Mercedes-Benz has just announced a recall of more than 144,000 vehicles from the 2024-2026 model years due to a software error that causes the instrument panel display to suddenly turn off, posing a safety risk to drivers.
Mercedes-Benz has had to recall 144,049 vehicles from model years 2024-2026 due to a problem with the digital instrument cluster. Photo: James Lipman .
German luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has issued a recall for vehicles in the US market. This campaign targets newer models manufactured between 2024 and 2026. The list of affected models includes: AMG GT, C-Class, E-Class, SL-Class, CLE-Class, and GLC-Class.
According to a report submitted to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the problem lies in the software of the infotainment system's control unit. This error can cause the digital instrument panel in front of the driver to unexpectedly turn off or go black for a brief period.
Notably, documents from the NHTSA state that "100% of the identified vehicles are expected to be affected by this defect."
The technical cause was identified as the controller continuously triggering a system reset process. This is a preventative response when the software malfunctions.
The report states that this defect affects the entire batch of vehicles from 2024 to 2026. Photo: James Lipman.
However, too many resets can cause the display to become intermittent. When a malfunction occurs, the driver will completely lose access to important operating information such as vehicle speed, warning lights, and technical parameters.
This situation occurs without any prior warning. The driver can only wait until the system completes the restart process for the screen to display normally. The lack of immediate information while driving significantly increases the risk of collisions.
Despite safety concerns, the fix is considered relatively simple. Mercedes-Benz says authorized dealers will update the infotainment controller software on affected vehicles. This fix is completely free for customers.
The company plans to begin sending official notification letters to individual vehicle owners starting June 26, 2024. Prior to that, dealerships received technical guidance information in early May.