Problems with 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

After receiving nhtsa recall 04v296000 made contact with the dealer. consumer was told that vehicle could not be serviced until january 2005.*ak

I own a mercedes e 500 ,year 2004.i found out about the recall for the brake problem after i almost kill myself when the brake system failed yesterday. the mercedes failed to inform the consumer esp. this kind of defect. i found out that this recall was since may and had to experience myself before receiving the recall letter. this is not a good bussiness practice and in fact a negligence on the part of the company. this can cause my life and may others who own the same model of car in whom i know a few and they have not received any recall letter.

I was involved in a rear-end collision in 9-04 where my 2003 mercedes (mb) was unable to stop in time. my car was not able to stop in time even though it was traveling only about 20 mph and that i applied quick, maximum pressure to the brakes. there was one other "close-call" a few weeks prior to the accident. when i called the mercedes customer service 800 # and the mercedes dealer, both of them denied that there were any reports or recalls of brake failure. therefore i was deemed to be at fault for the accident at that time. when i took my mb for routine service in 2-05, the tech indicated that there was a brake recall and proceeded to make the repair. now in 2-06, i received yet another brake recall (campaign # 2005-110001). one statement in the recall was "the brake pedal travel will be noticeably longer which could lead to a vehicle crash." my previous attempts at contacting mb resulted in their repeated denial that they were at fault for the brake failure and the accident. with the evidence presented and the repeated nature of the brake recalls, i feel that they are responsible and should reimburse myself and others like me for the increases in the insurance premium as well as the insurance deductible. it is a small price to pay for the integrity of a renowned car company. *jb

Please see previously filed report #10083022. on monday, august 2, 2004, the brake failure described in the above-mentioned report occurred again. the failure occurred while stopped at a traffic light. i had my foot on the brake, holding the car at the stop. it felt like the car had been tapped from behind, but there was no vehicle behind me. the dash warning came on again showing the same two malfunctions previously listed and the warning beep sounded. this time there was some brake action remaining in the pedal. the car began to idle very roughly, but because there were some brakes left, i drove the car four blocks home. the dealer is picking the car up...again. see voq 10033232 also. *dsy. *ak

new brakes were installed on vehicle , and they failed while it was going about 70 mph. vehicle slowed down, but the brakes did not grab completely, even when the vehicle was going about 10 mph. consumer contacted the manufacturer and informed them of the problem. however, they would do nothing about it. *ak see voq 10083022, 10086185. *dsy

1- vehicle (2003 mercedes-benz e55) was traveling at 65-70 mph on garden state parkway (nj). i was approaching exit 109 when a car entering from the right decided to cross three lanes of traffic, cutting me off. *ak 10086185 2- when i took my foot off the gas quickly, the dash lit up red, a warning beep came on and a malfunction message told me "brake malfunction-stop vehicle" (a bit ironic, huh?). the brake pedal was soft to the floor. i downshifted two gears and tried pumping the brake pedal, but finally had to stop the car by downshifting the transmission again and applying the parking brake. i pulled the car onto the shoulder. the dash showed two malfunctions, brakes and esp (traction control), and the warning beep continued until i removed the key. i restarted the vehicle several times as instructed by the instrument panel, until finally the dash advised "no malfunctions," and the pedal regained its normal feel, at which point i drove slowly home. about 1/4 mile from my house the failure repeated itself. i pulled into a parking lot and tried to slow the car from a walking pace using only the brake pedal. with both feet on the pedal and considerable force applied, the brakes could barely stop the car from even that speed. i stopped the car again using the parking brake and repeated the turn it on/turn it off sequence until getting the "no malfunction" screen again and drove the rest of the way home. upon entering my driveway, i got the failure message again, slowed the car in the same manner as before and parked it. 3- the dealer picked up the car on a flatbed and brought it in for service. i also contacted the nhtsa prior to allowing the car to be towed away in case any investigation needed to be performed. ultimately, the abs/esp cpu was replaced under warranty and the car was returned on july 27, 2004. copies of the repair order have been faxed to scott yon at nhtsa for review. the car has performed properly since the repair.

Total brake failure. mercedes benz 2003 e500.....i had just started the car, put it into drive and within 20 feet, i received a warning display to stop vehicle, brakes inoperative. i was able to stop car with parking brake. this car's braking system is a "brake by wire" type. *jb

Mercedes benz e class and sl class 2003 2004 models with electro-hydraulic brake systems are experiencing brake failures, sometimes within 1000 miles of purchase. electrical failures can leave the vehicle with no rear brakes and limited use of the front brakes! some of the brake lines are rubber and attached with hose clamps! i have worked on cars for fifteen years and had not seen a brake failure, but have now seen three in the last three months. when these vehicles age, complete brake failures may be possible.*ak

Defective brakes. *jb