NHTSA Complaint #10889164 — 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK350

THE CPA+ (COLLISION PREVENTION ASSISTANCE) BRAKE SYSTEM FITTED TO OUR 2012 GLK 350 MALFUNCTIONED. ON THE FREEWAY, WITHOUT ANY TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF OUR CAR FOR MORE THAN 100 FEET, THE AUTOMATIC BRAKES JOLTED THE CAR SLOWING IT DOWN SUDDENLY FROM APPROX 70MPH TO APPROX 55MPH. THE CAR WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR AND EARLY SERVICE UNDER AN EXTENDED SERVICE CONTRACT. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE CAR IS READY AND PICKED IT UP HAVING BEEN TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM IS FIXED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. AGAIN, UNDER SIMILAR ROAD CONDITIONS AND SPEED, THE CAR JOLTED INTO A SUDDEN DECCELERATION AND MAINTAINED A LOWER SPEED. IT APPEARS TO HAVE WORN OUT THE BRAKES COMPLETELY AS THE CAR CONTINUED TO BE DRIVEN FOR A FEW MILES. WHEN THE DRIVER EVENTUALLY TRIED TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP THE CAR, THE BRAKE RESPONSE WAS ABNORMAL (SOFT) FOLLOWED BY FAILURE, RESULTING IN A COLLISION INTO A CONCRETE WALL. DURING THESE EVENTS, NO VISUAL OR AUDIBLE WARNINGS WERE EMITTED BY THE VEHICLE, AS PER THE DESIGN OF THE CPA+ SYSTEM. MERCEDES BENZ USA, LLC, AND THE DEALER, MERCEDES BENZ OF STEVEN'S CREEK, HAVE BOTH REPRESENTED TO US THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND NO WORK HAS BEEN DONE ON IT. BASED ON OUR EVIDENCE, INCLUDING 4 WITNESSES IN THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT, THE BRAKES WERE UNSAFE TO USE AFTER THE INCIDENT, CONTRADICTING THE MERCEDES AND DEALER TESTIMONIES. BOTH MERCEDES BENZ AND THE DEALER HAVE REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY WRITING DESCRIBING THE CONDITION OF THE VEHICLE. WE BELIEVE THAT A FRAUD IS BEING PERPETRATED ON THE PUBLIC AND THAT LIVES ARE IN DANGER BECAUSE OF A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN, OR THE MANUFACTURE, OF THE BRAKE AND CPA+ SYSTEM, OR BOTH.