Mercedes is recalling close to one million cars around the world, some of them almost 20 years old, to fix a potential braking problem.
The affected models are the M-Class and GL-Class SUVs, and the weird genre-busting R-Class MPV built between 2004 and 2015, meaning many of the vehicles in question will be making their first trip to an official Mercedes dealer for over a decade.
Mercedes says it has identified a potential problem with the brake boosters fitted to those vehicles and is recalling a whopping 994,407 of the SUVs immediately. If the story sounds familiar it’s because we reported in May that more than 320,000 Mercedes SUVs and MPVs were being recalled in North America of the same issue. Now the recall has gone global.
The problem relates to a sleeve surrounding the brake booster, which may trap moisture, and eventually, the presence of that moisture can corrode the brake booster. That might lead to longer stopping distances, or, in extreme cases, a loss of braking power.
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“It might be possible for a particularly strong or hard braking manoeuvre to cause mechanical damage to the brake booster,” Mercedes said in a statement.
Although the parking brake works on mechanical, rather than hydraulic, components and is unaffected by the problem, we don’t fancy our chances of trying to stop a 5,000 lbs (2,270 kg) SUV using that alone, and neither does Mercedes.
“In such a very rare case, it would not be possible to decelerate the vehicle via the service brake. Thus the risk of a crash or injury would be increased,” it added, going on to explain that vehicles would be inspected at dealerships for signs of corrosion and any faulty components replaced free of charge.