NHTSA Complaint #10232454 — 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

THIS CAR HAS AN AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM WHICH HAS A SEVERE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS NO SPRINGS, INSTEAD EACH SHOCK ABSORBER HAS A PNEUMATIC SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN BOTH REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS FAIL AT THE SAME TIME THE WHOLE REAR OF THE CAR DROPS DOWN AND THE CAR HAS TO BE STOPPED. WHEN ONLY ONE OF THE REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS DEVELOPS A SMALL AIR LEAK, THE CAR DOES NOT LOOSE MUCH HEIGHT AND THERE IS LOSS OF TRACTION IN THE TIRE IN THE INVOLVED SIDE BECAUSE THERE IS NOT SUFFICIENT VEHICLE WEIGHT BEING APPLIED TO IT. THIS LOSS OF TRACTION IN ONLY ONE TIRE CAUSES THE TIRE TO SPIN ON LIGHT TO MODERATE ACCELERATION, BUT WORSE, IT CAUSES THE TIRE TO "LOCK UP" ON BRAKING. THE ABS SYSTEM GETS ACTIVATED AND IN TRYING TO PREVENT THIS "LOCK UP", THE ABS SYSTEM DECREASES THE BRAKING FORCE ON THE REMAINING 3 TIRES CAUSING MARKED DECREASE IN BRAKING CAPACITY. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, BRAKING DISTANCE IS EXTENSIVELY PROLONGED, POSING AN EXTREME HAZARD. THIS IS A SEVERE DESIGN FLAW WHICH MERITS IMMEDIATE CORRECTION BY THE MANUFACTURER, OR ACTION BY THE GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF SUSPENSION FROM BEING INSTALLED IN ANY VEHICLE SOLD IN THE USA. THIS IS A SEVERE DESIGN FLAW WHICH MERITS IMMEDIATE CORRECTION BY THE MANUFACTURER, OR ACTION BY THE GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF SUSPENSION FROM BEING INSTALLED IN ANY VEHICLE SOLD IN THE USA. *TR