Mercedes-Benz recalls more than one million cars worldwide due to faulty cables. In rare cases, the airbag could be triggered for no reason. In Germany, several hundred thousand vehicles are affected.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Tuesday, 17.10.2017
09:47 clock
Because of defective cables on the steering column, Mercedes-Benz wants to recall more than one million cars worldwide to the workshops. Among them are 400,000 vehicles of various series in the UK and several hundred thousand in Germany, said a Mercedes spokesman.
Affected are Class A, B, C and E cars as well as CLA, GLA and GLC models, which went on sale between November 2011 and July 2017.
Due to a technical error, the airbag could in rare cases be triggered without cause for the vehicles. That happened with a few dozen cars. This was due to an error chain associated with defective cables: Static charging caused by steering movement could not be properly dissipated in the event of a cable break. This incorrectly triggered the airbag.
The problem will be solved by an “adequate grounding of the steering column”, so the voltage will be able to properly discharge again, said the spokesman. The authorities of various states were informed in the past week. The recall will begin in the next few weeks, if the corresponding spare parts are available.
Mercedes called on customers to contact the carmaker or a local dealer should the airbag control light burn on them. At the same time, the company pledged to contact the affected customers. The repair in the workshop takes one hour, the costs are covered by Mercedes.
The recall is not related to the Japanese airbag manufacturer Takata, explained Mercedes. The company had supplied defective airbags to manufacturers worldwide for years, In connection with the scandal, 100 million cars had to be recalled worldwide.