Investigations
Driver Air Bag Circuit High Resistance
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE10017 — closed, opened 2010-05-14 and involving the MERCEDES-BENZ.
Vehicle: MERCEDES-BENZ
NHTSA investigation PE10017 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2010-05-14 and currently closed. The subject of record is MERCEDES-BENZ, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for MERCEDES-BENZ. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2010-11-24 — NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE10017 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has reported a high number of warranty claims for air bag warning lamp illumination due to a diagnostic fault code 9103 or 9123 indicating a high resistance in the driver's frontal air bag firin..." 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. Related MERCEDES-BENZ files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has reported a high number of warranty claims for air bag warning lamp illumination due to a diagnostic fault code 9103 or 9123 indicating a high resistance in the driver's frontal air bag firing circuit. MBUSA's testing and evaluation have shown that this condition is the result of a faulty connector (specifically, improper wire crimp) but that it will not prevent proper deployment of the driver's frontal air bag. The faulty connector can cause the air bag circuit resistance levels to exceed the threshold that illuminates the air bag warning lamp, but they do not exceed a higher limit at which proper deployment of the air bag may no longer occur. The agency believes that further expenditure of agency resources does not appear to be warranted at this time. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists. The agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances. During the investigation, ODI learned that MBUSA will initiate a warranty extension program to address the faulty connectors in subject model year 2005 and 2006 E-Class and other MBUSA model/model year vehicles. This action will extend the warranty coverage for this issue to 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first. MBUSA will notify all affected vehicle owners of this action. A bulletin describing this program is available in the investigative file.
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
Other MERCEDES-BENZ Investigations
Malfunction Indicator Light / No-Start
C300 Wrist-pin allegation
Vehicle Rolls Away While in Park
Front Roof Panel Detachment
Rear brake line failure
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. Learn more.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.