Recall
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Recall
FRANKFURT (Reuters) -- DaimlerChrysler AG's DaimlerChrysler said it is offering free inspections to customers of its E-class sedan built after March 2002, SL-class sports cars built after October 2001 and T-models built after March 2003.
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 the Sensotronic Brake Control system.
If the same percentage applied, this would translate in this case to about 1,360 units affected out of the 680,000 vehicles.
The carmaker said the defect in the system's braking hydraulics meant drivers need to brake earlier and with greater force to bring the car to a stop.
According to the company, high-mileage vehicles where the brakes have been used more than average -- such as taxis -- have mainly been hit by the problem.
The spokesman declined to comment on what the cost of the recall would be for DaimlerChrysler.
Mercedes, which delivered nearly 1.1 million cars to customers in 2003, is the company's most prestigious and profitable car unit.
Including its Smart and Maybach brand sales, the Mercedes Car Group contributed roughly 55 percent to the group's operating earnings last year.
Analysts view recalls as more of a danger to the brand's image than the group's profits.
In a quality study by J.D. Power and Associates, Mercedes-Benz cars were found to have 106 problems per 100 vehicles, placing it far below Toyota's luxury brand Lexus, but still ahead of the BMW brand and Volkswagen's premium brand Audi.
"Mercedes' quality image has been slipping in many surveys," Merrill Lynch wrote in a note to clients on April 29.
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 the Sensotronic Brake Control system.
If the same percentage applied, this would translate in this case to about 1,360 units affected out of the 680,000 vehicles.
The carmaker said the defect in the system's braking hydraulics meant drivers need to brake earlier and with greater force to bring the car to a stop.
According to the company, high-mileage vehicles where the brakes have been used more than average -- such as taxis -- have mainly been hit by the problem.
The spokesman declined to comment on what the cost of the recall would be for DaimlerChrysler.
Mercedes, which delivered nearly 1.1 million cars to customers in 2003, is the company's most prestigious and profitable car unit.
Including its Smart and Maybach brand sales, the Mercedes Car Group contributed roughly 55 percent to the group's operating earnings last year.
Analysts view recalls as more of a danger to the brand's image than the group's profits.
In a quality study by J.D. Power and Associates, Mercedes-Benz cars were found to have 106 problems per 100 vehicles, placing it far below Toyota's luxury brand Lexus, but still ahead of the BMW brand and Volkswagen's premium brand Audi.
"Mercedes' quality image has been slipping in many surveys," Merrill Lynch wrote in a note to clients on April 29.
