Inspect Brake Booster – 2006-2012 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class, GL-Class, & R-Class

Brake Booster Corrosion May Impair Braking

Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.

 

Remedy

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

 

Check if your Mercedes-Benz has a Recall

 

IMPORTANT RECALL CAMPAIGN INFORMATION

 

Please see the attached documents related to the campaign listed above.

 

STOP DRIVE NOTIFICATION!

 

Please note that all customer inquiries should be directed to the Customer Assistance Center at 1-888-548-8514.

 

Sincerely,

Gregory Gunther

Department Manager, Vehicle Compliance & Analysis

 

 

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FAQs

1. What is the recall about?

The recall campaign is related to the brake booster housing. Specifically, advanced corrosion may have formed on the housing, which could lead to a vacuum leak and impairment to brake effectiveness.

 

2. Why are other models not included?

Only ML (MY2006 – 2011), GL (MY2007 – 2012), and R (MY2006 – 2012) class vehicles are fitted with the affected brake booster utilizing a rubber sleeve, which can lead to advanced corrosion on the brake booster. Affected Vehicles have been identified within this recall.

 

3. Will owners receive complimentary (free) towing to the dealer?

Customers are instructed not to drive their vehicle. Vehicle transport and mobility solutions will be offered at the time of recall launch. Further information to follow.

 

4. Will the dealer provide a loaner?

Where available, a mobile inspection solution and alternate transportation will be provided for customers at the time of recall launch, which may include a loaner or rental vehicle. This service will be provided free of charge.

 

5. What types of repairs or replacements part(s) are needed?

At this time the recall has not been launched. When the recall is launched and instructions have been provided to authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships, affected vehicles will be inspected as a first step. After this inspection, the vehicle will be given 1 of 3 statuses.

1. Inspected with no corrosion: The rubber sleeve will be removed. The vehicle can be driven with no further action or follow-up required.
2. Inspected with advanced corrosion found: A brake efficacy test will be performed. A passed test ensures the tested brake booster can continue to be used and the vehicle driven up to a maximum of 2 years. A new notice will be provided at a later date to bring the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership for further inspection and potential replacement of the brake booster.
3. Inspected with advanced corrosion and brake efficacy test does not pass: The vehicle will require the brake booster housing to be replaced when parts are available. Until then, the vehicle MUST NOT be driven.

 

6. How long can Owners expect to be without their vehicle?

The recall has not been launched. When launched, times will vary based on dealer appointment availability, inspection results, and replacement part availability. Mercedes-Benz apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause but know your safety is our top priority.

 

7. Where will the vehicle be stored?

At this time, the vehicle should be stored at the owner’s residence until the recall has been launched.

 

8. Why can’t my vehicle be towed to dealership now?

At this time, we are unable to tow to dealerships because the inspection process is not yet available. Once available, customers will be notified by first class mail to schedule an appointment to have the inspection performed at an authorized dealer or have a mobile inspection performed at a location of their convenience.  At this time, towing to the dealerships will be offered.

 

9. Are Owners responsible for expenses related to the recall?

Parts and labor will be provided free of charge. Alternate mobility solutions will be offered via MBUSA and/or an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership starting at the time of recall launch.

 

10. I may have paid for repairs related to this recall. Will I receive reimbursement?

The customer may be eligible to receive reimbursement. Requests for reimbursement may include parts, labor, fees and taxes. Reimbursement may be limited to the amount the repair would have cost if completed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer. Details will be provided in the recall owner notification letter. If you no longer own the vehicle, please call back in at the time of recall launch by watching the MBUSA website (www.mbusa.com/en/recall) VIN lookup tool under “My Vehicle Status”.

 

11. Can I continue to drive the car?

MBUSA advises customers to stop driving the vehicle until the first inspection is performed. At this time, the inspection process is not yet available. Once available, customers will be notified by first class mail to schedule an appointment to have the inspection performed at an authorized dealer or have a mobile inspection performed at a location of their convenience. At that time alternate mobility solutions will be offered.

In the meantime, if you need alternative transportation, please save your receipts. Reimbursements will be provided up to a maximum of $80 per day. Additional information on reimbursements will be included in the customer letter.  If vehicle is at a location other than your home, complimentary towing can be offered back to your home.

 

12. What is Mercedes-Benz going to do for Owners given this inconvenience?

Mercedes-Benz is committed to the highest level of customer service and while we regret the inconvenience, the safety of our customers and the quality and integrity of their Mercedes-Benz vehicles is paramount. Mobility solutions will be offered for the duration the customer’s vehicle is affected under this “stop drive” recall at the time of recall launch.

 

13. I lost faith in the vehicle and demand MBUSA provide a replacement.

Such customer inquiries will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

 

14. I read a media article that states I should stop driving my vehicle if I own one of the affected vehicles, what should I do?

A VIN-based recall lookup tool on our MBUSA.com website offers a search feature that will indicate whether a vehicle has been subject to a safety recall. See mbusa.com/recall for more details. If your vehicle status is listed as “Recall Currently Pending” or “Open” once the recall is launched, the vehicle MUST NOT be driven until the inspection process is performed.

 

15. I just heard in the news that my vehicle might be on a stop drive. How do I find out if my vehicle is part of the recall? What do I do next?

A VIN-based recall lookup tool on our MBUSA.com website offers a search feature that will indicate whether a vehicle has been subject to a safety recall. If your vehicle is included in the population, it must not be driven until the first inspection is performed. As of today, the recall inspection is not available to be performed. Mobility solutions will be offered at the time of recall launch for the duration the vehicle is under “stop drive”.

 

16. Can/should dealers wholesale/sell affected used car vehicles?

MBUSA advises dealers not to sell used vehicles under this recall while a “stop drive” is in place until the vehicle is remedied.

 

17. For cars currently at the dealers, should dealers inform their customers and ensure dealer staff do not drive the vehicle?

For customers

Yes, dealers should inform their customers that the vehicle is under a stop drive recall.  The vehicle can be stored at the dealership, or towed to the customer’s residence free of charge.  Please contact the CAC at (1 (888) 548-8514) to schedule a tow. If the customer needs alternative transportation, please have them keep their receipts. Reimbursements will be provided up to a maximum of $80 per day and additional mobility solutions will be available at launch.

For dealer staff

Dealer staff must NOT drive the vehicle on public roads.  Within the confines of the dealership, the vehicle can be driven up to 25 mph.  At time of inspection launch, instructions will be provided to claim for any expenses related to towing and/or storage.

 

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Mercedes-Benz Part 573 Submission
Original Submitted to Portal May 9, 2022 Chronology-Only section
Supplement to Original Submission

 

Chronology of Defect/Noncompliance Determination

In July 2021, MBAG launched initial investigations based on an individual field report from outside the US describing an instance in which a customer allegedly experienced a reduced brake force support. No damages or personal injuries were reported. Parts of the affected vehicle were requested for further analysis. MBAG determined that, in the analyzed case, the function of the brake booster was impaired and corrosion of the brake booster housing was observed.

 

Starting in August 2021, further analyses was conducted regarding a potential failure mechanism, root cause and potential consequences. These analyses included investigations of parts procured from used parts suppliers, corrosion tests and functional tests of the brake booster in order to study the influence of continuous corrosion to the mechanical integrity and function of the brake booster.

Additionally, in September 2021, a field study was initiated in order to analyze the level of corrosion on brake booster housings in vehicles in different countries and regions worldwide.

 

In November 2021, investigations were conducted to study mechanisms that might lead to water application on the brake booster, thus allowing the observed corrosion to initiate.

 

From December 2021 onwards, additional corrosion tests on used parts from the field were conducted together with the supplier in order to determine the further progression of corrosion on parts in the field and the impact to the functionality of the brake booster.

 

From January 2022, potentially affected vehicles in the field were determined based on production records and information on the development of the fleet in operation.

 

From March 2022 onwards, results of the field study were evaluated in order to determine the distribution of corrosion levels in the field and to prepare a risk evaluation.

 

In March 2022, only one case was identified in the US where poor brake performance was caused by a corroded brake booster.

 

On May 2, 2022, MBAG determined that a potential safety risk could not be ruled out and decided to conduct a recall.

 

MBUSA contacted the agency on May 5, 2022 to inform NHTSA of this safety recall, stop drive instructions and that communications with owners would start as soon as possible.

 

MBAG can confirm there are no crashes, injuries or deaths related to this defect.

 

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53 Affected Products 

6 Associated Documents

Recall 573 Report – May 11, 2022

RCLRPT-22V315-3653.PDF 223.654KB

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Chronology Report

RMISC-22V315-4181.pdf 217.026KB

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Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-22V315-1723.pdf 691.557KB

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Recall 573 Report

RCLRPT-22V315-9275.PDF 223.385KB

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)

RCMN-22V315-7745.pdf 260.894KB

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)

RCMN-22V315-4738.pdf 552.523KB

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Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=22V315&docType=RCL

 

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Last update on 2022-05-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API