Mercedes-Benz Canada (MBC) has issued a notice that Mercedes-Benz AG – the manufacturing arm of the company – has determined an issue with select cars involving their brake boosters. Said issue could lead to potential collisions and injuries, so the auto manufacturer has put out a recall for the affected vehicles.
According to Mercedes-Benz AG, the model years 2006-2013 of the ML, GL and R-Class vehicles could experience an issue with their brake boosters. The manufacturer found that moisture may wick under a rubber sleeve installed around the brake booster housing.
Over time and exposure in the field, the moisture could lead to corrosion in the joint area of the brake booster housing, which Mercedes-Benz AG said causes a vacuum leak. The leak reduces brake force support, which means drivers would have to increase brake pedal force to decelerate their vehicle – an issue which could lead to accidents, as the stopping distance of the affected vehicles has increased.
In rare cases where the corrosion is severe, Mercedes-Benz AG warned that a strong or hard braking application may cause mechanical damage to the brake booster, destroying the connection between the brake pedal and brake system. This effectively disables any braking function, and raises the risk of a crash or injury, the car company warned.
Mercedes-Benz AG did note, however, that the function of the foot-activated parking brake is not affected by the corrosion issue.
MBC has advised all customers with affected vehicles to stop driving their vehicles. It is also offering complimentary towing to owners of the affected vehicles, to bring the cars to the workshop for parts replacement. The company also explained in a release that in the event a repair is needed but cannot be carried out immediately, an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer will help coordinate with the customer for an individual solution, which may involve alternate mobility options.
