NHTSA Complaint #10722091 — 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ E550

I HAVE HAD A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ E550 FOR NEARLY THREE YEARS NOW AND LIKE IT IN MANY RESPECTS EXCEPT ONE. IT BOTHERS ME EVERY TIME I DRIVE SO MUCH SO THAT I FEEL COMPELLED TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST. WHEN I SLOW THE VEHICLE TO AN IMPERCEPTIBLE CRAWL, THE AUTOMATIC ADAPTIVE BRAKE ASSIST KICKS IN, BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A SUDDEN, ABRUPT AND JERKY STOP UNLESS THE GEAR IS IN NEUTRAL. IT IS ANNOYING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE GUEST PASSENGERS. IT REFLECTS POORLY ON THE DRIVER AND THE EMBARRASSMENT IS REGRETFUL. I HAVE OWNED AND OPERATED LUXURY CARS INCLUDING MERCEDES-BENZ FOR YEARS BUT HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS NUISANCE LIKE THIS. I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE JUSTIFICATION ON ACCOUNT OF SAFETY, CONVENIENCE OR COMFORT FOR MERCEDES-BENZ ENGINEER TO IMPLEMENT SUCH A MEASURE. I CAN UNDERSTAND THE BENEFIT OF BRAKE ASSIST IN A PANIC SITUATION, BUT THIS IS IN NO WAY CLOSE TO ANY SIMULATION OF A PANIC STOP. I COMPLAINED TO THE LOCAL MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER AS WELL AS MERCEDES-BENZ USA HEADQUARTERS ABOUT THIS ANOMALY AND THOUGHT THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN AND COULD TWEAK THE COMPUTER FIRMWARE TO BYPASS ADAPTIVE BRAKE ASSIST AT NEAR ZERO SPEED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING WHEN THE DESIGNER INTENDED THE VEHICLE TO ACT THAT WAY. IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF OVER-ENGINEERING OR OVERSIGHT?