Investigations
BRAKE LINE CHAFE
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA08009 - closed, opened 2008-04-28.
NHTSA investigation EA08009 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2008-04-28 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2009-12-16 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
An Engineering Analysis like EA08009 is the deeper technical phase that follows a PE. NHTSA requests design, warranty, and field-failure data from the manufacturer, conducts its own testing when needed, and determines whether the evidence supports a safety defect finding that would compel a recall.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS TO ODI AND MERCEDES AND WARRANTY CLAIM DATA SUBMITTED BY MERCEDES INDICATES THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAS OCCURRED AT A LOW RATE (36.5 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES AND 0.29 PERCENT WARRANTY CLAIM..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS TO ODI AND MERCEDES AND WARRANTY CLAIM DATA SUBMITTED BY MERCEDES INDICATES THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAS OCCURRED AT A LOW RATE (36.5 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES AND 0.29 PERCENT WARRANTY CLAIM RATE), WITH NO DISCERNABLE DEFECT TREND INDICATING THAT THE RATE OF CHAFING RELATED BRAKE LINE FAILURES IS INCREASING. THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW COMPLAINTS SINCE JANUARY 2009. WHEN THE ANALYSIS IS LIMITED TO INCIDENTS OF BRAKE LINE LEAKAGE THAT RESULTED IN ALLEGATIONS OF REDUCED BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS, THE RATE DROPS EVEN FURTHER (22.3 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES AND 0.04 PERCENT WARRANTY CLAIM RATE). MERCEDES PROVIDED DATA SHOWING THAT IN THE RARE INSTANCES WHEN CHAFING DID PROGRESS TO BRAKE LINE LEAKAGE THE DRIVER WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY ALERTED TO A PROBLEM BY ILLUMINATION OF THE BRIGHT YELLOW "ESP/BAS" WARNING LAMP AND CHANGES IN BRAKE PEDAL FEEL. CONTINUED OPERATION WITH A LEAKING BRAKE LINE WOULD RESULT IN ILLUMINATION OF THE BRIGHT RED "BRAKE" WARNING LAMP AND AN AUDIBLE CHIME DUE TO LOW MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR LEVEL. CONTINUED OPERATION WITH THE BRAKE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED WOULD ULTIMATELY DRAIN THE RESERVOIR FOR THE AFFECTED CIRCUIT, RESULTING IN LOSS OF THE CIRCUIT AND AN APPROXIMATELY 80% INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCES. SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY ODI AND VRTC INDICATE THAT ROUTING ANOMALIES MAY BE MORE COMMON THAN THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA SUGGEST FOR THE SUBJECT LINE BUNDLE, WITH LINE CONTACT OR OTHER ROUTING ANOMALY NOTED IN 13 OF 51 VEHICLES SURVEYED BY ODI AND VRTC (25.5%). WHILE EVIDENCE OF CONTACT BETWEEN THE FUEL LINE AND SUBJECT BRAKE IN A PARTICULAR VEHICLE IS NOT NECESSARILY PREDICTIVE OF EVENTUAL LINE FAILURE/LEAKAGE, SIGNIFICANT CHAFING WEAR WAS NOTED IN TWO SURVEY VEHICLES (3.9%). TO ADDRESS CONCERNS WITH LINE ROUTING AND ENSURE THAT LINES WITH EVIDENT CHAFING DO NOT PROGRESS TO A LEAK CONDITION, MERCEDES WILL CONDUCT AN OWNER NOTIFICATION PROGRAM INSTRUCTING OWNERS TO BRING THE VEHICLES TO A DEALER FOR A FREE INSPECTION AND R
About This Investigation Type
An Engineering Analysis (EA) is the in-depth phase following a Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA engineers conduct testing, collect data from manufacturers, and perform detailed technical analysis to determine whether a safety defect exists. An EA may lead to a voluntary recall by the manufacturer or, in rare cases, a mandatory recall order.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.