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Mercedes-Benz SL Recalls

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Recall Date Problem Area Recall Text
08/08/05 Brakes and Traction Control On certain vehicles, the sensotronic brake control (sbc) system may prematurely shift to the hydraulic back-up function mode, due to deterioration of the wiring harness connection, or due to premature failure of the hydraulic pump.

In the hydraulic back-up mode, the driver has braking power sufficient to stop the vehicle, although greater brake pedal pressure is required and the brake pedal travel will be noticeably longer.

Dealers will install a bracket and replacement ground wire to the sbc pump unit on all vehicles free of charge. additionally dealers will inspect and replace the sbc pump unit in sl vehicles produced during a limited production period. the recall began on august 8, 2005. owners may contact mercedes-benz at 1-800-367-6372.

Mercedes-benz recall no. 2005070007 and 2005110001. customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
10/21/04 Brakes and Traction Control On certain vehicles, the electronic monitoring system of the sensotronic brake control (sbc) is designed to monitor the pressure gradient within the high pressure line of the brake system. if an unacceptable pressure gradient is detected, the system will switch, as it is designed to do, into the hydraulic function mode.

If vehicles are not routinely serviced and have extremely high mileage combined with a high number of brake actuations, or a high brake actuation frequency, the pump motor of the sbc may run out of permissible tolerances, thereby triggering the hydraulic function mode.

Dealers will inspect the sbc hydraulic unit, replacing it if necessary. the recall began on october 21m 2004. owners should contact mercedes-benz at 1-800-367-6372.

Mercedes-benz recall no. 2004 050014.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
10/13/17 Suspension and Steering Mercedes-benz usa, llc. (mbusa) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 sl550, 2013-2014 sl63 amg, 2014-2016 e350, 2014 e350 cabriolet, e350 coupe, 2014-2015 s550, 2015 e350 bluetec, 2015-2016 e400, 2016 e550 coupe, and maybach s600 vehicles manufactured august 23, 2012, to august 14, 2015. the affected vehicles use an electric power steering system that may have improperly soldered contacts inside the control unit, potentially resulting in the power steering system deactivating while driving.

If the control unit pins lose connection, there would be a loss of electric power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash. the increase in pin contact resistance can also increase the risk of a fire, even while the vehicle is parked and ignition is off.

Mbusa will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric power steering control unit, free of charge. the recall began october 13, 2017. owners may contact mbusa customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
09/22/08 Suspension and Steering Mercedes benz is recalling 4,564 my 2001-2006 cl-class (model 215), my 2002-2006 s-class (model 220), my 2003-2007 sl-class (model 230), my 2007-2008 cl-class (model 216), and my 2007 s-class (model 221)passenger vehicles equipped with active body control (abc) acceleration sensors on the front struts. these sensors measure acceleration around the z-axis of the vehicle and assure an automatic adaptation of the front struts to maintain a relatively level body position. variations in the soldering process resulted in soldering points on the board of the abc sensors which may not be within design tolerances. signals from the affected sensors measuring the acceleration may not be accurately transmitted to the engine control unit.

A variation in the transmitted values between affected and unaffected sensors can result in one front strut adjusting to a value indicating body movement while another strut does not adjust presenting the driver with an uneven front suspension. this condition may lead to unexpected body movements at the front axle which can adversely influence the vehicle's directional stability and could lead to a vehicle crash.

Dealers will inspect and replace, if necessary, the front abc sensors in all potentially affected vehicles. the recall began on september 22, 2008. owners may contact mercedes-benz at 1-800-367-6372.

Mercedes-benz recall no. 2008080004.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
04/21/17 Electrical and Air Conditioning Mercedes-benz usa, llc (mbusa) is recalling certain 2016 amg gt-s, glc300, cla250 and gle300d 4matic vehicles, 2013 c250, e350 bluetec and g63 amg vehicles, 2008-2014 c300 vehicles, 2013-2014 c300 4matic and ml350 4matic vehicles, 2009 c350 vehicles, 2014 cls550, e350 4matic, e350 coupe 4matic, e350 wagon 4matic, glk350 and sl550 vehicles, 2012 cls550 4matic vehicles, 2012-2016 e350 vehicles, 2016-2017 gl450 4matic vehicles, 2012-2014 ml350 4matic bluetec vehicles, 2015 s550, s550 4matic and c300 4matic sedan vehicles, 2015-2016 c300 sedan vehicles, and 2017 sl63 amg vehicles. various control units on these vehicles may have been updated with incorrect software, potentially affecting the correct deployment of the air bags in the event of a crash.

If the air bags do not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Mbusa will notify owners, and dealers will update software in the affected control units, free of charge. the recall began april 21, 2017. owners may contact mbusa customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
07/22/16 Electrical and Air Conditioning Mercedes-benz usa, llc (mbusa) is recalling certain model year 2016 slk300, slk350, sl400, sl550, and sl63 amg vehicles manufactured from june 29, 2015, through july 13, 2015. the affected vehicles are equipped with low-beam headlights that may have been aimed incorrectly during vehicle production. as such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."

Improperly adjusted low-beam headlights may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Mbusa will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary adjust the headlamps, free of charge. the recall began on july 22, 2016. owners may contact mbusa customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
08/18/14 Electrical and Air Conditioning Mercedes-benz usa, llc (mercedes-benz) is recalling certain model year 2014 slk 250, slk 350, slk 55 amg, sl 550, sl 63 amg, and sl 65 amg vehicles manufactured march 19, 2014, through may 5, 2014. due to an air bag assembly error, the front passenger air bag may not deploy properly.

In the event of a crash necessitating front passenger air bag deployment, the front passenger seat airbag may not properly deploy, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger seat occupant.

Mercedes-benz will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag, free of charge. mercedes-benz distributed an interim letter to owners on july 17, 2014. a second owner letter was mailed after parts became available in mid august 2014. owners may contact mercedes-benz at 1-800-367-6372. note: until the vehicle has been remedied, owners are advised that passengers or other items should not be placed in the passenger seat.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
12/20/13 Electrical and Air Conditioning Mercedes-benz (mercedes) is recalling certain model year 2013 sl63, sl550, and sl65 vehicles manufactured january 16, 2013, through april 30, 2013. the affected vehicles are equipped with an occupant classification system (ocs) that may not detect a very light person sitting in the front passenger seat.

If the ocs does not detect a very light person sitting in the seat, the passenger side air bag would be turned off. in the event of a crash necessitating side air bag deployment, the passenger would be at an increased risk of injury.

Mercedes will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side seat cushion including the ocs. the recall began on december 20, 2013. owners may contact mercedes at 1-201-573-0600.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
11/08/12 Electrical and Air Conditioning Mercedes-benz is recalling certain model year 2013 sl-class vehicles manufactured from december 19, 2011, through may 31, 2012 originally equipped with r1234yf refrigerant. daimler ag (dag), the parent company of mercedes-benz, conducted product testing of a vehicle, not sold in the us, but equipped with the same refrigerant. according to mercedes-benz, the testing was designed to replicate worst-case conditions expected in a severe frontal crash that would cause a rupture of the air conditioner refrigerant line. a rupture of a refrigerant line will result in a gaseous mixture of refrigerant being released into the engine compartment.

The testing conducted by dag determined that the escaping r1234yf refrigerant may ignite under specific conditions. the resulting fire could spread to additional combustible materials.

Mercedes-benz will notify owners, and dealers will replace the r1234yf refrigerant with r134a along with new refrigerant lines (hoses) designed specifically for r134a. the remedy will be provided free of charge. the safety recall began on november 8, 2012. owners may contact mercedes-benz at 1-800-367-6372.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
08/30/08 Electrical and Air Conditioning Mercedes-benz is recalling my 2006-2008 m-class, r-class, my 2005-2009 slk-class, my 2005-2008 c-class, my 2003-2004 and 2006-2008 clk-class, my 2003-2008 e-class, my 2004 and 2008 cl-class, my 2008 cls-class, my 2004 and 2007-2008 s-class, my 2003 g-class, and my 2003-2004, 2006 and 2009 sl-class vehicles. a software calibration number (scn) coding received on the affected vehicles during a recent workshop visit was incorrect. depending on the model year and model affected, the results of an incorrect scn coding can affect a number of vehicle safety and emission functions including the following types of functions: (1) the fuel gauge readings may be incorrect; (2) a stuck fuel-level sensor may not be displayed in the instrument cluster; (3) the obd system may cause the check engine light to illuminate incorrectly; and, (4) the speedometer may be out of tolerance.

In the event of a vehicle crash, the electrical fuel pump may not receive a crash signal that is required for the fuel pump to disconnect and prevent future fuel delivery as designed.

Dealers will recode the scn free of charge. the recall began on august 30, 2008. owners may contact mercedes-benz at 1-800-367-6372.

Mercedes-benz recall no. 2008 070001.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
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Mercedes-Benz SL Recalls

Some things are often misunderstood about recalls and technical service bulletins (TSBs). Plus a disclaimer.

  1. Recalls do not have to be issued only because something is prone to failure. NHTSA (a government agency) can only require a recall if a failure will affect safety, emissions, fuel economy, or compliance with some other regulation or law. Manufacturers can voluntarily recall cars for problems that do not affect these, though.
  2. Recalls often apply to only some cars of a specific model year, rather than all of them. You should receive a letter from the manufacturer if your car has been recalled. You can also check with the dealer, which will know which (if any) recalls pertain to your car.
  3. The primary purpose of TSBs is to inform dealers about known problems with a car and how to fix them. They are not the same as recalls. As with recalls, TSBs often only apply to some cars, not the entire model year.
  4. Dealers often will not provide a preventive repair just because a problem described in a TSB might happen to your car. They'll usually want to observe symptoms that the problem is already affecting your car.
  5. Even if there are symptoms, a manufacturer doesn't have to pick up the cost of a TSB repair if the car is out of warranty, though sometimes they do.

We provide the text of recalls and TSBs as provided by NHTSA. There can be errors in the text. If you sign up for notifications in My Garage, we will try to get these to do, but for various reasons (some beyond our control) cannot guarantee you will receive them. When in doubt about a recall or TSB, contact the dealer.