Mercedes Recalls 126,260 Vehicles for Airbag Flaw
Mercedes is recalling over 100,000 C-Class and GLK-Classes for a potential defect with the airbags in its vehicles.
In a recall notice filed to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today, the German automaker noted that the flaw could potentially affect 126,260 units, including 98,750 C300 sedans, 2,236 C63 sedans and 21,013 C350 sedans from the 2008-09 model years and 4,261 GLK350 crossovers from the 2010 model year.
The issue can cause airbags to inflate unexpectedly without a crash, or even not go off during an accident. The flaw is caused by corrosion in the airbag control unit. Drivers will be tipped off to an issue by a warning light on the dashboard that will tell if the airbag control unit is malfunctioning, but unintended airbag inflations have no warning signal. Unlike past airbag recalls, the supplier of the faulty equipment is not Takata, but is german company Continental AG.
See Also: Takata Fined $70M, Agrees to Change Airbag Inflator
There have been six unintended airbag deployments worldwide, three of which have occurred in the US. Mercedes identified the cause and has began issuing notices to owners who can take their vehicles the dealer for a free fix.
Sami has an unquenchable thirst for car knowledge and has been at AutoGuide for the past six years. He has a degree in journalism and media studies from the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto and has won multiple journalism awards from the Automotive Journalist Association of Canada. Sami is also on the jury for the World Car Awards.
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