NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE03-006: POWER STEERING HOSE ASSEMBLY LEAKAGE

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE03-006 on February 13, 2003 and closed it on April 4, 2003. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1999–2001 Mercedes Benz ML320 for it and links recall 03V-121 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE03-006 (also written PE03006)
Investigation type: Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status: Closed April 4, 2003
Opened: February 13, 2003
Closed: April 4, 2003
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
Components: Steering — Hydraulic Power Assist — Hose, Piping, and Connections; Steering — Hydraulic Power Assist — Power Steering Fluid
Recall linked by NHTSA: 03V-121: MERCEDES-BENZ/POWER STEERING HOSE CLAMP, reported March 27, 2003
Vehicles and equipment: 1999–2001 Mercedes Benz ML320

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-006.

THE HOSE CLAMP USED TO SECURE THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLING HOSE TO THE STEERING FLUID COOLER MAY NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CLAMPING FORCE FOR THE CONNECTION.THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID MAY RESULT IN GRADUAL REDUCTION IN POWER STEERING ASSIST (I.E., INCREASED STEERING EFFORT) OVER TIME, WITH POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN A FEW INCIDENTS OF HOSE SEPARATION FROM THE FITTING, THAT HAVE RESULTED IN MORE RAPID REDUCTIONS OF POWER STEERING.TESTING CONDUCTED BY MERCEDES-BENZ INDICATES THAT THE LEAKED FLUID IS NOT LIKELY TO BE EXPOSED TO HOT ENGINE COMPONENTS.THERE ARE NO KNOWN ALLEGATIONS THAT THE DEFECT CONDITION HAS CAUSED A VEHICLE FIRE. MERCEDES-BENZ WILL CONDUCT A VOLUNTARY RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR THE SUBJECT M-CLASS VEHICLES.MERCEDES-BENZ WILL INSTALL A NEW HOSE CLAMP ON THE POWER STEERING HOSE TO THE POWER STEERING COOLER OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.DURING CLAMP REPLACEMENT, THE POWER STEERING COOLING HOSE WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED AS NECESSARY.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-006. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.

Mercedes Benz

Mercedes Benz ML320
- 1999, 2000, 2001

All Mercedes Benz recalls

What an NHTSA investigation is

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.

An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Mercedes Benz VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE03-006

Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.