
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you, your
dealer, or Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at
1-888-327-4236(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go
tohttp://www.safercar.gov ; or write to:
Administrator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street,
SW., Washington, DC 20590.
You can also obtain other information about
motor vehicle safety from
http://www.safercar.gov
Limited Warranty
!
Follow the instructions in this manual
about the proper operation of your vehicle
as well as about possible vehicle damage.
Damage to your vehicle that arises from
culpable contraventions against these
instructions is not covered either by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty or by the New or Used-Vehicle Warranty.
QR codes for the rescue card
The QR codes are secured in the fuel filler flap
and on the opposite side on the B-pillar. In the event of an accident, rescue services can use
the QR code to quickly find the appropriate
rescue card for your vehicle. The current res-
cue card contains the most important infor-
mation about your vehicle in a compact form,
e.g. the routing of the electric cables.
You can find more information under http://
portal.aftersales.i.daimler.com/public/
content/asportal/en/communication/
informationen_fuer/QRCode.html.
Data stored in the vehicle
Data recording
This vehicle is capable of recording diagnostic
information relating to vehicle operation, mal- functions, and user settings. This may include
information about the performance or status
of various systems, including but not limited
to, engine, throttle, steering or brake sys-
tems, that is stored and can be read out with
suitable devices, particularly when the vehi-
cle is serviced. The data obtained is used to
properly diagnose and service your vehicle or
to further optimize and develop vehicle func-
tions.
COMAND/mbrace
If the vehicle is equipped with COMAND or
mbrace, additional data about the vehicle’s
operation, the use of the vehicle in certain
situations, and the location of the vehicle may
be compiled through COMAND or the mbrace
system.
For additional information please refer to the
COMAND User Manual and/or the mbrace
Terms and Conditions.
Event data recorders
This vehicle is equipped with an event data
recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR
is to record data that will assist in under-
standing how a vehicle’s systems performed
in certain crash or near crash-like situations,
such as during air bag deployment or when
hitting a road obstacle. The EDR is designed
to record data related to vehicle dynamics
and safety systems for a short period of time,
typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
such data as:
Rhow various systems in your vehicle are
operating
Rwhether or not the driver and passenger
seat belts are fastened
Rhow far (if at all) the driver is depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal and
Rhow fast the vehicle is traveling
28Introduction

Warning and indicator lamps
FunctionPage
:åESP®OFF296
;÷ESP®296
=·Distance warning301
?ÐPower steering303
A#! Turn signals126
B!Electric parking brake
(yellow)
298
C! ABS294
D;Check Engine299
EElectric parking brake (red)298
F USA only
!Canada only
FBrakes (red)293
$USA only
JCanada only
G?Coolant299
HéThis lamp has no func-
tion
FunctionPage
IJ This lamp has no func-
tion
J6 Restraint system43
KüSeat belts292
LKHigh-beam head-
lamps
126
ML Low-beam head-
lamps
125
N8 Reserve fuel299
OTParking lamps,
license plate lamp and
instrument cluster lighting
125
PN This lamp has no func-
tion
QR Rear fog lamp125
RhTire pressure monitor302
34Instrument cluster
At a glance

See "Children in the vehicle" for information
on infants and children traveling with you in
the vehicle restraint systems for infants and
children (
Ypage 60).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Modifications to the restraint system may
cause it to no longer work as intended. The
restraint system may then not perform its
intended protective function and may fail in an
accident or trigger unexpectedly, for example.
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint system.
Never tamper with the wiring, the electronic
components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
details. USA only: for further information con-
tact our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1‑800‑ 367‑6372).
Restraint system warning lamp
The functions of the restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and
at regular intervals while the engine is run-
ning. Therefore, malfunctions can be detec-
ted in good time.
The 6 restraint system warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up when the igni-
tion is switched on. It goes out no later than a
few seconds after the vehicle is started. The
components of the restraint system are in
operational readiness.
A malfunction has occurred if the 6
restraint system warning lamp:
Rdoes not light up after the ignition is
switched on
Rdoes not go out after a few seconds with
the engine running
Rlights up again while the engine is running
GWARNING
If restraint system is malfunctioning, restraint
system components may be triggered unin-
tentionally or might not be triggered at all in
the event of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle deceleration. This can affect the Emer- gency Tensioning Device or air bag, for exam-
ple. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible.
PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp :
and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp ;are part of the Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS).
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is enabled. If,
in the event of an accident, all deployment
criteria are met, the front-passenger front
air bag is deployed.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. It will then not be deployed in the event of an accident.
Occupant safety43
Safety
Z

Digital Operator's Manual or in the separate
COMAND or Audio 20 operating instructions.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger
The7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle
occupants must wear their seat belts. It may
light up continuously or flash. In addition,
there may be a warning tone.
Regardless of whether the driver's seat belt
has already been fastened, the 7seat belt
warning lamp lights up for six seconds each
time the engine is started. If, after
six seconds, the driver or front-passenger
seat belt has not been fastened and the doors
are closed, the 7seat belt warning lamp
lights up. As soon as the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are fastened or a front
door is opened again, the 7seat belt
warning lamp goes out.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after
the engine is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. The warning tone switches
off after six seconds or once the driver's seat
belt is fastened.
If the vehicle's speed exceeds 15 mph
(25 km/h) once and the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are not fastened, a
warning tone sounds. A warning tone also
sounds with increasing intensity for
60 seconds or until the driver or front
passenger have faste ned th
eir seat belts.
If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
seat belts during the journey, the seat belt
warning is activated again.
iFor more information on the 7seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belts" (
Ypage 292).
Air bags
Introduction
The installation point of an air bag can be rec- ognized by the AIR BAG symbol.
An air bag complements the correctly fas-
tened seat belt. It is no substitute for the seat
belt. The air bag provides additional protec-
tion in applicable accident situations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The different air bag systems function inde-
pendently from one another (
Ypage 57).
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to rule out a risk of injury
caused by an air bag due to the high speed at
which the air bag must be deployed.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat position,
the air bag cannot protect as intended and
could even cause additional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women
Rare sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags
Rfollow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants.
RAdjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the
seat is in an almost upright position. The
center of the head restraint must support
the head at about eye level.
RMove the driver's and front-passenger
seats as far back as possible. The driver's
seat position must allow the vehicle to be
driven safely.
48Occupant safety
Safety

PRE-SAFE®PLUS does not intervene if the
vehicle is backing up.
When driving, or when parking or exiting a
parking space with assistance from Active
Parking Assist, PRE-SAFE
®PLUS will not
apply the brakes.
Function
PRE-SAFE®PLUS intervenes in certain situa-
tions if the radar sensor system detects an
imminent head-on or rear-end collision.
PRE-SAFE
®PLUS takes the following meas-
ures depending on the hazardous situation
detected:
Rif the radar sensor system detects that a
head-on collision is imminent, the seat
belts are pre-tensioned.
Rif the radar sensor system detects that a
rear-end collision is imminent:
-the brake pressure is increased if the
driver applies the brakes when the vehi-
cle is stationary.
-the seat belts are pre-tensioned.
The PRE-SAFE
®PLUS braking application is
canceled:
Rif the accelerator pedal is depressed when
a gear is engaged
Rif the risk of a collision passes or is no lon- ger detected
Rif DISTRONIC PLUS indicates an intention
to pull away
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, the original settings
are restored.
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on
the type and severity of the impact:
Rthe hazard warning lamps are activated
Rthe emergency lighting is activated
Rthe vehicle doors are unlocked
Rthe front side windows are lowered
Rvehicles with a memory function: the elec-
trically adjustable steering wheel is raised
Rthe engine is switched off and the fuel sup- ply is cut off
Rvehicles with mbrace: automatic emer-
gency call
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For
this reason, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises
that you install a child restraint system on a
rear seat. Children are generally better pro-
tected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in the
vehicle:
Ralways secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. The child restraint system must be
appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes in this section in addition to
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes on the "Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS)" (
Ypage 51)
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
60Children in the vehicle
Safety

You can thus avoid the risks that could arise
as a result of:
Ran incorrectly categorized person in the
front-passenger seat
Rthe unintentional deactivation of the front-
passenger front air bag
Rthe unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board
Rearward-facing child restraint system
If it is absolutely necessary to install a rear-
ward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, always make sure that
the front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. Only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is permanently lit (
Ypage 43)
is the front-passenger front air bag deactiva-
ted.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Forward-facing child restraint system
If it is absolutely necessary to install a
forward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, always move the front-
passenger seat as far back as possible. Fully
retract the seat cushion length. The entire
base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the child
restraint system must lie as flat as possible
against the backrest of the front-passenger
seat. The child restraint system must not
touch the roof or be subjected to a load by the
head restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat
backrest and the head restraint position
accordingly. Always make sure that the shoul- der belt strap is correctly routed from the
vehicle belt outlet to the shoulder belt guide
on the child restraint system. The shoulder
belt strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the vehicle belt outlet. If neces-
sary, adjust the vehicle belt outlet and the
front-passenger seat accordingly. Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are traveling in the vehicle, they
could:
Ropen doors, thus endangering other people
or road users
Rexit the vehicle and be caught by oncoming
traffic
Roperate vehicle equipment and become
trapped
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always activate the child-proof locks and
override feature if children are traveling in the vehicle. When leaving the vehicle, always take
the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unattended in the vehicle.
Override feature for:
Rthe rear doors (Ypage 66)
Rthe rear side windows (Ypage 66)
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
Children in the vehicle65
Safety
Z

Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
RABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
(
Ypage 67)
RBAS ( Brake Assist System) (Ypage 68)
RBAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist ( Brake
A ssist System PLUS with Cross-Traffic
Assist) (
Ypage 68)
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(
Ypage 70)
RESP®(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(
Ypage 73)
REBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(
Ypage 75)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 75)
RPRE-SAFE®Brake (Ypage 75)
RSTEER CONTROL (Ypage 78)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. Driving safety
systems are merely aids designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the distance
to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and
for braking in good time. Always adapt your
driving style to suit the prevailing road,
weather and traffic conditions and maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there is
adequate contact between the tires and the road surface. Please pay special attention to
the notes on tires, recommended minimum
tire tread depths, etc. (
Ypage 374).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety
systems described in this section work as
effectively as possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 67).
GWARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp (
Ypage 294) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (
Ypage 258).
Driving safety systems67
Safety
Z

Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause Brake Assist to inter-
vene.
If adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to
a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 67).
ESP
®monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
If ESP
®detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP
®assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 67).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP®.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one side. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 67).
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
If the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP
®warning lamp lights up con-
tinuously, ESP®is not available due to a mal-
function.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 296) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 258).
Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP
®function properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP
®is automatically
active.
If ESP
®intervenes, the ÷ESP®warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP
®intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any circum-
stances.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again.
Driving safet ysystem s73
Safety
Z