The defect
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, SOME SEAT BELT BUCKLES MAY HAVE A BURR ON A METAL COMPONENT OF THE LOCKING MECHANISM. THE PRESENCE OF THE BURR COULD PREVENT THE SEAT BELT FROM LOCKING UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
The risk
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON DECEMBER 22, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 2004 |
| Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class | 2004 |
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 2004 |
Components: SEAT BELTS
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 2004 | 15 | 1 |
| Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class | 2004 | 7 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 2004 | 15 | 4 |
Other seat belts recalls in 2003
17 of the 527 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2003 concerned the seat belts; MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. filed 55 campaigns in all.
| 03V515000 15 Dec 2003 | MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS |
| 03V506000 9 Dec 2003 | STARCRAFT BUS AND MOBILITY |
| 03V507000 5 Dec 2003 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 03V391000 10 Oct 2003 | VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC. |
| 03V362000 8 Oct 2003 | BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANY |
| 03V365000 3 Oct 2003 | GIRARDIN MINIBUS INC. |
| 03V333000 8 Sept 2003 | AMERICAN SUZUKI MOTOR CORP. |
| 03V290000 5 Aug 2003 | HYUNDAI CARIBBEAN-PUERTO RICO |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2003