NHTSA "TAKATA" Air bag recall #16V-077

CaptDan · 04-29-2016, 09:19 AM

Yesterday got my Mercedes Benz Letter concerning subject. Called their service center to make an appointment to replace airbag to find "NONE ARE AVAILABLE!" Looks like it will be a long time to get this all resolved. In the meantime what do we do to be "Safe!" Not sure what to do

-Like to turn off. Any suggestions?

CaptDan
2013 Solera "S"

Ogsarg · 04-30-2016, 09:05 AM

Keep in mind that only a small percentage of the devices are faulty.

I got the recall notice as well but don't plan to stop using the rig because of it. I also expect it will take a fair amount of time for them to come up with a fix. Lots of sourcing, testing, certification, etc. involved. You can't rush that work or risk end up with something worse than before.

Still Kickin · 05-01-2016, 05:56 PM

Since it's basically a sprinter van modified by FR into an RV, there is NOTHING you can do, if you still want to use your RV. If it was just a sprinter van you would have recourse with the dealer that would back charge the air bag mfg for a rental while it was in the shop.
Try getting them to lend you an RV, fat chance! Drive safe has more meaning than ever.

DaveJordan · 05-01-2016, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Still Kickin

If it was just a sprinter van you would have recourse with the dealer that would back charge the air bag mfg for a rental while it was in the shop.

Given that Mercedes hasn't engineered, let alone built, a fix for the problem it's gonna be a long time before anyone gets a replacement air bag. And, given that the original air bag manufacturer has sold 10's of millions of these things for vehicles all over the world, I think there are exactly two chances that your local Mercedes dealer is going to do anything near term for any Sprinter owner - van or RV ... slim and none.

YMMV.

Dave

Still Kickin · 05-02-2016, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveJordan

Given that Mercedes hasn't engineered, let alone built, a fix for the problem it's gonna be a long time before anyone gets a replacement air bag. And, given that the original air bag manufacturer has sold 10's of millions of these things for vehicles all over the world, I think there are exactly two chances that your local Mercedes dealer is going to do anything near term for any Sprinter owner - van or RV ... slim and none.

YMMV.

Dave

Hey Dave, a couple things, if you're going to cut and paste a post of mine, please don't have it change the gist of my comment. If you re-read my entire post, you will see I said what you just reiterated.

Also, MB doesn't mfg air bags, they buy the component from others, like Takata, who is on the hook ultimately here. When the recall is so massive, and replacements can only be produced so fast, they WILL NOT, give you a loaner RV while yours in in the shop for swap out. Just sayin'

DaveJordan · 05-02-2016, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Still Kickin

Hey Dave, a couple things, if you're going to cut and paste a post of mine, please don't have it change the gist of my comment. If you re-read my entire post, you will see I said what you just reiterated.

Perhaps you missed the point I was making. Your post indicated that the owner of a Sprinter van (not an RV) might get relief from a Mercedes dealer. The point I was making was that it was very, very unlikely that Mercedes would be able to do anything for van owners (let alone RV owners.)

That's all.

Sorry for the confusion.

Dave

Still Kickin · 05-02-2016, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveJordan

Perhaps you missed the point I was making. Your post indicated that the owner of a Sprinter van (not an RV) might get relief from a Mercedes dealer. The point I was making was that it was very, very unlikely that Mercedes would be able to do anything for van owners (let alone RV owners.)

That's all.

Sorry for the confusion.

Dave

Noted. But heres the skinny going on out there. I, know for a fact, that an individual put his foot down when they told him there was nothing he (dealer) could do. He was scheduled for Takata air bag replacement so, please contact us (dealer) to make an appointment. The cars in the dealer lot in for replacement were stacked. The reason is they are pounding them out as many per day as possible, and don't want to have a gap in vehicles in the hopper to work on. So, he dropped off his car and demanded a loaner, got one and drove it two weeks on Takata's dime. All in the name of; " so your telling me i' m driving a time bomb if I get in an accident" if I choose not to leave it making it all on me. Nope, got him a loaner. They won't give you a loaner RV. Just sayin'

OldCoot · 05-02-2016, 09:24 AM

So in the meantime you have an expensive motorhome you cannot drive and feel safe from an exploding safety device. Kinda ironic.

Still Kickin · 05-02-2016, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldCoot

So in the meantime you have an expensive motorhome you cannot drive and feel safe from an exploding safety device. Kinda ironic.

Yeppers, that just about sums it up! Whats really ironic is that some shyster lawyer will get one third plus expenses, and your the one at risk. Now thats really ironic.

Ramesh · 05-02-2016, 12:51 PM

What year unit on the airbag recall?

Richard, Wanda and LadyBug

DaveJordan · 05-02-2016, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramesh

What year unit on the airbag recall?

Mine is a 2015 Solera on a 2014 Sprinter chassis. According to the NHSTA web site the recall covers a variety of Mercedes, Dodge and Freightliner Sprinters in model years from 2007 to 2014.

Dave

Nats · 05-03-2016, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramesh

What year unit on the airbag recall?

Richard, Wanda and LadyBug

You can check your VIN here:

Mercedes-Benz USA

Still Kickin · 05-05-2016, 08:03 PM

Read a report yesterday on the Takata airbag situation. Worldwide, eleven deaths and over one hundred injured. That statistic needs to be put in context. How many vehicles have defective airbags, and how often are airbags deployed in a collision (frontal impact I think is the issue).
Also, a request to increase the recall to forty more million vehicles is being kicked around. Drive safe.

Sandiegodoug · 05-05-2016, 09:15 PM

Got my letter
It said 2010-2014
Also said not to do anything now and I will receive a second letter when parts available , then I will need to schedule an appointment

Ogsarg · 05-07-2016, 09:07 AM

They just added 35-40 million on top of the earlier 28.8 million.

So with a little math it would appear your odds of being injured or killed are in the neighborhood of 1 in 460,000. Your odds of getting killed in a car accident on the way to the grocery store are probably an order of magnitude greater. Certainly not going to keep me from using my rig.

Another interesting note is that they have determined the root cause of the failure to be related to high temp, high humidity exposure. How much time the airbag has been exposed to these conditions makes it more likely to fail.

Tonawanda · 06-19-2016, 07:03 AM

I was looking to trade my class C Solera for a class A. Two dealers were quoting me a price. They both called back and asked for my vin. #. The dealer from General RV said it had to do with an air bag recall. Neither dealer called back after I gave them my vin #. This is unusual. Anybody have the same response.

DDC · 06-19-2016, 07:15 AM

Why don't you just have the dealer disable the airbags, never heard of anyone praising them yet but I do know a number of people who have sustained injuries from them.

Kenny kustom · 06-19-2016, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDC

Why don't you just have the dealer disable the airbags, never heard of anyone praising them yet but I do know a number of people who have sustained injuries from them.

No dealer would do that.

2016 Sabre 36QBOK
2015 Ram 3500 CUMMINS

Loefflerh · 06-19-2016, 01:43 PM

Its very easy to take the airbag out, disconnect the cable going to the clockspring (ribbon cable in the steering wheel assembly) and putting the airbag in again so it looks good. But then a yellow "SRS" light will be starring at you!

I did it - because my clockspring tore off and I thought I can fix it.....I could not, needed a new one..

Tonawanda · 06-19-2016, 02:44 PM

I'm not afraid of driving the unit so much as are dealers going to not take them in trade because they think the recall is going to take an extended period of time and do not want the unit to sit on their lot. I can see their apprehension of being sued if they sold the unit knowing it had a recalled airbag should it be deployed and injured a customer. Any thoughts?

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