Still, when they know they have issue with that supplier they should have some process to inspect the parts from that supplier before they use them.

 

Well yes, MB could had done better on that part.

 

Is this something to worry about? My AMG GLE is affected. The recall claims a crash, and engine shut off. On paper (pun intended), the recall sounds scary. I called Mercedes and the dealer, but no one had helpful suggestions for proceeding. Is it a waiting game? I still don't see any notifications on the instrument cluster.

 

Spoke with my SA at the dealer just now - she said the fuel pump module recall is pushed back to 9/15/23 for earliest work/parts availability. This is the second time it has been delayed. We will have to wait and see if it happens then or is delayed further. It's possible the delay could be lifted sooner if things align, but she doesn't see that as being very likely. No details yet on R&R shop time nor exact location/items being replaced etc.

 

Yes. Usually though, suppliers are required to submit any changes that are made, to the end user for testing or approval.
It looks like this may not have happened.

So my associated question is this:
Is there anything really wrong with the fuel pumps, or is it just that they haven't been approved by Mercedes prior to installation?

 

Ya that is what I figured.

Hmmm, unfortunately MB is only going to keep that part a secret unless someone inside knows more that chimes in this thread.

 

MB has identified a specific problem, so yes - there is really is something wrong with the fuel pumps.

The problem is that the impeller in the fuel pump can deform and get stuck against the wall of the chamber it spins in, Mercedes tells the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If the impeller can’t spin, it can’t pump fuel into the engine. So, the engine stalls.

Mercedes says the driver may notice the engine running rough or a warning light in the instrument cluster before the failure. The company says it “is not aware of any claims of injury, crashes, or death worldwide due to this malfunction.”

 

Thank you.

 

Thanks for pointing out the problem, which site was this or I might had missed it in the original article?

 

That quote was taken from the recall announcement on KBB.

 

Thank you for that, that is helpful. Is the replacement part readily available?

 

It wasn't a week ago when I scheduled a service appointment. Dealership doesn't even show I have any outstanding recalls - presumably because MB still hasn't sent official notification to owners. The service advisor wouldn't even check for parts availability. I've had a lot of frustration with MB service, so it would have been nice to have it taken care of during a maintenance visit. With my luck, the announcement will come a day after service is performed.

 

Hmmm, hopefully they secured a good amount of supply given the amount of vehicles being recalled due to this faulty pump and the urgency of it (especially if there is a risk of failure when driving)

 

Details dropped today. Mine is scheduled for Tuesday next week if they can get the new part ordered now (waiting for confirmation from my SA). See attached.

 

Thanks for posting this.

 

Thanks for that.

Wow. 11.3 labor hours.
That'll be a bottleneck for sure.

 

That means a lot of R&R (remove and replace). Not too thrilled about that. I know how these guys take shortcuts to beat flat rate time to get to the next job - (broken/missing clips - bolts not tightened correctly, etc..,). Hopefully it doesn't get too butchered. In addition if you have the factory hitch probably adds some additional time.

 

So this morning the SA asked the parts mgr to check on the new SKU fuel pump for the recall, and the parts depot (Atlanta??) told him there were approx 2,000 units available but all showing as being in Germany at this time and not in the U.S. for shipment (yet) to dealerships. They advised that when Germany releases them (any day) that it would take another 7-10 days to get here to the dealership for the work to be done. The parts mgr's assumption was that Germany was testing/inspecting all the replacement pumps themselves before sending them out to be installed in customer vehicles. I booked a new date of 10/2 for the work to be done. We shall see.

 

Well, the problem with these pumps is probably bigger than initially suspected. Last month one day I had an engine failure light on my 2019 GLE450 that lasted one whole day (three trips on the same day, separated by long stops) and never reproduced again.

Last week I took the car to the dealer so they could inspect that and they are now changing the pump, even though the production date (Aug-Sep 2019) is not within the range of affected parts.

There was no noticeable effect on the ride or the engine performance, but I presume they prefer to be on the safe side.

 

Check this too:
https://www.autoblog.com/2023/01/06/...water-problem/

 

That's pretty odd, because the same recall was performed a couple of years ago.
Same symptoms, same fix. My '21 was inspected and didn't have the problem.

I wonder if autoblog is mistaken.
Mistaken or not, the spare tirewell issue should be completely separate to the fuel pump recall. I think.

 

Has anyone been successful in getting their fuel pump replaced under this recall? I ask as our 2022 GLS450 is included, the selling dealership informed the campaign was open to have it schedule for repair, but the local dealership claims no parts are available.

 

Well, I just received an email from the dealer early this morning informing me that the repair was completed. I will pick the car later today, but seems I have managed to get it solved.

I’m in Spain.

 

MB pays. This can be seen in public companies’ financial statements as “warranty expense” or similar description.

The repair doesn’t cost what dealers claim it does. Never believe anything a dealer tells a consumer. MB pays 1%-10% of retail price for parts. MB pays dealers for warranty work a fraction of the headline hourly rate that consumers are abused with.

The linked articles above suggesting supplier malfeasance are not definitive and not credible. Automakers universally blame suppliers as a first course of action to avoid an avalanche of product liability litigation, spread FUD and slow down the legal process. The legal compass then points to the supplier who then has the burden of convincing the legal system that “they got the wrong guy”. This is the default procedure.

Suppliers are in a delicate position because the “customer is always right” except when they aren’t. Telling your customer he is lying and has a junk design needs to be done with tact and diplomacy.

It is of course possible suppliers have culpability, but no internet article will ever be credible on this, unless it cites an official document for example a court settlement order. Bosch owned up to partial culpability in dieselgate; this is the exception and not the rule. Airbag suppliers have fessed up over the years.

Remember the Ford-Firestone fiasco? The Ford suspension architecture was the problem but Ford forced Firestone to take the fall. Let’s also bring to mind the Corvair “unsafe at any speed” swing arm oversteering rear axle and Pinto fuel tank placement which led to “thermal incidents”.

Nearly no auto component is 100% inspected. Never have been and never will be. I say “nearly” because there may be a few critical parts subject to 100% (automated by machines and computers, very little human involvement) inspection. People would be surprised how the “critical” vs “not critical” line is drawn.

Not many parts receive this level of attention. Clearly not M274 pistons, 167 seat materials, M17x vapor separators, 48V batteries and BMS systems, and more.

Parts in the default scenario are designed to meet carmakers’ requirements and the car company approves on a “very first hand basis”. Approval is at the design and process capability level.

There is no one from MB standing at the end of the fuel pump assembly line checking every pump. Neither is an MB or supplier employee standing at the fuel tank assembly line checking every in-tank pump is installed into the tank assembly. Neither is anyone checking the pump + tank assembly as it is installed in each of the various vehicles in assembly plants around the world. This is the manufacturing world Elon famously complained about a few years ago.

Car companies make mistakes on a regular basis, in which scenario means suppliers have produced a part 100% in-spec, but the spec was wrong. MB in this case owns the spec.

Check the warranty expense as a percent of revenue for car companies vs large publicly owned suppliers. The last time I did this, the data showed that car companies have 3x-5x more warranty expense than suppliers, on a per-revenue basis. This means car companies are the more culpable parties, not surprising.

 

Not a fan of badging without the actual upgrades. What's the purpose? Do people put Rolex logos on their Timex watches? You either have an AMG or Brabus or you don't. Adding a "fake" bagde is tacky IMO. Furthermore, people who actually understand what these badges represent find it laughable when someone slaps on a fake badge.