The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 smart fortwo vehicles. In these vehicles, the lock nut that secures the parking brake cable to the parking brake lever may loosen over time, resulting in increased parking brake lever travel before the parking brake engages.
The risk
As the parking brake lever travel increases, the holding force may decrease to a point where the vehicle is no longer safely secured in all parking situations, allowing the vehicle to unexpectedly move when parked on a slope, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the parking brake cable lock nut, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2017. Owners may contact smart customer service at 1-877-496-3691.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Smart Fortwo | 2016 |
Components: PARKING BRAKE
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Fortwo | 2016 | 21 | 1 |
Other parking brake recalls in 2017
8 of the 810 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2017 concerned the parking brake; Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. filed 199 campaigns in all.
| 17V717000 15 Nov 2017 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 17V705000 10 Nov 2017 | PACCAR Incorporated |
| 17V393000 22 Jun 2017 | Mazda North American Operations |
| 17V359000 5 Jun 2017 | Hyundai Motor America |
| 17V294000 1 May 2017 | Spartan Motors USA |
| 17V260000 19 Apr 2017 | Tesla Motors, Inc. |
| 17V055000 25 Jan 2017 | Advance Engineered Products Ltd. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2017