(Who could forget this terrible launch for the original A-class, when it failed the Elk test and had a massive overhaul of its tyres, suspension and have ESP fitted - Rolf)
The Mercedes-Benz w168 A-Class created a big buzz in the press months before its launch in 1997. this was understandable; After all, it was the first front-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz and it was that firm’s first venture into the relatively new compact minivan market, not to mention one of the first luxury offerings in that market. It caused such a stir that diecast models of it were already available around the time of its launch; I recall red getting a 1:18 Maisto A-Class for Christmas that year.
It wasn’t exactly pretty but compared to the other cars born that same year (Plymouth Prowler, Isuzu VehiCROSS) it didn’t look too bad. Plus, the boxy design meant the A-Class had an exceptionally roomy interior. To add to that space, all seats except for the driver’s were removable, making for a very versatile car. Mercedes-Benz developed a plethora of safety features including the use of numerous airbags and a system that pushed the drivetrain under the passenger compartment in the event of a front crash.
The excitement this car generated faded when it was released to the press and Swedish magazine Teknikens Värld took the car through their moose test, a test which consists of making a sudden maneuver at high speed to avoid an object (presumably a moose, in Sweden) in the road. The A-Class rolled, failing the test miserably. The problem wasn’t confined to Sweden for very long and other European magazines put the car through similar tests. When these journalists also rolled the A-Class while trying to avoid an imaginary moose, the car became the Corvair of our generation; Rarely in history has a car suffered from such a notoriously bad reputation after its launch. Even the youngest ones among us remember seeing a brand new Mercedes-Benz A-Class going around traffic cones on one wheel on the cover of most auto magazines.
Stuttgart’s first reaction was to deny the problem existed, a strategy that had proven remarkably effective in the early 1990s regarding the 350SD’s rod-bending character. When the problems became widely reported in international press, Mercedes realized it were dealing with an issue that it could not afford to ignore.
The firm recalled all the cars that had been sold already (2,600, according to most sources) and stopped production until the problem was fixed. While early speculations centered on the car being fitted with the wrong kind of tires, the problem was solved by retrofitting ESP in recalled cars and adding it as standard equipment across the A-Class range. The rear suspension on all models was stiffened as well, making for a bouncy but safer ride.
These modifications solved the problem and the same readers who saw the A-Class going around traffic cones on one wheel now saw the recalled A-Class going around those same cones on all four wheels. These were tested all around Europe and most every magazine found them safe.
Today, the early problems the w168 encountered have mostly been forgotten. The car managed to have a successful career and, along with the Renault Scenic, helped launch the craze revolving around small minivans: The controversial Fiat Multipla was launched in 1998, the Citroen Xsara Picasso in 1999, the Ford Focus C-Max in 2003 and so on. This is a market segment where the Mercedes-Benz star doesn’t matter as much as interior space and bells and whistles and the A-Class shines in both of those respects. So successful was the recalled A-Class that it managed to spawn a successor in 2004, the w169 A-Class, available as a three or four door and capable of avoiding a moose while staying on four wheels from the get go.
Great Automotive Failures: the Mercedes-Benz w168 A-Class
The Mercedes-Benz w168 A-Class created a big buzz in the press months before its launch in 1997. this was understandable; After all, it was the first front-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz and it was that firm’s first venture into the relatively new compact minivan market, not to mention one of the first luxury offerings in that market. It caused such a stir that diecast models of it were already available around the time of its launch; I recall red getting a 1:18 Maisto A-Class for Christmas that year.
It wasn’t exactly pretty but compared to the other cars born that same year (Plymouth Prowler, Isuzu VehiCROSS) it didn’t look too bad. Plus, the boxy design meant the A-Class had an exceptionally roomy interior. To add to that space, all seats except for the driver’s were removable, making for a very versatile car. Mercedes-Benz developed a plethora of safety features including the use of numerous airbags and a system that pushed the drivetrain under the passenger compartment in the event of a front crash.
The excitement this car generated faded when it was released to the press and Swedish magazine Teknikens Värld took the car through their moose test, a test which consists of making a sudden maneuver at high speed to avoid an object (presumably a moose, in Sweden) in the road. The A-Class rolled, failing the test miserably. The problem wasn’t confined to Sweden for very long and other European magazines put the car through similar tests. When these journalists also rolled the A-Class while trying to avoid an imaginary moose, the car became the Corvair of our generation; Rarely in history has a car suffered from such a notoriously bad reputation after its launch. Even the youngest ones among us remember seeing a brand new Mercedes-Benz A-Class going around traffic cones on one wheel on the cover of most auto magazines.
Stuttgart’s first reaction was to deny the problem existed, a strategy that had proven remarkably effective in the early 1990s regarding the 350SD’s rod-bending character. When the problems became widely reported in international press, Mercedes realized it were dealing with an issue that it could not afford to ignore.
The firm recalled all the cars that had been sold already (2,600, according to most sources) and stopped production until the problem was fixed. While early speculations centered on the car being fitted with the wrong kind of tires, the problem was solved by retrofitting ESP in recalled cars and adding it as standard equipment across the A-Class range. The rear suspension on all models was stiffened as well, making for a bouncy but safer ride.
These modifications solved the problem and the same readers who saw the A-Class going around traffic cones on one wheel now saw the recalled A-Class going around those same cones on all four wheels. These were tested all around Europe and most every magazine found them safe.
Today, the early problems the w168 encountered have mostly been forgotten. The car managed to have a successful career and, along with the Renault Scenic, helped launch the craze revolving around small minivans: The controversial Fiat Multipla was launched in 1998, the Citroen Xsara Picasso in 1999, the Ford Focus C-Max in 2003 and so on. This is a market segment where the Mercedes-Benz star doesn’t matter as much as interior space and bells and whistles and the A-Class shines in both of those respects. So successful was the recalled A-Class that it managed to spawn a successor in 2004, the w169 A-Class, available as a three or four door and capable of avoiding a moose while staying on four wheels from the get go.
Great Automotive Failures: the Mercedes-Benz w168 A-Class
