- Vehicles
- 69,278
- Built between
- Nov 1996 – Apr 2004
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 12 September 2006
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 1996 and April 2004. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1998-2004 Mercedes-Benz SLKBuilt November 1996 to April 2004
What the defect is
On certain passenger vehicles, failure of one of the side brake lights can occur. The base of the socket can be subject to thermal deformation over time.
What could happen
This deformation can cause movement in the socket-to-bulb connection, which could lead to a loosening of the electrical contacts in the socket, and failure of the bulb to illuminate.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR LAMP MODULES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2006, TO APPROXIMATELY 8,200 OWNERS. PHASE II MAILING IS SCHEDULE ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 3, 2006, AND PHASE III MAILING IS SCHEDULE FOR JANUARY 2007 FOR THE REMAINING OWNERS. OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH THE UPDATED TRIM (POST-FACE LIFT) WILL GET AN INTERIM NOTICE DURING NOVEMBER 2006, ASKING THEM TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR REAR TAIL LAMP REPLACEMENT LATER IN 2007. HOWEVER, IF THEY EXPERIENCE AN ACTUAL REAR LAMP FAILURE BEFORE THEY RECEIVE THAT NOTICE, THEY SHOULD COME TO THEIR DEALER IMMEDIATELY FOR A FREE REPAIR.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 1996 to April 2004
- Recall reported to NHTSA1 November 2005
- Owners notified12 September 2006
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 1 November 2005.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact mercedes-benz at 1-800-367-6372.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 2006080005
- Recalling manufacturer
- MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC.
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Mercedes-benz recall no. 2006080005.CUSTOMERS may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.