| Issue ID | 768083 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10312445 |
| Manufacurer | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. |
| Brand | MERCEDES BENZ |
| Model | SL500 |
| Model Year | 2004 |
| File date | 24/07/09 |
| Component | WHEELS |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | Addendum info to original complaint #10308437 shows that mb service advisor j. Steach advised m . B. Not responsible as driver should "miss" potholes. Engineering analysis shows that it is not possible for driver to steer around potholes. At 70mph mb sl500 travels 103 ft/sec and it is not possible to observe the pothole hazard and categorize as safety risk at speeds of 70mph(103ft/sec) react physiologically and actuate steering system -all in less than one second-one half second each for human response and same for mechanical actuation-insufficient time to avoid pot hole hit. Dark or low light conditions render pothole miss impossible. In any case, the improperly engineered soft low strength alloy wheel design leads any prudent vehicle driver into a crash trap. Wheel,tire, suspension damage evident-needs corrected immediately at expense of mercedez-benz.. Wife whiplash due to severe abrupt unanticipated forces in bringing vehicle to safe stop. I have neck soreness and aggravation of previous neck injury likely. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 19000 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA |
| VIN pattern | WDBSK75F94FXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | Y |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | Y |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 2 |
| No. of fatalities | 1 |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 65 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |