Berlin: "DaimlerChrysler AG's Mercedes-Benz unit said Tuesday it is recalling some 680,000 E- and SL-class vehicles worldwide to examine potential problems with a brake control system.
Mercedes said it is asking owners of the vehicles to visit their local service centers for a precautionary check of the so-called Sensotronic Brake Control system.

The company said it was aware of a "very small number" of complaints, but that braking was assured by the system's additional hydraulic function.

The recall applies to E-class Limousines built after March 2002, T model cars built after March 2003 and SL-class vehicles made after October 2001, Mercedes said.

Spokesman Norbert Giesen said the recall affects about 680,000 vehicles worldwide, 225,000 of them in Germany."

 

Is this for real?!

Limosuines, is that the sedan we have in Canada?!

 

I checked and do not see this listed here:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/

 

I'm not sure what a "limousine" is in Germenglish, but I'm pretty sure that a "saloon" is a "sedan" over here:

X DaimlerChrysler recalls 680,000 Mercedes cars

May 11, 2004 13:14:31 (ET)


FRANKFURT, May 11 (Reuters) - DaimlerChrysler AG's ((DCXGn.DE)) Mercedes unit is recalling around 680,000 passenger cars worldwide due to suspected problems with braking systems in some cars, the automotive group said on Tuesday.

Daimler said it is offering customers of its E-class saloons built after March 2002, SL-class sports cars built after October 2001 and T-models built after March 2003 a free inspection.

A spokesman said that previous inspections showed that of all the models of these classes and years, roughly two out of every thousand proved to have problems with their Sensotronic Brake Control.

 

I wonder if this has anything to do with SBC being dropped from the 2005 models? Hmmm.

 

i thought the story was not that all of SBC was being replaced, just some of the extension features to it that exist only in Europe?

 

You are correct..........

 

Thanks for the info, Jim.

 

Excellent site, I just wish that we had something similar????

Regards,
John
Still misty and sunny Torquay

 

It's there. You need to search the foreign campaigns section.

It essentially says that the brake system on the W211's needs to be routinely checked (for more than worn pads, etc.). If the car is serviced at a dealership, they are supposed to do it.

Taxi companies in Germany do their own maintenance and may not have the capability to do this checking (neither would anyone else outside a dealership).

 

Check out http://www.autobild.de/aktuell/neuhe...63bf869cf1816a

Apparently, Germany's most sold car magazine found out that Mercedes has known about these SBC problems since November of last year. Their title reads: How safe is Mercedes super brake system? According to the article, Mercedes admits that there have been about 1300 cases where SBC failed along with ESP and BAS, causing the braking to become much harder for the driver and, in a few cases, resulting in accidents.

 

From information gathered fon the German user forums, MB is concerned about brakes which have more than 340,000 activations. The air compressors can fail. MB has found the problem mainly on high-mileage/high city usage cars such as taxis. They are replacing the systems at no charge.

 

NuBenz and a MBUSA TX Regional Rep actually broke this story back in 8/03...

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...threadid=48766

 

There is also a blurb about this in today's USA Today (5/12/04).

Apparently limited to print edition as unable to locate a link on the internet version.

 

Have I mentioned that I think SBC sucks ***? Thank God it is my wifes car, it drives me nuts. Horrible! I need a Porsche.

 

Here's the blurb from Mercedes:

Provisional check of SBC-System: Mercedes asks owners of E-Class and SL-Class vehicles to bring their vehicles in to workshops

Stuttgart, May 12, 2004
Since October 2001, the response of both customers and the media to the performance, comfort and convenience of the SBC system (Sensotronic Brake Control) has been very positive. The company has become aware of a small number of faults. These have been investigated with all due care and rectified as appropriate. In all of these few cases, the SBC system's additional hydraulic function mode ensured that it provided a level of braking efficiency which was still higher than the applicable legal requirements. In this mode, visual and acoustic signals warn the driver, who can then bring the vehicle to a stop with a longer pedal travel and greater force on the pedal.
Analysis showed that it was primarily vehicles with a high mileage in conjunction with very frequent braking (e.g. taxis in inner-city operation) which were affected. All owners of taxis in Europe have already been offered a free check of the SBC system, at which any faults are then rectified. As a further measure, a check has been included in the regular scope of maintenance servicing for all vehicles fitted with SBC.

As a precautionary measure and irrespective of mileage and servicing status, the company is asking all customers with E-Class Saloons (built as of March 2002), E-Class Estates (built as of March 2003) and SL-Class Roadsters (built as of October 2001) to visit an authorised Mercedes-Benz workshop for a free check.

 

All I can say is that I have hated the brake pedal *feel* of my '03 since day one.

Truthfully - for such a heavy car I think the brakes function beautifully - they just have a difficult to modulate artificial feel to them.

my .02

 

I also like the brakes. Sure the pedal feel is worse than in a BMW, but the brake performance as far as stopping power an d distance is concerned is the best in the class. Incidentally, the German newspaper that published the SBC article is the same one that uncovered the rear axle dilemma on the current 3 series where cutomers reported that the car felt strange and, upon inspection, dealers discovered that the rear axle was loose from the chassis and basically hanging on to the car by a thread!

 

I actually love my brakes. I think they have the best brake feel of any car I have ever driven. My only complaint is occasionally some pump groans slightly when you press the pedal and it feels a little like brake grinding....my brakes also are squealing a little with 5K miles.

Are we supposed to wait for some official notice from MBUSA or are you guys already starting to take your cars into the dealer (here in the USA)?

 

Stopping power is wonderful. And I noticed that it is easier to modulate stops when you are going faster than when you are in stop and go, which can be a little jarring at times.

I'm going in for service soon, so I'll have them check it out when I go.

 

I agree 100%

If i am just hauling a$$ and need to stop the car quickly - the brakes get the job done quite well. It's easy to come to a silky smooth stop from speed. It's the stop and go modulation that leaves somthing to be desired.

I visited the dealer yesterday for a car wash and my service advisor said all he had heard are rumors about a recall...

 

I'm a little concerned about what this recall means. It says that the system needs to checked periodically. Does this mean that we will be taking in our cars occasionally to have them checked, or will they replace something this time when we take it in so that we are okay going forward.

If not dealt with MB and recalls, but will they send us a formal letter about the recall? Honda has always done that.