Brake failure. Total brake failure while driving down the highway. No warning light except after failure! According to recall campaign #2005110001" brake power may be reduced". Brake power wasn't reduced, there was zero- had to coast to a stop on the side of the road. Could've been catastrophic. Per safety campaign records, my vehicle is marked as "completed" . I am the 2nd owner of the car and it's not been completed. Contact mb dealership who offered to fix this recalled item for me at a 10% discount. Contacted mb customer service and I cannot get a resolution.
2005 Mercedes Benz E500 brakes complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 38 of 38, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Mercedes benz placed faulty and defective braking systems including a defective sbc hydraulic unit on all of their mercedes benz e500 model vehicles. Mercedes is aware of this faulty and defective party that could cause serious bodily injury to occupants at the time of failure. Mercedes benz failed to issue a recall for this faulty brake system and instead extended the brake system warranty for 10 years. However, mercedes never notified any owners of this defective product, therefore, never actually fixed or replaced this defective part. Owner had no knowledge of the defect, were not notified or contacted and received absolutely no communication from mercedes or its dealerships regarding this defect. You only learn of the defect once it fails! Upon failure, mercedes is now refusing to take responsibility for this defective product of which they, their company, dealerships and franchises, and certified repair shops have admitted to have knowingly sold cars with this defect and have all failed to provide communications and/or disclosures of any kind to its customers. I have personally contacted mercedes about this defect and am looking to pursuing legal and civil action against them for circumventing the federal safety recall laws to the detriment of its consumers and the general public. Mercedes is in violation of federal law and criminal and civil penalties should ensue. Myself and other similarly situated consumers should be made whole and mercedes should take care of all expenses incurred for this repair. My vehicle failed while driving on a business interstate highway-highway 75 south in atlanta, ga. The vehicle was in motion and began to abruptly come to a stop with warning lights flashing and car disabled itself. Once disabled in the road, the gears would not move and car could not be put back into motion. The consumer declined the "goodwill" offer stating it does not exhibit goodwill.
Mercedes e500 2005 126,000 miles while travelling 40mph on city streets the car flashed a red warning message indicating "reduced braking power depress brake prdal fully". This is in relation to the sbc braking system that in the event of a failure resorts to a emergency hydraulic emergency brake back up that mercedes claims allows for adequate braking stopping distance. I would like to stress that the aforementioned statement is not true as I had to swerve on to a sidewalk to avoid an accident. Depressing the brake pedal fully is not suffice and the system loses 90% braking power with only the front axel brakes as operable. The condition and circumstances described herein are not in compliance with the fmcsa in regards to brakes being operable at all times and emergency braking situations. The red warning message cleared upon the next time the engine was engaged which is also of note. Mercedes should be advised to consider recalling cars equipped with sbc as it is a clear safety hazard.
While driving on interstate brake failure sing come with red light totake to dealer.try to stop the car but, not braking. Luckily no incedent. It had happened several times and it has only 122,000 miles. It can take my life away. It obviously the company's defect.spend enough money after maintanance. Dealers are day time robbers.company should replace the part without cost to loyal customers.there are other luxury vehicles available with compatative price.
When attempting to exit the highway, the sensotronic brake control system (sbc) failed and there were no noticeable brakes. The pedal went all the way to the floor with no resistance. Manufacturer claims that if you apply additional pressure during a failure, there will be some braking power available. In the situation though, when the pedal goes to the floor, human instinct is to immediately find an alternative way to stop the car. I was able to stop by downshifting the transmission and applying the emergency brake. Less experienced drivers may not be so lucky. Mercedes benz USA is aware of the potential for all sbc electric pumps to fail at any time causing this same situation for anyone. They are unwilling to cover the defective part because I am one year beyond the 'extended warranty.' they claim that as with any car parts, the sbc system can be expected to fail at some point. Anything beyond 10 years and they do not take responsibility for. Normally I would agree with that sentiment, but not when it concerns the primary electric system of electric brakes to fail. There should at least be a sufficient and noticeable hydraulic back up if this part is engineered to fail. Mercedes has recently extended all fuel tank related issues and components to 15 year coverage, and this would at least be a step in the right direction for the sbc system. However, I believe mercedes benz USA and the federal safety agency should mandate a recall of all vehicles equipped with sbc to be inspected yearly and replaced free of charge for the life of the vehicle. I believe it is just a matter of time before there are significant deaths or injuries due to this problem - as the affected vehicles are all about 10 years old at this point. It is a valid concern for both me as a driver of an affected vehicle, and a concern for fellow motorists and pedestrians on the road.
Takata recall.
This vehicle is equipped with sensotronic brake control that has a service threshold. When this threshold is reached the brake system defaults to non power assisted hydraulic mode to the front wheels only. This occurs without any prior warning and results in increased stopping distance. At the very least, mercedes should issue a mandatory recall to interrogate these vehicles with star das to determine how close to the service threshold the sbc unit is and replace them for free. This is a major safety issue that needs to be addressed. We are too scared to drive the vehicle because we don't know when the brakes will go into failure mode. Mercedes extended the warranty period for 10yrs which has expired. Even under that warranty period mercedes only replaced sbc units that had failed. The main issue is when the sbc unit fails you have no brakes; and replacing the sbc does not solve this because the sbc will eventually fail again in the future.
I was driving on the highway at about 55mph, and all of a sudden the brake lights came on saying reduce braking power. Car was very difficult to stop. I almost hit a guard rail.
Upon exiting a highway, a red brake failure warning and beeping noise appeared. All braking capability was absent, so I was able to safely roll to a stop. This happened twice (odometer during these incidences exceeding 120,000) and I now have a white message appearing when I start the vehicle which notes "brakes - visit workshop". The times that the brakes seized up on me I was always able to turn the car off and start up again with no message ever to appear for months at a time, which made me think it was some sort of computer error message. I had the brakes checked and the mechanic could not see anything wrong with them, so I was always sent on my way with no repair work done. I have reached my limit with this vehicle. I do not feel safe and it is unfortunate I had to experience such trauma twice. Thankfully I was able to not crash into anyone and had convenient parking lots to roll into. Please investigate this matter. It has happened to many people.
The sbc pump failed causing me to lose braking power while driving causing me coming close to having a rear end collision on the interstate
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mercedes benz e500. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the service brakes warning lights illuminated. The contact then stated that when the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to respond. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the braking system pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,000.
Have vehicle for 4 months and was unaware of mercedez benz extended 10 year warranty, before this incident. While driving approximately 30 miles per hour the instrument cluster flashed red with "decreased braking power, stop driving and visit workshop". Unfortunately, I was travelling at mid day in traffic and could not stop the car, without pressing the brake with both feet to the floor, and I still managed to blow through 2 red lights, but not kill anybody.(it took over 3 blocks to stop.) this is obviously a recall issue, as 750 tsb's have been filed against this model. If owners choose not repair this malfunction(5000 cost)...people will die,,,kids will die. Brake systems such as these have been eliminated by car makers because of the dangers. Ntsb, it is your responsibility to realize that these "dangerous" vehicles are on the road and demand mb extends the warranty until all "dangerous" cars are on the road and need repairs. These vehicles are no different than a loaded gun..just waiting to kill someone. I hope to hear some action quickly...yours truly, a guy driving a loaded weapon.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mercedes benz e500. While driving any speed, the brakes would hesitate to respond and the visit workshop brake warning light illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the sbe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v133000 (service brakes; hydraulic). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,000.
The mercedes model e class from 2003-2008 have a defective sbc unit which control the brakes on the car, this unit is prone to fail at anytime time without warning, I have researched this and it has happened to thousands of people, I will be shocked if this hasn't caused a fatality, mercedes is aware of this problem and they issued a 10 year warranty to fix this, but if the unit fails after the 10 years they will charge you over $2500 to repair something that they manufactured defective, which is insane. This is a repair that should be covered for the life of the vehicle, I guess to them, a life is only important for 10 years. Something should be done to correct this before lives are lost (or more lives are lost) because of this ludicrous error on the part of mercedes.
When attempting to exit the highway, the sensotronic brake control system (sbc) failed and there were no noticeable brakes. The pedal went all the way to the floor with no resistance. Manufacturer claims that if you apply additional pressure during a failure, there will be some braking power available. In the situation though, when the pedal goes to the floor, human instinct is to immediately find an alternative way to stop the car. I was able to stop by downshifting the transmission and applying the emergency brake. Less experienced drivers may not be so lucky. Mercedes benz USA is aware of the potential for all sbc electric pumps to fail at any time causing this same situation for anyone. They are unwilling to cover the defective part because I am 1 month beyond the 'extended warranty.' they claim that as with any car parts, the sbc system can be expected to fail at some point. Anything beyond 10 years and they do not take responsibility for. Normally I would agree with that sentiment, but not when it concerns the primary electric system of electric brakes to fail. There should at least be a sufficient and noticeable hydraulic back up if this part is engineered to fail. Mercedes has recently extended all fuel tank related issues and components to 15 year coverage, and this would at least be a step in the right direction for the sbc system. However, I believe mercedes benz USA and the federal safety agency should mandate a recall of all vehicles equipped with sbc to be inspected yearly and replaced free of charge for the life of the vehicle. I believe it is just a matter of time before there are significant deaths or injuries due to this problem - as the affected vehicles are all about 10 years old at this point. It is a valid concern for both me as a driver of an affected vehicle, and a concern for fellow motorists and pedestrians on the road.
There was an extended warranty on the sbc unit, which expired december 5, 2014. The message in my car appeared on or about december 17, 2014 of the failure of the sbc unit thereafter which I contacted the pompano florida mercedes benz dealership regarding the issue. Although I was advised that the warranty expired december 5, 2014, I was concerned about the safety of the vehicle and therefore took my car in to the dealership saturday, december 20, 2014. At that time, the service manager advised me that the part was out of warranty and that I would be responsible to replace the unit. I had to bring up the warranty to the dealership, this information was not volunteered to me. I was advised that it was unsafe to drive the car as the unit controlling the brake system was broken and there was no control over the brakes, which could fail at any moment. I asked [xxx] (the service manager) to explain to me how mercedes benz would extend the warranty on this particular part that controls the brakes that was clearly a safety issue and no notification was provided regarding this? The response I received from him and mercedes benz USA was that this was not a safety issue, just a warranty extension on the part. You can see how ridiculous this sounds to any human being. I have owned this vehicle for 5 years now and the previous owners were my parents who bought it new from the annapolis, maryland mercedes benz dealership.neither one of us ever received any notice regarding this extended warranty. I have also taken my car multiple times to the pompano florida mercedes benz dealership and this issue was never brought to my attention.this is clearly a safety issue and they need to take responsibility. I ended up paying $1060 after fighting with them on paying the full price. Mercedes benz needs to take care of this before people die. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
The brakes failed when pressure was applied to brake pedal, there was only 20% of brake power.
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mercedes benz e500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the brakes failed and the ABS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000. The VIN was unavailable.
I was exiting the freeway, pressing on the brakes. The car pulled very aggressively to the left, I got a warning light on the instrument panel flashing red that said there was a brakes issue. I pulled over to the side of the road, turned the car off and back on and was able to drive it normally with no error displaying on the instrument panel. I took it to the dealer for service, they said without a fault code in the system, there was nothing they could do about it and that I would have to wait for it to fully fail before they could address it. I'm scared of this car now, I don't dare drive it. Something needs to be done about this, any other system fine, but brakes? This should be a no brainer. The federal safety agency, please help us.
12/31/2014 hi, customer care / technical adviser, mb USA. I am unable to contact and discuss with any customer care or technical care adviser today. Mercedes benz, e-500, 2005, v8, 4 door sedan yesterday, 12/30/2014 between 9:30 to 10:30 am, we both (me and my wife, [xxx]) were in the car luckily we had taken an exit from the highway 404 north in york region, ontario, canada when without any warning the brake failure sign showed up with red warning light. I couldn't control the car since brake were totally ineffective and failed. It was a horrifying experience which has left us indignant, I am not comfortable driving my car now even repaired by mb, ontario, canada, now my car is in mb newmarket location on mullock street, ontario, canada. They told me that the whole brake module is bad and you have to replace before driving and the cost is almost 3000/= canadian dollars. I am lodging this complaint against mb USA now in regards to safety issue, god saved us but we are still in shocked and mentally upset and scared driving mb cars for now. I also have gl 450, 2008 , I don't know what to do. Please call me and discuss this important safety issue with asap. I am also filling a civil law suite against mb USA in regards to this important safety issue, which left us completely shocked, mentally upset and an emotional stress. Thanks note: I faxed this letter to my state farm insurance company today 12/31/2014 and I am requesting my state farm insurance, morgantown, wv's lawyers to lodge this incident with the federal safety agency and also civil law suit against mb USA in regards to safety issue. *js 'information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mercedes benz e500. The contact stated that all the lights on the instrument panel illuminated and the message board displayed reduce braking power. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the hydraulic brake pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000. Updated 02/25/15.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mercedes benz e500. While driving at an unknown speed, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle and the brake indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer stated that the sbc was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
The sbc sensonic brake control on my 2005 mercedes was faulty and according to recall website on this vehicle this is a recall part reported to nhts. Recall # 2005070007 and 2005110001 the dealership refuse to replace the faulty part for free. This is supposed to be a recall part. I purchased the car used from the dealer march 2013 but they did not tell me about this issue, after I asked them if any recall on 2005 mercedes. The service mgr said its a warranty issue, to my knowledge recall does not expire. And is not the same as warranty.
I took my car in on july 14, 2014 after receiving a brake repair alert on my dashboard 1 day earlier. The dealer, jack ingram mercedes, ran a diagnostic & reported the brake pressure reservoir needed replacing. I got the estimate, picked the car up & took it to another shop for a second opinion. July 16, 2014 I returned to jack ingram mercedes & requested another diagnostic. The repairman told us the brake pressure reservoir needed replacing & he flushed the brake fluid. We agreed to these repairs which cost $1767. The day we were expecting to pick up the car, 2 weeks later, the repairman called stating the brake pump failed & it would now cost an additional $2000 because the car was driven from the lot on july 14, at which time the brake pump was still good, therefore they would not honor the 10 year unlimited mileage warranty on the sbc pump. The service manager changed the story several times in an effort to make this my fault, however the car is & has remained in their possession since the 2nd diagnostic was run on july 16 at which time we were told only the brake pressure reservoir had failed. She stated they replaced the reservoir only to find that they had to replace it with a 2nd new reservoir because the 1st was apparently faulty & that's when they discovered the pump was bad. I don't understand how this is my fault. The pump went bad while in their possession after they replaced the reservoir 2 times. She also refused to give us a printout of the diagnostic report, probably because the report would show the date they found the pump failed proving it was in their possession. I do, however, have a copy of the diagnostic from july 14 & july 16 on which neither shows a sbc pump unit failure. I am ashamed because there are at least 4 people that I know who have bought a mercedes because of my recommendation. I only hope they don't have the same problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mercedes benz e500. The contact was driving approximately 30 MPH and applied the brakes however, the brakes malfunctioned and caused the contact to momentarily lose control of the vehicle. The braking power reduced warning light illuminated after the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic but the failure could not be duplicated and no repairs were performed. The vehicle was later taken to an authorized dealer, who advised that the sbc hydraulic pump would need to be replaced. The contact was informed that the manufacturer was aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,981. Updated 01/23/2014 *bf according to the invoice, both front brake hoses were dry rotted and cracked, the left outer axle boot was torn and leaking, the serpentine engine belt was badly worn, and was splitting down the middle. The engine cover gaskets were leaking oil, the driver's sun visor was damaged and would not fold up properly, the transmission pilot bushing was leaking transmission oil into the vehicle harness. Updated 03/18/14 ..updated 03/18/14 *bf
Driver applied brakes going downhill in preparation to stop at an intersection. Red brake light appeared on dash and brake pedal went completely to the floor without slowing down. Driver veered off road to avoid accident and fully applied parking brake. Car was parked and turned off. When car was turned back on again, red light in dash was gone, no warnings existed, and brakes worked perfectly. Was taken to a shop and no problem was found. Same situation occurred again november 2013 with 115,000 miles (approximately). Slowly drove vehicle to repair shop. Reputable mercedes specialty mechanic found codes that said sbc had issues, but codes were cleared in order to do other diagnostics. Since mechanic was not a dealer, he suggested car be taken to dealer for "extended warranty repair" since this known issue was never established as a recall. Skyland automotive in asheville, nc stated nothing was wrong with the car and would not provide documentation stating brake are ok, but did charge $89 to look for codes which did not exists. We asked to be contacted by a mercedes rep to review our case, but were denied and told this would not be a problem if we had maintenance done at skyland. At this time, the brakes are working again as they have done before. If the brakes go out again and the car and occupants are not damaged, the theory is there will be a fault code such that the dealer knows what to replace. The extended warranty is set to expire in 3 months. After that time, the cost to repair will be approximately $1800. Loss of brakes at random, in my opinion, deserves to be repaired before someone gets killed. Dealership was clearly informed that the backup hydraulic brake system did not work in either of these cases and to stop the car required the use of the parking brake!
After picking up the kids from the neighborhood school and driving home it happened, as I approached a stop sign and depressed the brake pedal it went all the way to the floor with no resistance and no stopping power, red lights came on the the dash telling me I had a brake failure and braking power is reduced!. What a scary moment! I was able to let the car roll to a stop safely. After turning the car off and then on again all braking power was restored and was once again functional. Took the car into a mercedes benz dealer the next day and was told the entire brake operating unit needs to be replaced at a cost of $2,200.00. I find this very hard to accept that the brake system on a properly maintained vehicle can suddenly fail without warning and resets itself after a restart. The dealer offered no other explanation, but things happen.
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mercedes benz e500. While driving approximately 15 MPH when the contact attempted to slow down; the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. The brake light illuminated after the failure occurred. He was able to shift into neutral gear in order to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test that located the failure to the brake hydraulic system. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer replaced the service brake system hydraulic unit. The federal safety agency campaign id number 05v133000, service brakes hydraulic was performed in 2006; yet, the repair did not correct the failure. The failure mileage was 68,056 and the current mileage was 69,000.
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