Mercedes-Benz Recalls Vehicles Due to Air Bag Inflator Rupture Risk
Mercedes-Benz is recalling specific 2008-2011 models because passenger air bag inflators may rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious injury or death.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).
The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking occupants, resulting in serious injury or death. This aligns with the rubric criterion for 'Severe' severity involving significant injury or death reports/risks in vehicle recalls.
Plain-English summary
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 C300, C350, C63, GLK350, E350, E550, and SLS AMG vehicles. The recall is limited to vehicles originally sold or registered in specific U.S. states and territories designated as Zone A or Zone B due to environmental factors affecting the components.
The defect involves passenger frontal air bag inflator modules that may rupture during a crash necessitating air bag deployment. This rupture is caused by propellant degradation resulting from long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. If the inflator ruptures, metal fragments may strike vehicle occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Owners will be notified by MBUSA, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag modules free of charge. An interim notification was sent in October 2016, and a second notice will be mailed when remedy parts are available. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
The recalled product
- Product
- MERCEDES BENZ, MERCEDES-BENZ C300, C350, C63, GLK350
- Brand
- MERCEDES BENZ
- Manufacturer
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
- Category
- Vehicle — Air Bag
- Affected units
- 258,163
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Model numbers (7)
- C300
- C350
- C63
- GLK350
- E550
- E350
- SLS
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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