NHTSA Complaint #10368477 — 2005 MERCEDES BENZ E320

(THIS IS AN FROM A LETTER I SENT TO MERCEDES BENZ) I HAVE HAD A RECENT EXPERIENCE WITH MY MERCEDES BENZ 2005 E 320 DIESEL THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RELATE. WHILE DRIVING IN CINCINNATI LAST WEEK, I WAS ON A SEMI-RURAL ROAD DOING ABOUT 25-30 MPH AND SUDDENLY GOT A BEEPING AND RED LIGHT FLASHING ALARM ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATING THAT MY BRAKES WERE FAILING. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND TURN INTO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX DRIVEWAY AND BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND HAD ALMOST NO STOPPING POWER, IF ANY. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES BEFORE RE-STARTING. THE CAR RE-STARTED BUT WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK, SO I COULD NOT MOVE IT OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY TO AN ADJACENT PARKING LOT. THE BRAKE ALARM AND WARNING CONTINUED AFTER RE-STARTING. I CALLED MY MECHANIC IN CINCINNATI (PRECISION MOTORCARS 513-271-5565) AND ARRANGED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED IN. AFTER ANALYSIS BY THEM, THEY DETERMINED THAT THE SBC HYDRAULIC BRAKING UNIT WAS PROBABLY DEFECTIVE AND WAS A MB WARRANTY ITEM. IN THE MEANTIME, THEY REPLACED MY FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO MERCEDES BENZ OF CINCINNATI (WHERE I HAD PURCHASED IT IN FEBRUARY 2008). THEY REPLACED THE SBC AND GOT THE BRAKES WORKING CORRECTLY AGAIN, UNDER WARRANTY AND AT NO CHARGE TO ME. THIS EVENT HAS CERTAINLY SHAKEN MY FAITH IN THIS CAR. WHAT KIND OF CAR GIVES YOU A WARNING THAT YOUR BRAKES DON'T WORK, AND THEN YOU FIND THAT THEY DO NOT. IF I HAD BEEN IN A DIFFERENT DRIVING SITUATION, SUCH AS COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT AT 30 MPH, I MIGHT NOT BE WRITING THIS LETTER TODAY. *TR