Over the weekend, Mercedes-Benz announced a global recall campaign encompassing nearly a million vehicles it believes could be afflicted with faulty brake boosters.
“We have found that in some of those vehicles, the function of the brake booster could be affected by advanced corrosion in the joint area of the housing,” the automaker explained in a statement.
While the issue is global, the United States is believed to account for roughly 300,000 units, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advising against driving any vehicle involved in the recall. Affected units will undoubtedly offer lowered braking performance and can even cause total brake failure in some instances. Rare or not, the NHTSA feels this one is simply too risky to chance.
Affected vehicles include GL, ML, and R-Class Mercedes-Benz products manufactured between 2006 and 2012 (a comprehensive list is available here). U.S. regulators are basically going off the MBUSA recall report citing the possibility for moisture to accumulate and cause corrosion within the brake booster housing. The planned fix involves having dealers look at the entire unit and replace them “as necessary.”
Mercedes said there were no known injuries relating to the matter. However, the NHTSA is mighty concerned about a potential vacuum leak creating problems for people on the road. A leaky booster will probably result in a mushy or unresponsive brake pedal and longer stopping distances on the road. Due to the potential hazard (and risk of outright brake failure), the agency has advised all owners not to drive any model under recall until it’s been serviced.
Mercedes first noticed the issue in 2021, launching an internal investigation that fall. The automaker felt confident that the risk was sufficient to launch a recall by May of 2022 and made a formal announcement over the weekend.
Those concerned about their vehicle can toss their vehicle identification number (VIN) into the NHTSA database or use the recall campaign code 22V315000. Alternatively, customers can also contact Mercedes-Benz directly at 1-800-367-6372 or use the NHTSA safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
[Image: Mercedes-Benz]
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