NHTSA Complaint #10428630 — 2000 MERCEDES BENZ SLK230

SUDDEN SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE I AM THE SON OF THE OWNERS OF THE MERCEDES IN QUESTION. IN FEBRUARY 2010, MY MOTHER EXPERIENCED AN ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. SHE WAS PULLING UP TO A PARKING SPACE. BY HER REPORT, THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY ACCELERATED, JUMPING THE CONCRETE BARRIER AND ENDING UP WITH FRONT TIRES IN AN ADJACENT PLANTER. SHE STATED THAT SHE APPLIED HER BRAKES WHILE THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING, BUT THIS DID NOT APPEAR TO SLOW THE VEHICLE. A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION WAS LAUNCHED, BOTH BY THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND EVENTUALLY BY A MERCEDES BENZ USA REPRESENTATIVE AS WELL. THOUGH I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT CONCLUSIONS, I BELIEVE THAT THEY ATTRIBUTED THE ACCIDENT TO DRIVER ERROR BY STEPPING ON THE INCORRECT PEDAL. YESTERDAY, SEPT. 29, 2011, I DROVE THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE ACCIDENT. THIS WAS A ROUND-TRIP JOURNEY ON I-8 FROM PACIFIC BEACH TO KENSINGTON, ABOUT 20 MILES ROUND TRIP. SHORTLY INTO THE TRIP, I NOTICED THE CAR FAILED TO DECELERATE AFTER I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, AND THE CAR SLOWED APPROPRIATELY. THIS HAPPENED A TOTAL OF SIX TIMES DURING MY OUTBOUND JOURNEY; IN TWO OF THE SIX INSTANCES, NOT ONLY DID THE CAR NOT DECELERATE, BUT ACTUALLY ACCELERATED ABOVE ITS CURRENT SPEED UNTIL I APPLIED THE BRAKES. TWO ADDITIONAL EPISODES HAPPENED UPON MY RETURN TRIP. DURING THE FIRST, IN AN EFFORT TO OBTAIN A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE AFTER THE PROBLEM SPONTANEOUSLY RETURNED.