Mercedes-Benz has launched a large-scale recall covering nearly 350,000 vehicles across North America, including 310,667 units in the United States and 36,862 in Canada.
The campaign addresses a mechanical fault that could allow parked vehicles to roll away unexpectedly, creating a serious hazard for nearby pedestrians and other vehicles and surrounding property, not to mention the drivers themselves.
The problem
According to safety notices filed with Transport Canada and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the core issue stems from a supplier design flaw in the driver-side door latch assembly. A small micro-switch housed within the locking mechanism is susceptible to moisture intrusion. Over time, water infiltration leads to corrosion, ultimately causing the switch to fail.
Under normal operation, that micro-switch detects when the driver opens their door to exit, triggering the automatic park system and engaging the electronic parking brake. When the switch corrodes and fails, the vehicle may not recognize that the driver’s door has been opened. As a result, the transmission can remain in gear when the driver steps out, allowing the vehicle to roll away unassisted.
That obviously poses a risk in several ways, not least that a driver could potentially be struck by their own car.
What models are affected
The recall impacts a broad selection of Mercedes-Benz’s most popular compact and luxury offerings spanning model years 2019 through 2026. Affected models include the A-Class, C-Class, CLA (and AMG CLA), CLE, GLA (and AMG GLA), GLB (and AMG GLB) and GLC (and AMG GLC).
Mercedes-Benz notes that vehicle owners may notice early warning signs before the component fails completely. One tell might be if the interior ambient lighting or radio remain powered on after exiting and closing the door.
The automaker emphasized that vehicles operated in regions with high humidity and elevated temperatures are particularly vulnerable to the corrosion issue.
While no related incidents or injuries have been reported in North America, Mercedes-Benz confirmed that reports of actual unintended rollaway incidents elsewhere in the world prompted the preventive action.
The solution
To resolve the defect, Mercedes-Benz dealerships will replace the entire driver-side door latch assembly, including the faulty micro-switch, free of charge. Official notification letters will be mailed to owners of affected vehicles soon.
The automaker strongly suggests that, until their vehicle is inspected by dealership technicians, owners should manually engage their electronic parking brake every time they park to eliminate safety risks.