2004 Mercedes Benz CL215

Defect. MERCEDES BENZ IS RECALLING 4,564 MY 2001-2006 CL-CLASS (MODEL 215), MY 2002-2006 S-CLASS (MODEL 220), MY 2003-2007 SL-CLASS (MODEL 230), MY 2007-2008 CL-CLASS (MODEL 216), AND MY 2007 S-CLASS (MODEL 221)PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ACTIVE BODY CONTROL (ABC) ACCELERATION SENSORS ON THE FRONT STRUTS. THESE SENSORS MEASURE ACCELERATION AROUND THE Z-AXIS OF THE VEHICLE AND ASSURE AN AUTOMATIC ADAPTATION OF THE FRONT STRUTS TO MAINTAIN A RELATIVELY LEVEL BODY POSITION. VARIATIONS IN THE SOLDERING PROCESS RESULTED IN SOLDERING POINTS ON THE BOARD OF THE ABC SENSORS WHICH MAY NOT BE WITHIN DESIGN TOLERANCES. SIGNALS FROM THE AFFECTED SENSORS MEASURING THE ACCELERATION MAY NOT BE ACCURATELY TRANSMITTED TO THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT.

Risk. A VARIATION IN THE TRANSMITTED VALUES BETWEEN AFFECTED AND UNAFFECTED SENSORS CAN RESULT IN ONE FRONT STRUT ADJUSTING TO A VALUE INDICATING BODY MOVEMENT WHILE ANOTHER STRUT DOES NOT ADJUST PRESENTING THE DRIVER WITH AN UNEVEN FRONT SUSPENSION. THIS CONDITION MAY LEAD TO UNEXPECTED BODY MOVEMENTS AT THE FRONT AXLE WHICH CAN ADVERSELY INFLUENCE THE VEHICLE'S DIRECTIONAL STABILITY AND COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE, IF NECESSARY, THE FRONT ABC SENSORS IN ALL POTENTIALLY AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.

I HAVE A 2004 CL 500 MERCEDES. I HAVE NOTICED THAT I HAVE HAD A DEAD SPOT IN THE THROTTLE RESPONSE. I FIRST THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS HOW I HAD MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL BUT I FIGURED OUT THAT WASN'T IT. I DID NOTICE THAT SOMETIMES THE CAR JUST WONT GO THEN LURCHES I ALMOST HIT SOMEONE IN THE POST OFFICE PARKING LOT. NO RESPONSE THEN IT JUMPED FORWARD. LAST SUNDAY, I WENT TOO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND NO THROTTLE RESPONSE AT ALL. I FLOORED THE PEDAL,THE ENGINE REVVED REALLY HARD BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE, EXCEPT AT A SLOW PACE, I WAS ALMOST HIT BY TWO OTHER CARS THAT HAD STARTED TO APPROACH AND THEY BOTH HAD TO SKID TO A STOP TO AVOID HITTING ME. THE CAR MOVED VERY SLOWLY UNTIL I WAS OUT OF THE INTERSECTION, WHERE I PULLED OVER TO LET MY HEART STOP BEATING OUT OF MY CHEST. I THEN STARTED HOME AND I HAD TO FLOOR IT TO GET THE 1.5 MILES TO MY HOUSE..THIS CAR ONLY HAS 49K MILES AND COST 139,000.00 NEW. I JUST SOLD A JAGUAR 2003 XJR AND IT HAD 85K MILES ON IT AND IT HAD A 5 SPEED MERCEDES TRANS IN IT AND I NEVER HAD ONE DAYS TROUBLE WITH IT. I ALSO HAD THE SAME CAR FROM A FEW YEARS BEFORE WITH THE 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION AND IT NEVER GAVE ME A MINUTES TROUBLE. I WENT BACK TO MY CAR ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER AND THE CAR WAS FINE. MONDAY MORNING I TOOK IT TOO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE VALVE BODY. IT WILL COST ME 2,200.00 ON A 49K MILE CAR. HE TOLD ME THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ALOT ON THESE 7 SPEED TRANSMISSIONS (IN LATE 2003 AS A 2004 MODEL, MERCEDES INTRODUCED THE NEW 7 SPEED TRANSMISS