Mercedes-Benz Recalls 680,000 Cars for Sensotronic Braking System

M-Bs Largest Ever Recall is Another Embarrassment in a Long Line of Recent Problems

Embarrassing? No doubt Mercedes-Benz is hardly happy about its latest recall, involving a total of 680,000 units equipped with the German brands highly-touted Sensotronic advanced braking system.

Not only is this the largest product recall in the automakers storied history, but the brake-by-wire technology has been sold as revolutionary, reinventing the way cars brake. The system that was to be failsafe now shows tendencies to merely fail. Whats the problem? The systems hydraulic tank can develop bubbles that make brake failure possible, stated the automaker in a service bulletin.

It seems that the more a car is driven the more likely the problem will occur, or at least the fact that most complaints came from drivers of high-use vehicles, such as E-Class taxis, makes this seem the case.

Mercedes isnt entirely responsible for the new Sensotronic braking system, however, with the development work and manufacture done by Bosch. The system took 6 years and $150 million to create, and includes a variety of sensors and chips plus a high-pressure hydraulic reservoir to put the binders on. The sophisticated setup electronically varies brake force at each wheel, while microchips annotate vehicle speed and direction as soon as the drivers foot releases the throttle. Once the brake pedal is depressed, braking force is initially applied with more strength to the front outer wheel and then to the rear inner wheel, all within milliseconds of course.

Mercedes-Benz will continue selling E-Class, SL-Class, Maybach, and SLR McLaren models equipped with Sensotronic brakes, stated Johannes Reifenrath, a spokesman for the automaker, and wont be giving up on the technology just because of a single setback. Just the same the brand is not closing its eyes to other less expensive options, as Sensotronic is extremely pricey.

So how much will this latest problem cost the three-pointed star brand? A cool $30 million, according to Reifenrath. The rub is this latest recall has come at a time when Mercedes is recommitting to zero tolerance with regards to quality glitches. Obviously we will have to wait some time to see the results of its most recent commitment to top-tier reliability.