Last month, Mercedes-Benz announced a recall involving almost 300,000 vehicles including the 2006-2012 ML-Class, R-Class minivan, and GL-Class because of a potential loss of braking power. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a “do not drive” notice for the affected vehicles until their brake components can be inspected. Now, The Guardian is reporting that the recall has been expanded to include 993,407 vehicles worldwide.
The outlet claims that the German automaker will be recalling approximately 1 million vehicles from 2004 to 2015 over potential problems with the vehicles’ braking system. Germany’s federal transport authority (KBA) stated that the issue has to deal with corrosion on the brake booster.
“Corrosion on the brake booster can in the worst case lead to the connection between the brake pedal and the braking system being interrupted,” stated the KBA, reports the outlet. Under the 2006 R-Class, the NHTSA’s site states that the vehicle is being recalled and shouldn’t be driven because of corrosion in the brake booster housing unit that can result in “reduced brake performance or brake failure.”
While owners should stop driving the vehicles immediately, Mercedes claims that early signs of a faulty brake booster include a soft brake pedal or noises coming from having air in the braking system that includes sucking or hissing. The automaker claims that these vehicles should be parked until they can be inspected by an authorized dealer.
The issue with these vehicles, according to Mercedes, is that the brake boosters can become corroded after an extended period of exposure to moisture. Corrosion can degrade the internal components of the brake booster, allowing air into the braking system and reducing its effectiveness.
Mercedes dealers will inspect the brake booster housing and remove the rubber sleeve on affected vehicles. Vehicles that are found to not have any advanced corrosion on the systems can be driven without any more services. Vehicles with advanced corrosion will be put through a test to check the functionality of the brake booster. Vehicles that pass the test can be driven for an additional two years before they need to return to a dealer for an additional repair.
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Pictured: Mercedes-Benz ML-Class (Top), Mercedes-Benz R-Class (Middle)