Daimler recalls over 1 million vehicles worldwide for air bag fix
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Daimler is recalling more than 1 million Mercedes-Benz cars and sport utility vehicles worldwide to address potential unintended air bag deployments, the German automaker said on Monday.
The safety recall covers 495,000 vehicles in the United States, 400,000 in Britain, 76,000 in Canada and a few hundred thousand in Germany, company officials said. The German automaker did not immediately have a complete worldwide total.
An electrostatic discharge, coupled with a broken clock spring and insufficient grounding of steering components, can lead to inadvertent deployment of the driver side front air bag in vehicles subject to the recall, the company said.
As part of the fix, it said dealers would add new grounding to the steering components.
A Mercedes-Benz spokeswoman in the United States said there had been “a handful of instances where drivers suffered minor abrasions or bruises” due to the air bag problem.
No deaths have been reported and the issue is not related to the massive recall of Takata air bag inflators worldwide.
The recalls covers some 2012-2018 model year A, B, C, and E-Class models and CLA, GLA and GLC vehicles.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which specific Mercedes-Benz models are affected by this recall?
Which specific Mercedes-Benz models are affected by this recall?
The recall affects certain 2012-2018 model year A, B, C, and E-Class vehicles. It also includes CLA, GLA, and GLC models from the same period, according to the German automaker's statement.
Q.What is the technical cause of the potential unintended air bag deployment?
What is the technical cause of the potential unintended air bag deployment?
The issue stems from an electrostatic discharge, combined with a broken clock spring and inadequate grounding of steering components. This combination can lead to the driver's side front air bag deploying without warning.
Q.How many vehicles are being recalled in the United States and Britain?
How many vehicles are being recalled in the United States and Britain?
Daimler is recalling 495,000 vehicles in the United States for this issue. In Britain, the recall affects 400,000 Mercedes-Benz cars and sport utility vehicles, as stated by company officials.
Q.Have there been any severe injuries or fatalities reported due to this air bag problem?
Have there been any severe injuries or fatalities reported due to this air bag problem?
No deaths have been reported in connection with this issue. A Mercedes-Benz spokeswoman mentioned that there have only been a handful of instances where drivers suffered minor abrasions or bruises.
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