by It appears Ford is not the only automobile company dealing with recalls. Daimler AG has announced a recall of one million Mercedes-Benz vehicles worldwide.
The recall is due to “a potentially faulty fuse”, which could indicate a possible fire risk.
According to the report by Reuters, 51 fires have been reported – globally – although no deaths or injuries have occurred.
“A fix has been implemented in the production of new vehicles. And, vehicles on dealers’ lots will be fixed before they are sold,” said Reuters.
30% Of Affected Cars Are In The United States
The report stated that, of the 1 million vehicles, 307 629 are in the United States. Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz said that, of the 51 fires, 30 were reported in the US.
The majority of the others have been located in China and Germany.
Which Models Are Affected?
According to The Citizen, affected models include:
- 2015-2017 C-Class and CLA models
- 2016-2017 GLC models
- 2017 E-Class models
Stop-Sale Order On All Affected Mercedes-Benz Models
Reuters reports that Mercedes-Benz has issued a stop-sale order on the vehicles and has implemented a fix for production models in the factory, and on dealership lots, before they are sold.
The issue surrounds repeatedly trying to start models that have suffered engine and transmission damage.
As the NHTSA report states, “In the event the starter is blocked due to engine / transmission damage (e.g.: hydro-locked engine), a very high electric current would flow through the starting current limiter during the subsequent start attempt. Should the driver attempt to start the engine repeatedly, despite the engine not cranking, the very high electric current draw might lead to overheating of the starting current limiter.”
It follows: “In a worst case, surrounding components might melt, and potentially ignite, and lead to a fire.”
Warning To Mercedes-Benz Owners
For owners with affected models, be wary of an engine that won’t start, as it appears the components surrounding the starter and its wiring aren’t as robust as they should be.
US customers may need to wait until March to get recall notices. But, until then, it may pay to keep an eye out for engine and transmission damage.
