— A Mercedes brake booster recall was followed by a class action lawsuit which alleges defective brake booster housings can cause complete brake failure.
The lawsuit was filed by Washington plaintiff Seyyed Javad Maadanian who owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML 350.
The Mercedes-Benz brake booster class action lawsuit includes:
"All Persons in the United States who purchased or leased ML-Class, GL-Class and R-Class Mercedes vehicles produced from 2006 through 2012."
The Mercedes brake booster can suffer from corrosion and cause brake problems, including the possibility of total brake failure.
According to the class action, the brake booster can corrode when moisture collects under the rubber sleeve installed for aesthetic reasons around the booster housing.
Mercedes Brake Booster Recall
A Mercedes-Benz brake booster recall was announced in May 2022 for more than 292,000 vehicles in the U.S.
The recall involved these vehicles.
- 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL320BTC
- 2007-2008 Mercedes-Benz GL320CDI
- 2010-2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350BTC
- 2007-2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450
- 2008-2012 Mercedes-Benz GL550
- 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320BTC
- 2007-2008 Mercedes-Benz ML320CDI
- 2006-2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350
- 2010-2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350BTC
- 2010-2011 Mercedes-Benz ML450H
- 2006-2007 Mercedes-Benz ML500
- 2008-2011 Mercedes-Benz ML550
- 2007-2011 Mercedes-Benz AMG ML63
- 2009 Mercedes-Benz R320BTC
- 2007-2008 Mercedes-Benz R320CDI
- 2006-2012 Mercedes-Benz R350
- 2010-2012 Mercedes-Benz R350BTC
- 2006-2007 Mercedes-Benz R500
- 2008 Mercedes-Benz R550
- 2007 Mercedes-Benz AMG R63
Vehicle owners were warned to park and not drive their vehicles until they were repaired due to the risk of brake failures. Mercedes said corrosion could cause the brake booster to leak and reduce braking performance.
"Additionally, in rare cases of very severe corrosion, a particularly strong or hard braking maneuver could cause mechanical damage in the brake booster, whereby the connection between the brake pedal and brake system would fail. In such a rare case, it would not be possible to slow or stop the vehicle via the service brake." — Mercedes-Benz brake booster recall
Mercedes didn't know of any crashes or injuries when the brake booster recall was announced, but owners would still need to keep the vehicles parked until repaired.
Dealers were told to remove the brake booster rubber sleeves and inspect the brake booster housings, and nothing more would be done if "advanced corrosion" was not discovered.
The dealer would perform a brake booster test if advanced corrosion was found and the booster would be replaced if it didn't pass the test.
If the brake booster passed the test, the customer was told to return to the dealer in two years for additional repairs.
The plaintiff's vehicle was affected by the recall and he quickly parked it until it could be repaired. He asked his Mercedes dealership for a loaner vehicle or to be reimbursed for a rental vehicle. He was denied. In addition, the plaintiff asked Mercedes to tow his vehicle to the dealer or to be reimbursed for a tow, but again Mercedes denied his requests.
According to the brake booster lawsuit, owners of the recalled vehicles did not receive the benefits of their bargains when they purchased or leased the Mercedes vehicles.
The class action also alleges a vehicle that cannot safely brake is not dependable and is worth less on the resale market.
Certain claims have been dismissed, including claims the automaker fraudulently concealed the brake booster problems.
The Mercedes-Benz brake booster recall lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle: Seyyed Javad Maadanian v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
The plaintiff is represented by Emery | Reddy, PLLC.
