The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (Mercedes Benz) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 S550, S550 CGI, S63, S600 Bi-Turbo, S65 AMG, S550 4-Matic, and S550 CGI 4-Matic and S400 Hybrid vehicles manufactured from March 3, 2011, through July 30, 2011, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)." The tire pressure monitoring system indicators may only illuminate for a portion of the time required by the standard and under certain conditions may not re-illuminate immediately after the vehicle is restarted as required.
The risk
If all four wheel sensors in the subject vehicles are simultaneously malfunctioning or missing, the TPMS will provide an initial warning, but this warning will not automatically repeat on subsequent ignition cycles, failing to remind the driver that the system is offline. Driving unknowingly with incorrectly inflated tires may result in sudden tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Mercedes Benz will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the tire pressure monitoring unit, free of charge. The recall began on September 12, 2014. Owners may contact Mercedes Benz at 1-800-367-6372.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz S400 | 2011, 2012 |
| Mercedes-Benz S550 | 2011, 2012 |
| Mercedes-Benz S600 | 2011, 2012 |
| Mercedes-Benz S63 | 2011, 2012 |
| Mercedes-Benz S65 | 2011, 2012 |
Components: TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
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 S400 | 2011 | 5 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz S400 | 2012 | 1 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz S550 | 2011 | 9 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz S550 | 2012 | 5 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz S600 | 2011 | 0 | 1 |
| Mercedes-Benz S600 | 2012 | 0 | 1 |
| Mercedes-Benz S63 | 2011 | 5 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz S63 | 2012 | 0 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz S65 | 2011 | 0 | 1 |
| Mercedes-Benz S65 | 2012 | 0 | 1 |
Other tires recalls in 2011
7 of the 597 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2011 concerned the tires; Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. filed 199 campaigns in all.
| 11V511000 19 Oct 2011 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC |
| 11V313000 8 Jun 2011 | KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP., U.S.A. |
| 11V312000 6 Jun 2011 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC |
| 11V278000 12 May 2011 | SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, LLC |
| 11V185000 16 Mar 2011 | GULF STATES TOYOTA, INC. |
| 11V148000 4 Mar 2011 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2011