Supposedly faulty charging cables are forcing the plug-in hybrid versions of the Mercedes C-Class, S-Class, GLC and the EQS model back into the workshop. At Mercedes, the recalls have been increasing lately.
, Unsuspectingly plugging in the electric car to charge and suddenly getting a really nasty smack? Not a nice idea. Or even worse: the vehicle is on fire in the middle of the night. Sounds like a pessimistic worst-case scenario, but both could happen with the PHEV variants of the Mercedes C-Class, the S-Class, the GLC and the EQS. Because some specimens may have faulty charging cables, which in unfavorable cases may cause serious short circuits.
That's why the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) is launching a monitored recall campaign for the corresponding vehicles from the production period 2020 to 2021. According to the KBA, the recall affects a total of 1,788 units worldwide with the reference number 011375 and the manufacturer code 5491104 - including 664 vehicles in Germany. The owners concerned will be contacted in writing and asked to visit the workshop. This should take a maximum of 30 minutes, because the recall only involves a precise cable check - and in the event of a defect, replacement. There have been no reports of personal injury or damage to property.
Mercedes recalls are piling up
At Mercedes, a real recall marathon was noticeable recently. Again and again we have recently reported on necessary improvements on the part of the Stuttgart. In fact, we've heard of nine recalls from the brand with the star over the past two months. For example, in mid-November, when a possible oil leak from 14,881 Mercedes X-Classes became known. Almost at the same time, the information about the insufficient distance between the brake lines and the electrical wiring harness on 38,650 Sprinter copies came up. The following cannot be ruled out: fire hazard. In mid-December, Mercedes adjusted the software in 227 EQS and S-Class units in the background, since the video and web functions had not previously been blocked while driving. A little later, 84,486 old E-Classes were recalled because of defective Takata airbags.
Meanwhile, a total of 32,000 CLS, GLE, C, E and S classes required a different engine control unit. At the beginning of this year there was a recall for 149 models under the hood of which the four-cylinder diesel OM 654 clocks. Crankshaft problems were decisive here. In addition, there were rust-prone A-Class and GLB models, which led to a recall of 70,000 vehicles.
Then recently: With eleven models and a total of 848,517 vehicles (!), there was a risk of fire again due to a fault in the exhaust gas recirculation. Just like now in the case of the 1,788 hybrid units of the C- and S-Class, the GLC and the EQS, for which the charging cables are now checked to be on the safe side and, if in doubt, replaced.
You can find out about further recalls from all manufacturers on our corresponding topic page .
Conclusion
Mercedes has determined that defective charging cables can cause fires and electric shocks in the plug-in versions of the C-Class, S-Class and GLC, as well as the EQS. A monitored callback is therefore carried out via the KBA. In the recent past, vehicles with a star on the hood have to be reworked relatively often.
