This has probably been posted elsewhere on mbworld.org, but I've only been spending my time here.

The article is very short:

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http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/31/Auto...reut/index.htm

About 1.3 million Mercedes recalled
Carmaker concerned about voltage regulators, battery control, brake systems.

FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) - U.S.-German carmaker DaimlerChrysler is recalling 1.3 million Mercedes cars, it said Thursday.

The recall affects selected E-class, CLS-class and SL-class vehicles produced between June 2001 and this month, Daimler said in a news release.

hadent seen that specific news story before/ anyone gotten other recalls besides the sbs software update yet?

see here:

https://mbworld.org/forums/general-mercedes-discussion/103295-worldwide-recall.html

It is obvious Eckhard Cordes is serious about fixing the quality issue. He is putting it at the top of his priority list. I am glad to see him indicate that they are now building the best quality into all of the MB products (yes, even the R Class.)

This guy is not going to fool around with suppliers who provide inferior components and I think he is getting that word out pretty clearly.

This is a short time hit on MB quality rankings but a long time positive move to recapture the reputation of a fine line of automobiles.

My secretary walked this announcement in to me b/w patients and half expected me to be upset. Sorta embarassing in some way though I've had zero problems with my E.

It's but with an attitude like that, I hope he/she's one he** of a secretary otherwise.

Seriously, there are some in the world who seem to find some pleasure in the misfortune of others and it seems as if they are almost waiting for it to happen with restrained glee. And if you drive any kind of higher-end car, it seems to double their joy. For example, if you drove a Grand Am they wouldn't act that way.

On the other hand, if you drive a Grand Am they probably just feel sorry enough for you already.

I'm just happy MBZ is trying to be proactive about these things and not hide like too many manufacturers do.

Okay, I've put away my soap box. Enjoy the ride,
Greg

Are they gonna send letters out to us or are we supposed to find this out for ourselves and call the hotline?

MBUSA are pretty slow about these things. We knew about the SBC recall long before MBUSA told us about it.

Sooner or later, we'll get letters. Even so, I would not rush down to the dealer to have the work done. Wait until the dealer gets some experience with the change. There isn't any rush.

Because I waited on having the SBC recall done, I knew that I needed to have them do a brake bleed to fix my problems and that the SBC programming change didn't fix anything.

According to the more detailed statement linked to by E55 KEV, they'll notify by mail.

if your car's vin is not in their system for a recall, they won't do it, so its better to either wait for the letter or call your sa and ask

Perhaps with the change in leadership, Cordes will get MBUSA to get off their butts and improve their quality a little. You are correct about them being slow. Also, if you go to the dealer today and ask your serivice advisor he will not have a clue to what you are talking about. It will eventually get fixed if need be and the letter will come.

I also was late getting the SBC recall and it did include a brake bleed and things are much improved.

The recall contact number for the U.S. is supposed to be 1-800-FOR-MERC according to an AP item on MSNBC.

Probably a dumb question, but I've never bought a used car which was under factory warranty before (they're either new, or like 25 years old, heh)... how does a second owner get notified of things like recalls?

Usually there is a mail-in card in the car's set of manuals, for use by later purchasers. That has been true for a number of cars I've bought used. You can probably also call the customer information center and ask them to add you to the mailing list.

If you purchase from a Mercedes dealer they take care of everything. I picked up my E as a StarMark, 11months on the clock, received by SBS recall letter in the mail automatically (also received one of the "leather" document wallets a couple months after purchase and regular marketing spam).

As a new owner of a E-500, I find the openness of the new Mercedes CEO a positive development. No one wants difficulty with a vehicle where we pay a considerable amount of money for quality. That said we also have a highly complex car which has numerous system that can be subject to error.

The fact that Mercedes is willing to take the hit and not hide behind service bulletins is good (IMHO). This means that the "minor" issues will be properly addressed and the product improved.

With just one thousand miles I may not be a good barometer for this issue, but so far I have found quality control to be far better than most.