Mercedes-Benz will withdraw nearly 1.3 MILLION vehicles from the US due to emergency contact system problems that could provide a wrong location for a car after an accident
- The carmaker remembers 1.29 vehicles sold in the US since 2016 starting April 6
- A problem was found in the eCall system, which sends the location of a vehicle in an accident
- It was sending the wrong location, but it can be fixed with a software update
- Mercedes plans launch the update live or at a dealership
Mercedes-Benz has announced that it will recall 1.29 million US vehicles sold since 2016 due to faulty software that may not communicate the correct location of the vehicle in the event of an accident.
The withdrawal comes after Mercedes-Benz learned of an accident in Europe, where the eCall automatic system sent the wrong position of the vehicle.
The company notes that it did not find the problem in the US, but is making the recall as a precaution.
Mercedes-Benz said it would notify affected owners and update the software systems free of charge, according to submissions to the US Department of Transportation. The recall is expected to begin on April 6.
The withdrawal covers many vehicles from the 2016-2021 model years, including those classified 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 communicate the correct location of the vehicle in the event of an accident. Pictured is a 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA that is included in the recall
The carmaker began an investigation in October 2019 and eventually found other similar events, but no incidents were identified in the US.
Although the error was discovered, Mercedes-Benz says it is not aware of any personal injury or damage caused by the software problem.
The carmaker intends to launch a free software update via the antenna or at a distribution point.
Mercedes-Benz said that “a temporary failure of the power supply of the communication module caused by an accident could lead to the position of the vehicle during a potential emergency call being incorrect”.
Mercedes-Benz said it would notify affected owners and update the software systems at no cost, according to submissions to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The recall is expected to begin on April 6. Pictured is a GLA that is included in the recall
The company added that “other functions of the automatic and manual emergency call function remain fully operational.”
Mercedes-Benz in Europe in October 2019 launched an investigation based on a report by the Mercedes-Benz eCall center of a single court in the European market in which the eCall automatic system transmitted an inaccurate position of the vehicle.
After a lengthy investigation that examined various software combinations of the communication module, the company’s research showed additional similar events in which the position of the transmitted vehicle was incorrect.
The news comes just months after Mercedes-Benz recalled more than 30,000 vehicles in August due to fears of a potentially fatal hatch failure.
The luxury car giant recalled the C, CLK and E class models manufactured between 2000 and 2010.
“The durability of the connection between the sunroof glass panel and the sliding roof frame on some vehicles may not meet the specifications, and the glass panel may separate from the vehicle,” the report said.
“If the glass panel separates from the vehicle, there is a risk of an accident that could result in injury or death to others on the road.”