Mercedes-Benz is recalling nearly 1.3 MILLION vehicles in the US due to problems with the emergency contact system that can indicate the wrong location for a car after an accident
- As of April 6, the automaker is recalling 1.29 vehicles sold in the US since 2016
- A malfunction has been found in the eCall system that reports the location of a vehicle in the event of an accident
- It was sending the wrong location but can be fixed with a software update
- Mercedes plans to roll out the update over the air or at a dealer
Mercedes-Benz announced it will recall 1.29 million vehicles sold in the US since 2016 due to faulty software that may not provide the correct vehicle location in the event of an accident.
The recall comes after Mercedes-Benz learned of a crash in Europe in which the automatic eCall system sent the vehicle to the wrong position.
The company notes that it has not found the problem in the US, but is executing the recall as a precaution.
Mercedes-Benz said it will notify affected owners and update the software systems at no charge, according to the documents filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation. It expects the recall to begin on April 6.
The recall affects many vehicles from the 2016 to 2021 model years, including those in the categories CLA, GLA, GLE, GLS, SLC, A, GT, C, E, S, CLS, SL, B, GLB, GLC and Git.
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Mercedes-Benz has announced that it will recall 1.29 million vehicles sold since 2016 due to faulty software that may not provide the correct vehicle location in the event of an accident. Pictured is a 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA included in the recall
The automaker began an investigation in October 2019 and eventually found other similar events, but no incidents have been identified in the US.
Although the malfunction has been discovered, Mercedes-Benz says it is not aware of any instances of damage or personal injury caused by the software problem.
The automaker plans to roll out a free software update over the air or at a dealership location.
Mercedes-Benz said that “a temporary collapse of the communication module’s power supply due to an impact could cause the vehicle’s position to be incorrect during a possible emergency call.”
Mercedes-Benz said it will notify affected owners and update the software systems at no charge, according to documents with the United States Department of Transportation. It expects to begin the recall on April 6. Pictured is a GLA included in the recall
The company added that “other features of the automatic and manual emergency call function will remain fully operational.”
Mercedes-Benz in Europe started an investigation in October 2019 based on a report from the Mercedes-Benz eCall center of a single example in the European market where the automatic eCall system reported an inaccurate vehicle position.
After a lengthy investigation of various software combinations of the communication module, the company’s investigation revealed additional similar events where the transmitted vehicle position was incorrect.
The news comes just a few months after Mercedes-Benz recalled more than 30,000 vehicles in August for fear of a potentially deadly sunroof fault.
The luxury car giant remembered the C, CLK and E-class models produced between 2000 and 2010.
“The durability of the connection between the sunroof glass panel and the sunroof frame on some vehicles may not meet specifications and the glass panel may become detached from the vehicle,” the recall said.
“If the glass panel detaches from the vehicle, there is a risk of an accident resulting in injury or death to others on the road.”