NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE08-002: BRAKE LINE RUPTURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE08-002 on January 10, 2008 and closed it on April 28, 2008, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA08-009, which this investigation's summary cites. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Mercedes Benz ML55 and ML500 for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE08-002 (also written PE08002)
- 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 28, 2008
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
- Components
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Foundation Components — Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
- Vehicles and equipment
- Mercedes Benz ML55 and ML500
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-002.
MERCEDES-BENZ'S RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER FOR PE08-002 INDICATED THAT THE SUBJECT FUEL/BRAKE LINE BUNDLE (PART NO. A1634201526) WAS USED WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM MODEL YEAR 1998 THROUGH 2002 ON ALL M-CLASS LIGHT TRUCK VEHICLES.MERCEDES FURTHER INDICATED THAT IN 2002 A PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED IN PRODUCTION THAT COULD CAUSE UNWANTED CONTACT BETWEEN THE FUEL AND BRAKE LINES.IN MAY 2002, A PRODUCTION ACTION WAS AUTHORIZED AS A RESULT OF POST-PRODUCTION INSPECTIONS OF VEHICLES EXHIBITING CONTACT BETWEEN THE FUEL AND BRAKE LINES.THE ACTION AUTHORIZED THE USE OF ADDITIONAL PLASTIC SPACER CLIPS TO ELIMINATE SUCH CONTACT.MERCEDES HAS INDICATED THAT CONTACT BETWEEN THE LINES IS MORE LIKELY IN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH V-8 ENGINES DUE TO LESS FREE SPACE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ODIHAS RECEIVED ONE COMPLAINT FROM THE OWNER OF A MY2001 ML430 THAT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH BECAUSE OF SUDDEN LOSE OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS. INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE CRASH SHOWED THAT THE LOSS OF BRAKING WAS THE DIRECT RESULT OF CHAFFING OF THE FUEL LINE ON THE BRAKE LINE THAT CAUSED THE SUDDEN LOSE OF BRAKE LINE PRESSURE WHEN COMING TO A NORMAL TRAFFIC STOP.THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA08-009) TO FURTHER ASSESS THE SCOPE, FREQUENCY AND POTENTIAL SAFETY CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE RUPTURE OF THE FUEL LINE/BRAKE LINE BECAUSE OF CHAFFING IN ALL MERCEDES M-CLASS VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH V-8 ENGINES.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-002. 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
All Mercedes Benz recallsWhat 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 PE08-002
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.