Mercedes-Benz GL

2022: Mercedes-Benz recalls 1 million defective cars due to brake problems

On June 5, 2022, it became known that Mercedes-Benz is recalling almost a million cars around the world. The service campaign concerns cars produced between 2004 and 2015, due to a potential problem with the brake system, according to the German Federal Transport Agency.

The immediate recall affects ML and GL series sports cars, which are popular with drivers in the United States, as well as luxury R-Class minivans, Mercedes said in a statement. Tests have shown that progressive corrosion in the area of connecting the brake booster body in some cars can cause brake problems, the company said.

{{quote 'After a long time in operation and in combination with a significant impact of water, this corrosion can lead to a violation of the tightness of the brake amplifier, the message says. The problem can lead to an increase in brake pedal force required to slow the car down and/or a potential increase in braking distance. }} Customers who bought such cars will be contacted for more information, Mercedes said. More than 933,400 vehicles, of which 70,000 in Germany, came under recall, the German Motor Transport Authority, the agency that announced the recall, said. The company said it was recalling the vehicles for inspection and could not know exactly how many would have corrosion damage.

The German auto giant is not the only manufacturer experiencing brake problems. In the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is examining complaints from more than 750 Tesla car owners who reported brake problems. The problem, known as phantom braking, causes the car to slow down spontaneously and without warning, according to NHTSA.^[1]

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