Daimler to Recall One Million Mercedes-Benz Vehicles Worldwide for Fire Hazards

Daimler AG has said it will recall one million newer-model Mercedes-Benz vehicles due to the risk of fire after 51 fires were reported. According to a Reuters news report, the German automaker has said no injuries or deaths were reported relating to the vehicles. Of the 51 fires, 30 were in the U.S. Of the one million vehicles recalled, 307,629 are in the U.S. The company has determined that there’s an issue with an engine part that can cause an electrical fire. The recall will include certain C- and E-class vehicles as well as CLA, GLA and GLC vehicles.

Details of the Recall

The situation typically occurs in a situation when a vehicle is stranded in standing water and the engine stalls and cannot be restarted on the first try. The company told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that under certain conditions, the engine and transmission won’t turn over. If the driver tries 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.

An overheated current limiter could melt nearby parts, potentially igniting and leading to a fire. Mercedes said it became aware of the problem in June 2016, launching an initial investigation based on reports from consumers of thermal damage related to the starters. In August 2016, the company determined that the starting current limiter was damaged due to electrical overload in the vehicles that was analyzed.

A fix for this problem has been implemented in the production of new vehicles and vehicles on the dealer lots will be repaired before they are sold. The issue relates to a potentially faulty fuse. Consumers in the U.S. will begin to be notified late in March and again in July when the parts become available. Dealers will install an additional fuse in the electrical line to the starter. The United States is among the three biggest markets for Mercedes-Benz, the others being China and Germany.

If Your Vehicle Has Been Recalled

If you have a newer Mercedes model and aren’t sure if it’s included in the recall, visit NHTSA’s safercar.gov website and enter your vehicle identification number or VIN to find out. If your vehicle is part of the recall, take it to your dealer for repairs. A recent report by Carfax showed that a majority of vehicle owners have “recall fatigue” and aren’t taking their cars in repairs. This is a dangerous trend. Recalled vehicles should be fixed right away. Not doing so is like riding a ticking time bomb. If you have been injured due to a defective auto contact an experienced auto defect lawyer to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights.