Mercedes-Benz Parking Brake: Mechanical

Mercedes Benz is recalling about 96,541 vehicles over a problem with the parking brake. If the vehicle is not properly parked with thetransmission in the correct position, and if the vehicle is parked on a grade,reduction in parking brake force could lead to unintentional rollaway and anaccident.

Campaign
91V137000
Manufacturer
MERCEDES-BENZ USA, INC.
Reported
20 August 1991
Vehicles
96,541
Built between
Aug 1983 – Dec 1987
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
NHTSA investigation
Owners notified
10 October 1991
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between August 1983 and December 1987. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1984-1988 Mercedes-Benz 190Built August 1983 to December 1987

What the defect is

The design of the parking brake grip makes it possible to distort the grip and pinch the brake release knob. If the release knob sticks in a partial engage/release position because of the pinched grip, it is possible for the lever to release unintentionally with a corresponding reduction in parking brake force.

What could happen

If the vehicle is not properly parked with thetransmission in the correct position, and if the vehicle is parked on a grade,reduction in parking brake force could lead to unintentional rollaway and anaccident.

What gets fixed

REPLACE THE PARKING BRAKE GRIP WITH A NEW GRIP TYPE.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtAugust 1983 to December 1987
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA20 August 1991
  3. Owners notified10 October 1991

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 20 August 1991.

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.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
MERCEDES-BENZ USA, INC.
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

System: parking brake.vehicle description: passenger cars.

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