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[BazaJT]

Only caught a fraction of this item on the news this morning but apparently Mercedes are recalling cars worldwide that were built 2004 to 2015-they did mention 3 types which they said were SUV type vehicles one of which was the ML. This is for rust "between the brake pedal and the braking system" and Mercedes are advising owners not to drive them until the recall has been carried out

[Andy B]

it's do with a band around the 'brake booster' that's held water causing it to rust ....

[Varche]

That will be a relief then to a million owners. Just a bit of water and rust.

[STEMO]

Mercedes-Benz has announced it is immediately recalling nearly one million older vehicles worldwide due to a potential problem with the braking system.

Germany’s federal transport authority (KBA) said that the recall affected cars built between 2004 and 2015 of the SUV series ML and GL, and the R-Class luxury minivan.

993,407 vehicles were being recalled worldwide, including about 70,000 in Germany, the KBA added.
It is not known how many vehicles in the UK are affected.

“Corrosion on the brake booster can in the worst case lead to the connection between the brake pedal and the braking system being interrupted,” the KBA said.

“As a consequence, the service brake can stop functioning.”

Mercedes-Benz confirmed the recall in a statement to the AFP news agency, stating the move was based on “analysis of isolated reports for certain vehicles”.

“In rare cases of very severe corrosion, it might be possible for a particularly strong or hard braking manoeuvre to cause mechanical damage to the brake booster, whereby the connection between brake pedal and brake system would fail,” Mercedes said.

“In such a very rare case, it would not be possible to decelerate the vehicle via the service brake. Thus, the risk of a crash or injury would be increased.”

The company said it would “start with the recall immediately” and contact the owners of the “potentially affected vehicles”.

“The recall process will involve inspecting potentially affected vehicles and, depending on the results of the inspection, replacing the parts where necessary,” the Stuttgart-based company said.

“Until the inspection takes place, we ask our customers not to drive their vehicles.”

Love the highlighted bit

[Doctor Gollum]

They're supposed to be coming around tomorrow to check the Alabama Mumsybus.

If it requires a new booster they can fit it on the drive on a day off, because unless they provide me with a replacement vehicle, mine is getting used daily...

It's done about a thousand miles since they sent the letter out

Luxury Minivan is a bit of a piss take though it looks nothing like a Vito

[Doctor Gollum]

I should perhaps add that the car currently has no symptoms of impending booster failure such as inconsistent pedal pressure or vacuum leaks, and were it to have them, then I would stop driving it.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Info has it that the issue relates to water sitting in and around the brake servo which then corrodes. Clearly that gives a vaccum leak and consequetal impact on brake (and running potentially for petrol cars).

The issue is that its been seen to seriously weaken the actuator from footpedal to master cylinder, via the servo, and hence the recall.

Worth having a look yourself first to see if there is any signs of corrosion on the servo

[Doctor Gollum]

They've just been.

Basically the booster is a traditional type, ie two halves welded together. This seam is then fitted with a 1 3/4" rubber band to protect from moisture ingress.

However, if the scuttle fills with water, or water seaps behind the seal, it cannot escape or dry out, instead causing corrosion.

The inspection is a two stage one...

1. Remove the rubber band. Permanently. And inspect the inner face for evidence of corrosion.

2. Any evidence of corrosion is then measured. If it exceeds a certain size then the car is connected to Star and a booster function test performed. This takes around twenty minutes.

If it fails this test then the booster must be replaced.

The Alabama Mumsybus failed part 1, but easily passed part 2.

Presumably, at some point in the future, a subsequent inspection/test will be required.

The design failure is the rubber band rather than the booster itself.