Mercedes Recall: M-Class SUV Cruise Control Gets Stuck
Mercedes-Benz is recalling almost 137,000 of its M-Class sport utility vehicles because tapping the brake may not disengage the cruise control.
Mercedes says the recall covers the 2000–02 M-Class and the 2000–04 M-Class AMG, a high-performance model, according to a document published Tuesday on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The automaker told N.H.T.S.A. that it had found a problem with the brake-lamp switch; applying the brakes doesn’t send the electronic signal needed to disengage the cruise control, The New York Times reports.
Mercedes did say there were other ways to disengage the system. One is to use the cruise-control stalk. The system is also designed to disengage below 25 m.p.h. Finally, harder braking will turn off the system. The Times reports that Mercedes defines harder braking as “comparable to that used when approaching a traffic light.” It doesn’t say whether one is approaching the traffic light at 50 m.p.h. or 15 m.p.h.
Some 136,751 vehicles will be recalled in the United States, said Mercedes-Benz representatives.
No crashes or injuries have resulted from the issue, said Mercedes-Benz USA spokesman Rob Moran.
Mercedes described the recall as voluntary, but under federal regulations once a manufacturer is aware of a safety problem it has no choice but to announce a recall, which must be done within five business days, the Times reports.
A Mercedes dealership will repair the cruise control.
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