NHTSA Complaint #10443924 — 2003 MERCEDES BENZ E320

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN STARTING MY VEHICLE, THE DASHBOARD WOULD GO COMPLETELY RED, FOLLOWED BY BEEPING AND AN ESP WARNING, SAYING LIMITED BREAKING. THE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR AT THAT POINT. SOMETIMES I WOULD ALREADY HAVE THE SHIFT ENGAGED BEFORE THE LIGHTS WENT OFF AND WOULD HAVE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR. WE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THE RECALL REGARDING THE HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM AND TOOK THE CAR TO A MERCEDES DEALER FOR REPAIR. WE WERE ADVISED BY THE REPAIR SHOP THAT IF THE RECALLED PART WAS THE PROBLEM, THEN THE DASHBOARD WOULD LIGHT UP AND WE'D HAVE NO BRAKES. WE EXPLAINED THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS, BUT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNTIL THEY SAW THAT HAPPEN THEMSELVES. AFTER KEEPING THE CAR FOR 3 DAYS, THEY RETURNED IT SAYING IT WAS THE RESERVOIR WHICH WOULD COST APPOX. $1800 TO REPLACE. WE CALLED MERCEDES CORPORATE ABOUT THIS ALSO, BUT THEY HAVE YET TO CALL US BACK. LOOKING INTO THE RECALLED UNIT, IT APPEARS THIS IS ALL ONE SYSTEM AND THEREFORE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL. I HAD THE CAR FOR A COUPLE WEEKS WITHOUT ANOTHER INCIDENT UNTIL THIS WEEKEND WHEN I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR AND AFTER ABOUT A HALF HOUR OF NOT BRAKING THE DASHBOARD LIT UP RED WHILE I WAS DOING APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH. I TRIED TO BRAKE, BUT THERE WERE NO BRAKES. FORTUNATELY IT WAS VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING AND VERY FEW PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE AND USE MY EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON ABOUT FIVE TIMES, IT FINALLY STOPPED WARNING ME AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AND PARK THE CAR SAFELY. IF THIS BRAKING SYSTEM IS KNOWN AS FAULTY AND WAS PART OF A MASSIVE RECALL, WHY CAN'T I GET MY CAR FIXED? *TR