NHTSA Complaint #10512543 — 2000 MERCEDES BENZ ML320

THE VEHICLE BRAKES, WITHIN A FIVE SECOND PERIOD, VIOLENTLY ENGAGE AT SEEMING RANDOM PATTERNS AND BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. THIS IS HAPPENED TWICE ON TWO DIFFERENT DAYS ROUGHLY A MONTH APART, AND ONLY TWICE, IN THE SAME LOCATION AT EXACTLY THE SAME DRIVING CONDITIONS (VEHICLE SPEED, WEATHER - SUNNY DAY NO RAIN, STRAIGHT ROAD, LIGHT TRAFFIC, SAME 25-30 MPH SPEED). I WENT TO THE MERCEDES DEALER IN TYSONS CORNER AND THEY SAID THEY DID NOT KNOW OF A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE LOCATION IS THAT IT IS IN WITHIN 50M OF HIGH CAPACITY POWER LINES WHICH GO OVER THE ROAD, AND WITHIN 300M OF AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL RADIO ANTENNA TRUCTURE TOWER. I BELIEVE THE ELECTRONICS OF ONE OR BOTH OF THESE ARE CAUSING THE CAR'S ELECTRONIC STABLILITY CONTROL /BRAKE ASSIST COMPUTER TO GO HAYWIRE AND CAUSE A COMPLETE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. THE LOCATION IS ON ROUTE 29 LEE HIGHWAY, VA RIGHT BEFORE THE BRIDGE THAT CROSSES OVER THE BELTWAY GOING WESTBOUND, JUST PAST WHERE YOU CROSS UNDER THE POWER LINES THAT GO OVERHEAD. THE RADIO TOWER IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS BRIDGE. 95% OF THE TIME I DROVE THIS EXACT ROUTE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT HAPPEN, SO IT IS AN INTERMITTENT ISSUE. TURNING THE ENGINE OFF TWICE SEEMS TO RESET THE SYSTEM AND IT SEEMS TO WORK FINE. ALSO NOTE THAT THESE POWERLINES, WITHOUT FAIL, ALSO CAUSE THE SAME CAR'S ALARM TO GO OFF 100% OF THE TIME WHEN I PARK WITHIN 100M OF THEM. THE DEALER DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR CAN HAVE A SPONTANEOUS CAR ALARM ISSUE. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE WITH THE CARS BRAKING SAFETY COMPUTER AND PREVENT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN THE FUTURE FOR SOMEONE ELSE. IT WOULD USEFUL FOR YOUR STAFF TO USE A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM TO MAP THE SIMILAR INCIDENTS. I SUSPECT THEY ARE ALL NEAR ELECTRICAL OR RADIO INTERFERENCE AS WELL. *TR