Montvale, N.J. – Jan. 10, 2017 – Mercedes-Benz USA has just announced a series of recalls related to assembly problems. In one instance, an improperly fitted connection threatens to make brake pedals less effective over time. In another, faulty axle bolts risk fracture, possibly causing vehicles to lose control during operation.

These issues affect a range of vehicles and will be addressed early in the year.

Description of Defects

The first defect affects model year 2014 CLA250 vehicles that are equipped with gasoline engines and were manufactured between Dec. 14, 2012 and April 24, 2013. According to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, these vehicles contain fittings that connect vacuum lines to brake boosters. These may be poorly fitted and can break during use. If that happens, the brake booster would no longer exist in a vacuum, causing brake force to steadily decrease over time.

Eventually, as drivers use the brake pedal, brake force would diminish to nothing, severely increasing the risk of control loss and crashes.

The second defect affects the following seven vehicles models:

• The model year 2015 GL350 4MATIC BLUETEC with diesel power train.
• The model year 2015 GL450 4MATIC with gas power train.
• The model year 2015 GL550 4MATIC with gas power train.
• The model year 2015 and 2016 GL63 AMG 4MATIC with gas power train.
• The model year 2015 ML250 BLUETEC with diesel power train.
• The model year 2015 ML350 with gas power train.
• The model year 2015 ML350 4MATIC with gas power train.

All of these vehicle models were manufactured between Sept. 29, 2014 and March 27, 2015.

According to NHTSA documents, they all have improperly assembled front and/or rear axle bolts, which risk fracturing during operation. This could leave the vehicles in unstable condition and increase the risk of a serious crash.

Timeline of Events

Brake Defect

• 2014: Mercedes-Benz manufacturer Daimler AG initially received field reports of customers experiencing sudden, unexplained brake failure. The manufacturer conducted an initial investigation to determine the source of the problem. It identified the broken connection piece of the brake booster vacuum line in affected vehicles. Months later, Daimler AG had analyzed the break, as well as the production process, but could not determine a cause of the problem.
• 2015: The company initiated a Six Sigma Black Belt project late in the year to make another attempt at discovering a cause. This time, the search revealed that there were certain material deficiencies along specific portions of the assembly line, which lead to the defect. Specifically, the application of high levels of force during the assembly process led to weakened components.
• December 2016: Daimler AG determined that a safety risk existed as a result of the defect.

Axle Bolt Defect

• April 2016: Two vehicles with weak axle carrier bolts were reported in the Chinese market. Daimler AG launched an investigation and determined that the problem was not the result of an initial production error, but rather that it occurred during a rework. Further review of other reworks led to the identification of all other affected models.
• December 2016: Daimler AG determined that a serious safety risk existed and recommended a recall.

Resolution

Owners will be notified of all defects and asked to bring their vehicles to authorized dealers, who will repair or replace the affected components at no cost to the owner.

Montvale, N.J. — August 16, 2016 — Approximately 136 2016 Mercedes-Benz vehicles are potentially involved in a recent recall, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration document submitted May 16. This Safety Recall Report also stated that 23 percent of the vehicle population were estimated to have the defect, with production rates ranging from June 1 to July 24, 2015.

All of the suspected autos are two-door light Mercedes-Benz AMG GTS vehicles with a gas power train. The drive-shaft adhesive in these vehicles could be weak, leading to a dangerous separation between it and the flange. Drivers can lose traction in this case and may see an instrument cluster warning signal. The report doesn’t list any other possible identifiers.

Daimler AG reportedly discovered this issue in October 2015, though it wasn’t seriously analyzed until around two months later. Though the first field case listed in the report was in the U.S., other instances were later found in Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Though no specific notification date was given in the original report, owners were said to be notified sometime in June. To remedy this issue, dealers were instructed to replace carbon-fiber drive shafts if needed.

A later document from the manufacturer said the recall is scheduled once parts become available July 1. It also stated that it will send letters to customers “approximately one week after the recall launch.” This action also includes a stop sale for any two 2016 AMG GTS vehicles.

Other newer Mercedes-Benz recalls include a October 2015 action for 52 autos, including GLE63 and GLE450 units, also with the 2016 model year. Rear drive-shaft bolts in these vehicles could possibly loosen and detach the shaft from the transmission altogether. Dealers were prompted to tighten these bolts if necessary.

Montvale, NJ — April 19, 2016 — A single defect in hundreds of Mercedes-Benz vehicles could impact drivers in harmful ways. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, 888 Mercedes-Benz vehicles may have steering column wiring harness issues that could manifest in several different unwanted situations: the document lists turn signal failure, airbag deployment and engine stalling as possible consequences of this problem.

This same report noted that the early examples of this issue were noticed last August. The recall concerns Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 and GLC-300 4-matic vehicles produced between June, July and November 2015. While a driver might get warning indicators in the case of some of these issues , the notice specifically said that airbag deployment would not come with a warning.

“Authorized Mercedes-Benz dealers will check the wiring harnesses on the affected vehicles and repair it, if necessary, and the wiring harness will be correctly routed,” the notice asserted. It also stated that the component supplier, DR XLMAIER Group, began “immediate countermeasures” including “starting on-site training at the wiring harness manufacturing plant” and “conducting specific checks for correct assembly.” This took place in August 2015, a day after the defect was discovered at the plant itself.

Left Lane News reported on a different Mercedes-Benz recall in March, this one concerning the C300, which could accidentally eject its sunroof while the vehicle is in motion. This posed an obvious safety threat, but the recall only affected 53 vehicles in the United States, and the problem seemed to be easily remedied with the right bonding and glass panel attached. The source also said that the problem was caused by improper labeling, in which panels were installed in cars before they had received the right priming.