NHTSA Complaint #10470361 — 2000 MERCEDES BENZ ML320

WHILE DRIVING AROUND 50MPH ON THE BQE ROAD (NY), SUDDENLY THE BAS/ESP LIGHT CAME ON, ALL THE BRAKES ENGAGED AND CAR WAS COMING TO A STOP. WARNING LIGHT ON A DASHBOARD WAS FLASHING AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT THE ENGINE DIED. *TR NOT REALIZING WHAT IS HAPPENING, I TRIED TO ADD POWER/GAS TO THE CAR, BUT THE ENGINE DIDN'T WANT TO GO PAST 1000 RPM. BEING IN A FAST LANE AND HAVING HARD TIME CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF THE CAR, I??VE NOTICED OVERPOWERING SMELL OF THE BRAKES. I WAS ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED BY THE EVENT AS THE TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY AND I WAS JUST HOPING NO ONE WILL REAR ME. STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL HAD ALMOST NO RESULT EVEN THOUGH THE MOTOR WAS RUNNING. IT THEN STARTED TO ACCELERATE VERY SLOWLY WHEN MY FOOT WAS PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR. SOME 5-10 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND BEHAVING AS NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. HOWEVER, 15 MINUTES INTO THE RIDE, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AND THIS TIME, I WAS DRIVING IN A SLOW LANE - SOME 30-35 MPH. I PULLED OVER AND LET THE CAR REST FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES AND IT STARED FINE AND DROVE FINE FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING. ONCE I PARKED THE CAR, THE BAS ESP LIGHT WAS STILL ON AND STAYED ON. I TOOK THE CAR VERY NEXT DAY TO A CAR MECHANIC, BUT THE COMPUTER READING DIDN??T GIVE ANY ERRORS, FAULTS NOR NOTIFICATIONS. BY THAT TIME, THE ESP LIGHT WAS OFF ONCE AGAIN. THE INCIDENT RECURRED 3 DAYS LATER WHILE COMING TO A STOP DUE TO A TRAFFIC LIGHTS - SOME 15-20 MPH. MY MECHANIC (AND MY INTERNET SEARCH) ADVISED ME TO CHANGE THE YAW SENSOR. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE SENSOR CAN BECOME FAULTY, BUT FULLY ENGAGING THE BRAKES WHILE TRAVELING IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I'M NOW WAITING FOR THE YAW SENSOR TO BE REPLACED. *TR