Mercedes-Benz Electrical System: Wiring

Mercedes-Benz is recalling about 223 vehicles over a problem with the electrical system. In this situation, without the backup power supply, the only way to keep the vehicle from moving is to press the brake pedal.

Campaign
16V211000
Manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
Reported
13 April 2016
Vehicles
223
Built between
Jun 2015 – Jul 2015
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
9 May 2016
Repaired
92%
Unrepaired
17

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between June 2015 and July 2015. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2016 Mercedes-Benz SLK300Built June 2015 to July 2015

Repair progress

17 of 223 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2017.

92% repaired — 206 of 223 reported

Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.

What the defect is

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2016 SLK300 vehicles manufactured June 2, 2015 to July 14, 2015 and equipped with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The backup power supply for the ignition switch in the affected vehicles may not have been properly connected. As a result, if the vehicle is being driven and there is a loss of power from the main vehicle battery, the transmission cannot be shifted to "Park" nor can the electric parking brake be applied.

What could happen

In this situation, without the backup power supply, the only way to keep the vehicle from moving is to press the brake pedal. As soon as the driver attempts to exit the vehicle, the vehicle may roll, increasing the risk of injury.

What gets fixed

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will correct the ignition switch wiring and perform a software update, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2016.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJune 2015 to July 2015
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA13 April 2016
  3. Owners notified9 May 2016
  4. Latest repair reportQ3 2017 — 92% repaired

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 13 April 2016.

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 MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
Recall initiated by
MFR

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

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to 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.

Same component

Same brand