NHTSA Complaint #11101528 — 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500

WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY (10MPH), ROUGHLY STRAIGHT, ON A GRAVEL ROAD, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO STEER, BUT STEERING EFFORT WAS VERY HIGH. THE LOWER HOSE CONNECTED TO THE COOLER FOR THE POWER STEERING FLUID HAD FALLEN OFF AND ALL THE FLUID HAD BEEN EXPELLED. I COULD SEE NO REASON FOR THIS TO HAVE HAPPENED. THE CLAMP WAS STILL CONNECTED TO THE HOSE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING HITTING THE HOSE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE TO THE HOSE. I RE-ATTACHED THE HOSE. I DROVE TO THE NEAREST AUTO-PARTS STORE (~ 70 MILES, MIXED GRAVEL AND PAVEMENT) AND REFILLED THE POWER STEERING FLUID. I CONTINUED TO CHECK THE HOSE FREQUENTLY. I FOUND THAT DRIVING SLOWLY (10-15 MPH) ON GRAVEL ROADS, THE HOSE WORKS LOSE AND HAS TO BE PUSHED BACK ON EVERY 10 MILES OR SO. I THINK THERE IS CONSTANT RISK OF SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING IN A CORNER WITH A HEAVY VEHICLE LIKE THIS COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. THE TWO IMAGES BELOW SHOW THE CONNECTIONS TO THE COOLER FOR THE POWER STEERING FLUID BEFORE AND AFTER A SECTION OF GRAVEL ROAD THAT IS ABOUT 10 MILES LONG. THE ROAD WAS DRIVEN AT ABOUT 10 MPH. THE RECOMMENDED SPEED FOR THIS ROAD IS 25 MPH. THE LOWER HOSE IN THESE IMAGES IS THE HOSE IN QUESTION. IN THE SECOND IMAGE NOTICE THAT THE CLAMP IS ON THE FLARE. THIS HOSE IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF. *TT *JS *JS