According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Mercedes-Benz USA will be recalling 136,751 potentially affected M-Class and M-Class AMG vehicles in September of this year due to a defective cruise control system that may not automatically deactivate during braking.
The recall, which includes model year 2000-2002 M-Class and model year 2000-2004 M-class AMG vehicles, is issued out of the concern that the defective cruise control system may increase the risk of a San Jose car accident.
The cruise control system in the affected vehicles can be disengaged by pumping the brake pedal, using the cruise control stalk, or braking hard enough to reach the desired deceleration rate. However, under certain circumstances, braking may not automatically deactivate the cruise control, which in turn, may result in unsafe road speeds. Involuntarily driving faster when intending to slow down increases the risk of a car accident, especially a rear-end collision.
Although there are other fully operational means that can deactivate the cruise control, a driver may not have time to try them before a crash. Northern California Mercedes-Benz M-Class vehicle owners will be able to take their car to a dealer for a cost-free repair and can contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372. Owners should refrain from using the cruise control system until it is repaired.
Auto manufacturers have an obligation to produce and sell safe, dependable vehicles. However, vehicles that are flawed in a way that endangers drivers, passengers, and other motorists inevitably end up on the road. This is most often the result of negligence. If an auto manufacturer produces a shoddily constructed car, or a salesman or company sells a car with known defects and an accident results, those at-fault can be held accountable for victims’ injuries.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident caused by defective car product, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and other losses. The experienced San Jose auto product liability attorneys of Van Der Walde & Associates, LLP, can determine the best course of legal action for your particular case. Please call us today at 877-862-6288 for a consultation.
