Mercedes-Benz has ordered a recall of 17,687 cars in New Zealand and Australia.
A fault in the recalled vehicles could cause the brakes to fail, which has prompted the automaker to warn owners to "stop driving immediately."
Mercedes-Benz New Zealand has announced a recall of certain ML-Class, GL-Class (164 platform) and R-Class vehicles (251 platform) from model years between 2005 and 2013 due to a concern with the fitted brake booster. The recall affects 1,982 vehicles in New Zealand.
Based on isolated reports and subsequent analysis, Mercedes-Benz has found that in some of the vehicles mentioned above the function of the brake booster could be affected by advanced corrosion in the joint area of the housing.
READ MORE
The recall notice, which was lodged with the Department of Infrastructure, says "the corrosion might lead to leakage of the brake booster and a reduction in braking performance. In cases of very severe corrosion, hard braking may damage the brake booster resulting in a reduction of braking performance. A reduction in braking performance could increase the risk of an accident causing injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users."
View Mercedes listings on Driven
"Stop driving your vehicle immediately and contact an authorised Mercedes-Benz service centre to arrange for an inspection as soon as possible."
Mercedes-Benz is initiating a recall and has already issued letters to the owners of all 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. Until the inspection takes place, customers are urged not to drive their vehicles. If necessary, Mercedes-Benz will work with the customer to arrange an alternative transport solution, during this time.
A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz says "we consistently set the very highest standards for safety and quality – regardless of whether this leads to a recall involving a single vehicle or a larger number of vehicles."
"Based on isolated reports and subsequent analysis, Mercedes-Benz has found that in some of the vehicles mentioned above the function of the brake booster could be affected by advanced corrosion in the joint area of the housing. Accordingly, Mercedes-Benz is initiating a recall and will contact the owners of all potentially affected vehicles, starting immediately."
"The recall process will involve inspecting potentially affected vehicles and, depending on the results of the inspection, replacing the parts where necessary. Until the inspection takes place, we ask our customers not to drive their vehicles."
A full list of vehicle identification numbers for the 17,687 vehicles involved in the recall can be found here.