The Recall Desk
HighNHTSA·11V208000·Announced 2011-03-31

Mercedes-Benz M-Class Recall for Cruise Control Brake Disengagement Issue

Mercedes-Benz is recalling 1999-2003 M-Class vehicles because the cruise control may not disengage when the driver pumps the brakes, increasing crash risk.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a functional defect in a safety-critical system (cruise control) that increases the risk of a crash, but the source text does not report any specific injuries, fatalities, or agency classification of Class I/II.

Plain-English summary

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. is recalling certain model year 1999-2002 M-Class and model year 2000-2003 M-Class AMG vehicles. The recall involves the vehicle's cruise control system, which is designed to disengage when the driver taps the brake pedal, uses the cruise control stalk, or brakes sufficiently to reach a certain rate of deceleration.

Mercedes-Benz has determined that under certain circumstances, specifically when the driver pumps the brakes rather than applying consistent pedal force, the level of force required to disengage the cruise control may be unusually high. While other means of deactivating the system remain fully operative, this difficulty or delay in disengaging the cruise control can increase the risk of a crash.

Dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began during October 2011. Owners may contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
MERCEDES BENZ M CLASS
Brand
MERCEDES BENZ
Manufacturer
MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC.
Category
Vehicle — SUV
Hazard
Affected units
136,751

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • M CLASS

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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