both of the indicators (yellow triangle and the bas/esp square) were no longer lit and my father slowly accelerated the car (about 10-15 mph). the brakes did not lock up and we cautiously drove home. we'll be taking this car to the mechanic today and hopefully we can find the root of this problem. nonetheless, i feel the need to file this complaint because i sincerely do not believe that a car can brake on its own while someone is driving it. i would be more understanding if this was google's autonomous car, but unfortunately this is not the case. there is something inherently and flagrantly wrong with a car that can brake without the driver telling it to. *tr | |||
| 09/05/2012 | 114970 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 mercedes ml320. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the esp and bas warning light illuminated and then the abs and the traction light illuminated. the contact mentioned that the brakes engaged independently. the failure recurred numerous times. the contact stated he believed it is a faulty yaw rate sensor. the dealer was notified and a diagnosis was pending. the manufacturer was notified and an investigation was pending. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 114,970 and the current mileage was 115,000. pmb | |||
| 09/06/2012 | 75830 | ||
| My dad was driving the car and we had just come to a stop at an intersection. when the light turned green, he accelerated and just as we crossed the intersection, the brakes locked up. i thought my dad had slammed on the brakes, but he had his foot on the gas pedal. it was as if the car had a mind of its own and started to brake on its own volition---even though we didn't want it to. there was a loud screeching sound and a few seconds later you can smell the stench of burning rubber. thankfully, the car behind us was not tailgating or that person would have run straight into us! my father then let go of the gas pedal and stepped on the brake to decelerate until the car came to a complete stop. we then saw that two indicators were lit on the dashboard: a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark and a yellow square with the letters bas/esp in it. he then shifted to park and turned off the ignition. we waited for about five seconds before starting up the car again. both of the indicators (yellow triangle and the bas/esp square) were no longer lit and my father slowly accelerated the car (about 10-15 mph). the brakes did not lock up and we cautiously drove home. we'll be taking this car to the mechanic today and hopefully we can find the root of this problem. nonetheless, i feel the need to file this complaint because i sincerely do not believe that a car can brake on its own while someone is driving it. i would be more understanding if this was google's autonomous car, but unfortunately this is not the case. there is something inherently and flagrantly wrong with a car that can brake without the driver telling it to. | |||
| 09/05/2012 | 114970 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 mercedes ml320. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the esp and bas warning light illuminated and then the abs and the traction light illuminated. the contact mentioned that the brakes engaged independently. the failure recurred numerous times. the contact stated he believed it is a faulty yaw rate sensor. the dealer was notified and a diagnosis was pending. the manufacturer was notified and an investigation was pending. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 114,970 and the current mileage was 115,000. pmb | |||
| 09/06/2012 | 75830 | ||
| My dad was driving the car and we had just come to a stop at an intersection. when the light turned green, he accelerated and just as we crossed the intersection, the brakes locked up. i thought my dad had slammed on the brakes, but he had his foot on the gas pedal. it was as if the car had a mind of its own and started to brake on its own volition---even though we didn't want it to. there was a loud screeching sound and a few seconds later you can smell the stench of burning rubber. thankfully, the car behind us was not tailgating or that person would have run straight into us! my father then let go of the gas pedal and stepped on the brake to decelerate until the car came to a complete stop. we then saw that two indicators were lit on the dashboard: a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark and a yellow square with the letters bas/esp in it. he then shifted to park and turned off the ignition. we waited for about five seconds before starting up the car again. both of the indicators (yellow triangle and the bas/esp square) were no longer lit and my father slowly accelerated the car (about 10-15 mph). the brakes did not lock up and we cautiously drove home. we'll be taking this car to the mechanic today and hopefully we can find the root of this problem. nonetheless, i feel the need to file this complaint because i sincerely do not believe that a car can brake on its own while someone is driving it. i would be more understanding if this was google's autonomous car, but unfortunately this is not the case. there is something inherently and flagrantly wrong with a car that can brake without the driver telling it to. | |||
| 09/05/2012 | 114970 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 mercedes ml320. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the esp and bas warning light illuminated and then the abs and the traction light illuminated. the contact mentioned that the brakes engaged independently. the failure recurred numerous times. the contact stated he believed it is a faulty yaw rate sensor. the dealer was notified and a diagnosis was pending. the manufacturer was notified and an investigation was pending. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 114,970 and the current mileage was 115,000. pmb | |||
| 09/05/2012 | 114970 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 mercedes ml320. the contact stated while driving 50 mph the esp and bas light illuminated and then the abs and the traction light illuminated and then there was un commanded brake application. the failure recurred numerous times. the contact stated he believed it is a faulty yaw rate sensor. the dealer was notified and a diagnosis was pending. the manufacturer was notified and an investigation was pending. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 114,970 and the current mileage was 115,000. dt | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK - ABS WARNING LIGHT | |||
| 05/15/2002 | |||
| The abs light illuminated at 70 mph. mercedes customer service helped consumer reset over the phone. ts | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC | |||
| 09/14/2010 | 10179 | ||
| Make-mercedes-benz year 2001 suv ml320 it brakes by it self while in motion: it has hapened twice i took it to a local dealer he claimed that the brake control device had mulfunctioned he put a new one and fter driving for a week it again braked it self while i wasdriving very dagerous i was like i was driving very slowly coming out of the parking lot.can you please let me know whether there has been any of this kind of report on this car? | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 215000 | 1 | |
| While driving on freeway in moderate traffic the car suddenly without any warning violently applied uneven power to different wheels, brake and sped up. originally i thought we were having an earthquake as i was trying to regain control over car. after about 15 seconds as i slowed car resumed normal operation. about 10 miles later the action repeated making me fear a crash or roll over as i was fighting to regain control and exit freeway. luckily i was able to exit and gain control. ended up having car towed 175 miles home. mechanic at dealership now says it was a defective yaw sensor designed to work in conjunction with the esp to prevent a roll over. however the defective sensor easily could have caused a roll over or a crash with a less experienced and physically strong driver. indeed, had my wife been driving i do not know whether she could have controlled the vehicle. had there been one of the many 18 wheelers immediately next to me i do not know whether i could have avoided a collision. after the fact in review on google i noted many very similar complaints for the same 2001 mbz ml320. i believe there should be a recall before there is death or serious injury. *tr | |||
| 02/25/2012 | 95000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercedes benz ml320. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the brakes unexpectedly engaged. the contact was able to successfully coast to a stop, when he smelled a burning odor. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop, but they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure had since recurred once more. the vehicle was not taken back to be examined. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 95,000. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 02/25/2012 | 95000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 mercedes benz ml320. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the brakes unexpectedly engaged. the contact was able to successfully coast to a stop, when he smelled a burning odor. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop, but they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure had since recurred once more. the vehicle was not taken back to be examined. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 95,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 02/25/2012 | 95000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 mercedes benz ml320. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the brakes unexpectedly engaged. the contact was able to successfully coast to a stop, when he smelled a burning odor. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop, but they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure had since recurred once more. the vehicle was not taken back to be examined. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 95,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 02/21/2010 | 98000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercedes-benz ml320. the contact stated that while driving at any speed, the brakes suddenly locked, the vehicle began vibrating and the esp/das light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who repaired the yaw sensor; however, the failure continued to occur. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the current mileage was approximately 114,000. the failure mileage was approximately 98,000. | |||
| 04/09/2010 | 92970 | ||
| We bought a used mercedes ml which had the bas/esp lights illuminated and immediately paid $1,268 to get this fixed before driving it anywhere. we told the dealer we would be going on a 600 mile trip. it seemed to be fixed, but after several hundred miles of driving on the way back for hours the bas/esp light came on again. it was in the middle of the night and there was no one to call to check on this, and the dealer never told us it could be dangerous. all of the sudden a few hours later one of the wheels locked up and sent us out of control winding up on the side of the highway. my wife and our two kids were nearly killed. this is an extremely dangerous safety issue that has been reported previously years ago. if this had happened while going the speed limit of 70mph down the hill next to the deep ravine i am sure we would have all been killed or seriously injured. this is a serious safety issue. please protect consumers by issuing a recall on any mercedes with the bas/esp feature. this is very likely to cause serious injuries or fatalities at any point in the future. we had no idea. please warn consumers. what if my wife was driving the car? she does not know how to handle this situation like i did. we bought this as my daughters first vehicle. now what am i going to do? i don't feel right selling this car to anyone else or letting my family drive it. the system does not properly warn consumers. after parking the car overnight the bas/esp system is no longer lit up. this is an accident waiting to happen again as my dealer will probably find nothing wrong with it. they could have at least warned us or replaced all of the sensors as a precaution. | |||
| 10/17/2009 | 65000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercedes benz ml320. while driving 30 mph the brakes activated without intention, and then the vehicle began shaking. he then heard metal grinding from under the vehicle. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 65000. | |||
| 08/03/2009 | 76000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercedes ml320. while traveling at 65mph, the vehicle suddenly veered to the right lane. she attempted to steer the vehicle back into her lane but lost control of the vehicle. she pressed on the break pedal but they fell straight to the floor. she grabbed the steering wheel again with more force. she steered the vehicle back to the left and off the road into a patch of grass. the vehicle finally came to a stop. she had the vehicle towed to a repair shop. the mechanic could not locate the failure. the vehicle was taken to a dealership in which they ran diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the failure occured from a stop lamp switch. they replaced the part but that did not repair the failure. while driving on another occassion she lost control of the vehicle and brake failure. she veered onto other lanes. she had the vehicle towed to her home this time and attempted contacting the dealership. the vehicle is currently parked outside of her homeun repaired. the current and failure mileage was 76,000. bl | |||
| 02/28/2005 | 76000 | 16 | 06/15/2001 |
| Safety system failure, including braking assist, seat belts, air bags and tel-aide due to computer chip failure. caused two accidents after which customer paid to have vehicle reviewed bumper to bumper and the failing chip was replaced. during this time, the dash warning lights did not illuminate to warn of the failure which the vehicle computer documented 15 times in a six-month period (between the two accidents). approximately eight months later, the warning light on the dash illuminated again. do not know how many times system had failed since it was 'fixed.' traded in vehicle for safety purposes. *jb | |||
| 01/15/2003 | 52025 | 16 | 10/30/2000 |
| The defect stated in recall 03 v 121 000 for the power steering hose clamp happened while the consumer was waiting to be notified. *ak the consumer experienced the following: the entire instrument cluster lit up and flashed and beeped, lost the speedometer, tachometer, gas/gas temperature gauge, and the vehicle had gone into second gear and did come out for some time(discovered it was in limp-home mode). the service dealer advised the consumer that the problem was the gear selector. the instrument cluster lights had gone off, except for the bas/brake assist system light, the gauges, speedometer, and tachometer had resumed. there was an incident where half of instrument cluster display on the left lit up, although the vehicle continued to run. the service dealer thought the problem may have been the battery. during a rainstorm, the entire instrument panel lit up, the tachometer, speedometer, and the gas gauge stopped and the instrument panel kept beeping intermittently but did not go into limp mode. there was a crack in one of the d-pillars, and the rear hatch lock did not work. the ignition lock seemed loose since the gear shift assembly had been replaced, the windshield washer reservoir leaked. the bas/esp control module had been changed, but the problem persisted. the consumer was told the vehicle needed a new battery. the brake pad wear light displayed, the power steering had failed again. the consumer was advised the vehicle needed front and rear brakes then was told that it was a clamp problem. also the driver's window switch hesitated. the safety recall notice that related to the failure of the hose clamp for the power steering fluid which apparently caused the complete loss of power steering in the vehicle as well as damage to the hydraulic fluid pump which resulted in repairs performed on the vehicle. the consumer requested full reimbursement for the charges related to the repairs. recall# 03v121000 *scc *jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 12/13/2006 | 3 | ||
| My wife and two children were nearly killed. the right rear wheel locked without warning sending my ml320 mercedes benz skidding across two lanes barely avoiding a deadly crash. the dealership has diagnosed the problem but refuses to fix it. they claim no responsibility and yet my car sits in the driveway defective and undrivable. what is the best way to pursue this issue ? *jb | |||
| 11/06/2006 | 46000 | 3 | 03/01/2006 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 10 mph, the abs activated without the brake pedal being depressed. this stopped the vehicle, and caused a complete stalling of the engine and electrical system. there were no warnings prior to the incident. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, who determined that the yaw rate sensor had malfunctioned. this was the fourth instance of the problem occurring. the manufacturer was also notified. the consumer stated emergency brake systlem light illuminated and suddenly her speed was reduced from 70 mph to 0 and then the brakes locked. updated 01/19/07. *jb | |||
| 08/30/2006 | 54945 | 1 | 05/31/2006 |
| My vehicle was at appox. 55000 miles when i was told the abs pump went out. while the vehicle is indeed no longer in warranty, this part in my estimation should be covered by the factory. this part affects the abs system, the corrective slippage system and overall handling of the vehicle. this should not be designed to fail at 55000 miles under normal conditions which this is. *jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | |||
| 07/10/2007 | 48821 | 1 | 03/01/2001 |
| Front left wheel locked while driving about 30 mph. foot was not even on the brake pedal. bas esp lights came on and stayed on.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - WHEEL SPEED SENSOR | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 2 | ||
| 2001 mercedes ml320. consumer states right front wheel locks up and starts to slide while driving and then comes to a complete stop. *tgw the vehicle was taken to the dealer twice, but they were unable to diagnose the failure. the dealer stated they could replace some sensors, but couldn't guarantee it would solve the problem. *jb | |||
| 01/15/2008 | 8 | 20 | 02/16/2006 |
| When driving at different speeds the vehicle applies brakes without driver even touching them. this ml320 has done it several time while on the freeway and does it at random with no warning. i took it to the dealer and they told me that it was really dangerous to drive it like that but they stated in order to fix it would be $1,200 dlls. since this item is considered a safety hazard and can cause serious injury i believe this should be repaired by mercedes and not the owners. if you need further information on this please visit the mercedes forums and you will have more stories to read about it. http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w163-m-class/1345867-left-front-wheel-locks-down-no-warning.html?highlight=yaw+sensor. *tr | |||