1992 Mercedes Benz 124

Defect. DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Risk. DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.

Defect. THE FRONT PASSENGER METAL FOOT REST CAN, OVER TIME, ABRADE THROUGH THE WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE FOOT REST CAUSING THE WIRING HARNESS TO SHORT CIRCUIT.

Risk. A SHORT CIRCUIT CAN CAUSE THE WIRES TO OVERHEAT, STALL THE ENGINE, OR INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY AN AIRBAG, ANY OF THESE INCREASES THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL WIRING HARNESS CABLE FASTENER TIES AND EDGE PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR SHARP EDGES OF THE METAL FOOT REST.

Defect. DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DO NOT MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 208.

Risk. SEAT OCCUPANTS RELYING ON THE INSTALLED AIRBAG WOULD NOTBE PROTECTED IN THE SAME MANNER AS THAT OF FMVSS 208 COMPLIANT AIRBAG, ANDCOULD HAVE AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY IN AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy. REPLACE THE AIRBAGS WITH AIRBAGS THAT COMPLY WITH FMVSS 208.

DRIVER'S POWER SEAT MOVES UNEXPECTEDLY, WITHOUT DRIVER TOUCHING THE SEAT CONTROL BUTTONS. SEAT HAS FEATURE TO PLACE SEAT IN A "MEMORIZED" POSITION UPON DEMAND. SOMETIMES THE SEAT MOVES FORWARD, SOMETIMES BACK, SOMETIMES IN A ROCKING MOTION. APPROXIMATELY 20-30 SUCH INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED. TWICE, THE SEAT MOVED ALL THE WAY FORWARD ON ITS TRACK, CROWDING ME UP TO THE DASH AND MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MOVE MY FEET. BEHAVIOR BEGAN THIS SUMMER AND SEEMS MOST LIKELY WHEN THE CAR INTERIOR IS HOT, FROM SITTING IN THE SUN. MOST INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF STARTING THE CAR ON A HOT DAY WHEN THE INTERIOR WAS HOT AT THE START. AT LEAST ONE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN FOR APPROXIMATELY 20-25 MINUTES WITH AIR CONDITIONING ON, AND INTERIOR HAD COOLED SOMEWHAT. (WEATHER HAS BEEN MOSTLY VERY HOT SINCE BEHAVIOR BEGAN, SO TEMPERATURE MAY BE A COINCIDENCE.) IN SOME INSTANCES, THE CONTROL SWITCHES CAN OVERRIDE THE SEAT MOTION, SOMETIMES THEY COULD NOT. USUALLY THE CONTROL SWITCH IS INOPERATIVE FOR SOME MINUTES AFTER AN INCIDENT. IN THE MOST SERIOUS INCIDENT, THE SEAT MOVED ALL THE WAY FORWARD, THE SEAT SWITCH COULD NOT STOP IT, AND THE SEAT CONTROLS REMAINED INOPERABLE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE CONTROL SWITCH WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THE OWNER ATTEMPTED A REPAIR BY REPLACING THE SEAT CONTROL MODULE BENEATH THE SEAT. (THE MODULE STORES THE SEAT POSITION FOR RECALL BY THE MEMORY SWITCHES, AND IS THE I