Mercedes-Benz preliminary evaluation PE13026
Loss of rear tail light functionality. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the electrical system on 12 model years (2008–2009). Opened Jul 11, 2013, closed Dec 30, 2013 after 6 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedODI initially received 21 reports of rear light assembly failure due to a melted electrical connector or housing. Since opening the initial , ODI has received a total of 114 complaints reflecting an ongoing and increasing trend. In each report, one or both rear light assemblies fail completely (i.e., all lights housed within the assembly extinguish, including the stop, tail, and turn signal functions) when the electrical ground connection is compromised as a result of high resistance and subsequent thermal over-heating. According to Mercedes-Benz, the over-heating of the ground wire is caused by corrosion between the connectors in the ground circuit to the tail light. ODI is aware of a total of 5 reports alleging fire including one injury allegation as a result of this issue. Analysis of subject vehicle complaint data indicates an increased likelihood of failure as the vehicles age. As a result of the evidence presented, this investigation has been upgraded to EA13-008.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2008 Mercedes-Benz C; 2009 Mercedes-Benz C; 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class; 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300; 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300; 2008 Mercedes-Benz C350; 2008 Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG; 2009 Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG; 2008 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG; 2009 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG; 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63; 2009 Mercedes-Benz C63.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE13026 a recall?
No. A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is PE13026 still open?
No. It closed on Dec 30, 2013 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE13026 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 12 model years: 2008 Mercedes-Benz C, 2009 Mercedes-Benz C, 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300, 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300, 2008 Mercedes-Benz C350 and more. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.