Wednesday, January 05, 2022
Fire hazard with diesel models
Mercedes has to recall 800,000 cars
The recall of 800,000 diesel models should not come in handy for either Mercedes or customers. The Corona crisis is causing a worldwide shortage of spare parts and long waiting times in workshops. Customers should now “drive particularly carefully,” advises Mercedes.
Mercedes-Benz claims to be calling hundreds of thousands of cars back to the workshop because of a technical defect. The company said that certain vehicles in the GLE / GLS, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, E-Class, GLC, CLS and G-Class series with diesel engines could leak. All diesel models with the “OM 654” or “OM 656” engines are specifically affected. Production period: January 2017 to October 2021.
This emerges from the recall letter, which is available to the “Bild” newspaper, among others. In particular, a rise in the component temperature cannot be completely ruled out, which in the worst case could lead to vehicle fires. More than 800,000 vehicles worldwide are affected by the problem, as the “Bild” newspaper and the “Handelsblatt” previously reported.
The car manufacturer did not want to comment on the exact numbers. He pointed out that the recall had already been published in November. The replacement of the affected parts should start in mid / end of January. He was also dependent on the software release and the availability of parts, it said. An update should then be installed in the workshops and the affected component replaced.
However, the repair of the affected vehicles could drag on. Because of the corona pandemic, there is a massive shortage of spare parts. According to the “Bild” report, Mercedes does not yet have the affected parts in stock – and is now advising customers that the vehicles “should be driven particularly carefully and that their use be limited to the necessary minimum” until they are replaced.