by Third Recall Due to Safety Issues
The situation with electric vehicle recalls due to fire risk is becoming familiar, but for Mercedes-Benz it is taking on a special character. The company is addressing owners of the EQB model for the third time with a new recall campaign numbered 26V073. This campaign replaces two previous recalls from last year, which concerned over 7.5 thousand vehicles. Most unpleasant for owners is that vehicles that have already undergone “repair” as part of those campaigns require new measures.
According to regulatory authorities, the problem concerns 11,895 EQB crossovers from model years 2022-2024. Their battery pack may suffer internal damage, which, in turn, can lead to the vehicle catching fire both while driving and while parked.
Unsuccessful Attempt at a Software Solution
The recall has a backstory. The first campaigns were initiated after a series of overheating incidents. The manufacturer attempted to eliminate the problem via a software update. However, this measure did not work: at the end of last year, two crossovers that had already received this update caught fire.
This prompted an investigation, which ultimately determined that the effectiveness of the software fix for reducing fire risks could not be “fully confirmed.” Consequently, Mercedes-Benz decided on a new recall, within which battery packs will be replaced on thousands of vehicles.
The batteries causing concern were supplied by the Chinese company Farasis Energy. According to representatives of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an internal short circuit of a cell may occur in them. The cause is cited as deviations in the manufacturing process, due to which the batteries became “less resistant to various stress factors that may arise during the vehicle’s life cycle.”
Recommendations for Owners
Since one of the risk factors is a high battery charge level, owners are recommended to limit battery charging to a maximum of 80%. They are also advised to park the vehicle outdoors, away from buildings, until the battery is replaced. Unfortunately, implementing the latter recommendation is currently difficult, as a final solution is not yet available.
This is bad news for owners. Recall notifications will be sent out this month. When replacement batteries become available, a second letter will be sent. The campaign concerns models from 2022-2024: EQB 300 4MATIC, EQB 350 4MATIC, as well as EQB 250+ from 2023-2024.
Repeated recalls of the same model due to a critical safety issue highlight the complexity of ensuring the reliability of complex electric vehicle components, especially batteries. The situation with the EQB demonstrates that software patches cannot always solve hardware flaws embedded during the manufacturing stage. For owners, this means a prolonged period of uncertainty and the need to adhere to restrictions in using the vehicle, which significantly affects its functionality and convenience. The success of this campaign will depend on how quickly the company can provide a sufficient number of safe batteries for replacement, restoring customer trust.
