2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Brakes Problems

The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact depressed the brake pedal firmly however, the vehicle failed to respond. The parking brake was activated however, the vehicle failed to respond as designed. The contact was however able to pull over and eventually the vehicle came to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 05V133000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The failure mileage was 126,000. The consumer stated the part put on the vehicle for the recall was a defective part and not installed correctly.

WHILE DRIVING MY MERCEDES BENZ 2003 SL500 THE BRAKES BECAME DISABLED WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE. THE FIRST MERCEDES DEALER I PHONED TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO KNOWN SAFETY RECALLS FOR THE BRAKES. THE SECOND MERCEDES DEALER THAT I CONTACTED INFORMED ME ABOUT 2 RECALLS IN 2004 AND 2005. I PHONED THE MERCEDES BENZ USA HEADQUARTERS AND SPOKE TO A CASE MANAGER WHO TOLD ME THAT MERCEDES' RESPONSIBILITY WITH THIS SAFETY ISSUE EXPIRED IN 2012. HOW CAN A SAFETY ISSUE SUCH AS HAVING NO BRAKES WHILE DRIVING EXPIRE? HOW CAN A CORPORATION BE ALLOWED TO WALK AWAY FROM THIS TYPE OF POTENTIALLY DEADLY SAFETY ISSUE? THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS CAR.

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IN TOWN ON CITY STREETS THE SBS BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED AS I CAME TO A TURN LEAVING ME WITH NO BRAKE RESPONSE EVEN THOUGH THE DEALER SAYS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE HYDRAULIC BACK-UP TO STOP THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO COAST AND STOP THE CAR ONLY WITH THE EMERGENCY HAND BRAKE. THE SBS SYSTEM HAS BEEN RECALLED TWICE BY THE FACTORY BUT THERE IS STILL SOMETHING VERY WRONG WHEN A MODERN CAR HAD NO BACK-UP SYSTEM. THESE CARS ARE DANGEROUS! LUCKILY FOR ME THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT AND I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AND IT IS BEING REPAIRED.

I HAVE A 2003 MERCEDES SL500 WITH 52000 MILES ON IT AND SUDDENLY THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME UP AND THE INVESTIGATION LINKED IT TO THE SBC HYDRAULIC RECALL (2005070007). MERCEDES HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON SBS UNIT FOR 10 YEARS AND MY CAR IS NOW OUT OF THAT EXTENDED WARRANTY PERIOD. THE SBC ISSUE DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE CAR HAD OVER 51000 MILES. I REACHED OUT TO MERCEDES BENZ CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY WANTED ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WHICH I DID AND THE DEALER'S REPORT CLEARLY STATES THAT THEY COULD NOT CONNECT TO THE SBC PUMP AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. MERCEDES BENZ CUSTOMER CARE CALLED ME BACK STATING THAT THE CAR IS OUT OF THE 10 YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD AND DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE ENTIRE SBC PUMP AND ALSO STATED THAT IT WAS ONLY ON THE INSTALLATION OF BRACKET, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE ANOTHER RECALL ON THE SBC UNIT (2005110001). THE VEHICLE DOES NOT ADEQUATELY STOP DUE TO THIS FAILURE AND THE REPAIR COST TO REPLACE THE SBC UNIT AS STATED BY THE DEALER IS $1939.75. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY RECALL THAT IS A CONCERN AND SO WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST NHSTA TO ADVISE.

2003 MERCEDES BENZ SL 500. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO POSSIBLE FATAL FLAW IN VEHICLE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED, AS HE WAS BACKING OUT OF HIS DRIVEWAY, HE APPLIED THE BRAKE AND THEY FAILED. A RED LIGHT AND A SIGN INSTRUCTED HIM TO OBTAIN IMMEDIATE SERVICE. THE MECHANIC, KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR A WEEK, BUT WAS UNABLE TO ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. AT THE MECHANIC'S SUGGESTED, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS THERE FOR A FEW DAYS, THE DEALERSHIP CALLED AND SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE BATTERY HAD DIED. IT WAS A SECONDARY BATTERY WHICH SUPPLIED POWER TO EVERYTHING THAT CONSUMED ELECTRICITY, INCLUDING THE BRAKES IN HIS MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE. SO, IF IT FAILED, SO WOULD THE BRAKES. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX. 20-35MPH I PRESSED THE BRAKE AND ALMOST WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO RESISTANCE. DASHBOARD INDICATES RED WARNING "STOP" BRAKE DEFECTIVE, STOP VEHICLE WITH YELLOW ABS WARNING LIGHT. AFTER I PULLED OVER, PARKED THE CAR AND SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE... WARNING LIGHTS, RED EMERGENCY "BRAKE" ILLUMINATED. AS WELL AS, REDUCED BRAKE EFFECT, START ENGINE AND FOLLOWED BY INCR BRAKING DISTANCE, START ENGINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES BUT THE PEDAL SANK TO THE FLOORBOARD ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE BLED AND THE BRAKE FLUID NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THEY ADVISED THAT THE BRAKE HYDRAULIC UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 224,679.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE BRAKES ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V133000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) BUT WAS ADVISED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY SATISFIED. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,679.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM OUR HOUSE WHEN THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED. SHE WAS ON A BACK ROAD AND HAD TO BRAKE FOR A STOP SIGN. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TO AVOID REAR ENDING A CAR STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN, AND FINALLY BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. THE BRAKES STARTED TO WORK WITH ABOUT 1" OF PEDAL FROM THE FLOOR. SHE SAID IT WAS SO HARD TO PUSH ON THE PEDAL THAT SHE COULD BARELY DO IT. LUCKILY SHE WAS NOT HURT. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON A MAJOR ROAD OR HIGHWAY THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. APPARENTLY THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR FOR A NEW BRAKING SYSTEM REFERRED TO A "DRIVE BY WIRE". EURO MOTORCARS IN MD INFORMED ME THAT BECAUSE MERCEDES HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE WITH THIS NEW SYSTEM THAT THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR 10 ADDITIONAL YEARS. THE NEW EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS BRAKE FAILURE ISSUE WAS FOR COMPLETE PARTS AND LABOR. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS EXTENDED WARRANTY. NO ONE AT THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE I HAVE HAD THE CAR SERVICED EXCLUSIVELY, NOTIFIED ME OF ANY WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR THIS VERY SERIOUS BRAKING FAILURE ISSUE. I FIND THIS REPREHENSIBLE! MY WIFE COULD HAVE KILLED. WHY WAS SUCH A SERIOUS BRAKING ISSUE NOT MADE A RECALL INSTEAD OF "IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WARRANTY EXTENSION"? AT THE VERY LEAST MERCEDES SHOULD HAVE RECALLED ALL CARS WITH THIS POTENTIAL BRAKING FAILURE. THE PROBLEM LIES WITH THE SBC HYDRAULIC BRAKING UNIT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO EURO MOTORCARS WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED. I ASKED THE SERVICE WRITER IF IT COULD BE COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED THIS PAST FEBRUARY 2013. MERCEDES TOLD ME THE SAME THING. TOUGH LUCK! IN ADDITION TO HELPING RECOVER THIS EXPENSE OF $1593.81 PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THIS WAS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN. NO RECALL AND NO NOTIFICATION. SOMEONE COULD HAVE KILLED! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH WHEN THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED, IT ABNORMALLY WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT RESISTANCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE. THERE WAS FIVE PERCENT BRAKING ABILITY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. WHEN THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENGAGED THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL PUMP. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS A COMMON ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED; AND THE CONTACT PLANNED TO SELL THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE SAFETY HAZARD. THE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 01/13/11*LJ UPDATED 01/27/11*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES SL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE WARNING PANEL. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE ABS SWITCH SEAL AND ADDED SYNTHETIC HYDRAULIC FLUID TO THE VEHICLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. ONE MONTH LATER, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, WHILE DRIVING TO THE DEALER AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE BRAKE PEDAL FELL MUCH FARTHER INTO THE FLOORBOARD THAN USUAL. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND SLIGHTLY CRASHED INTO A CURB. SHE THEN COASTED INTO A PARKING LOT UNTIL SHE WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKES AND COME TO A STOP. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER:04V296000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT WITH THE DEALER WHERE SHE WAS AWAITING A REPLACEMENT OF THE HYDRAULIC PUMP UNDER THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ SL55. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON NOISE WAS NEAR THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SBC HYDRAULIC SYSTEM WAS INOPERABLE AND THERE WAS NO COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUMP MOTOR. NHTSA RECALL 04V296000, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC WAS RELATED TO THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC ADVISED HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AT HIS EXPENSE FOR $150. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,600.

IN OUR MERCEDES THE SENSOR TOLD THE COMPUTER THAT THE CAR WAS ON ICE AND LOCKED UP THE BRAKES CAUSE THE CAR TO GO INTO A SPIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. WHEN THE BRAKES FINALLY BEGAN TO OPERATE, THE ABS, COOLANT, AND ESP LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 17,889.

I WAS HAVING SOME TROUBLE WITH THE BRAKES, I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK INTO THE SHOP 3 TIMES TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THE BRAKES WERE FAILING - ONCE I ALMOST RAN A PEDESTRIAN OVER AS I TRIED TO STOP AND THE VEHICLE BRAKES APPEARED TO NOT WORK AT ALL - THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM THEY SAY DOES NOTHING. ANOTHER TIME PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE NO BRAKES AGAIN AND IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE CONCRETE BLOCK I WOULD HAVE RUN INTO THE STORE FRONT. THE LAST TIME WAS AT MY HOME - PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY. AFTER BRINGING THE CAR INTO THE MERCEDES DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THEY TOLD ME EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL I WAS OUT ONE NIGHT AND CAME TO A STOP SIGN AND THE BRAKES FAILED AND I WENT INTO A CONCRETE BARRIER. I WISH I HAD VISITED THIS SITE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED - I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ANYONE WITH A 2003 MERCEDES SL GET RID OF IT - BRING IT BACK TO MERCEDES AND DEMAND A 2004 OR NEWER CAR BEFORE THIS HAPPENS TO YOU. MERCEDES CAME TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE AT THE AUTOBODY SHOP AND WILL NOT RELEASE THEIR FINDINGS TO ME - I AM THINKING OF GETTING A LAWYER INVOLVED. - I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU ARE SO HELPLESS AND MERCEDES KNOWS ABOUT THIS - WHAT A CRIME. *TR