Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling more than 27,000 model year 2021-2023 S580, and Maybach S580 vehicles. In the event of a mechanical failure in the engine Camtronic system, the engine control unit (ECU) software may cause the engine to overheat or stall, according to the required safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today.
“In the event of an independent hardware failure in the Camtronic system, the amount of injected fuel might be erroneously increased by the lambda control system during cylinder deactivation. As a result, exhaust temperatures may increase and might damage surrounding components (e.g. engine wiring harness, catalytic converter). A loss of propulsion without warning and an increased risk of fire cannot be ruled out. Due to a deviation in the development process, in the event of an independent hardware failure in the Camtronic system, the lambda control might not be deactivated as intended if cylinder deactivation is engaged. Before the issue occurs, the driver will not receive a warning due to the nature of the failure mechanism,” MBUSA said.
Chronology
- Through the summer of 2023, MBAG observed an increase in the number of field reports describing instances in which customers allegedly reported a loss of propulsion, non-start condition, or an activated Check Engine Light, although the overall number of reports remained very low. Prior to this increase, only isolated reports were reported from the field.
- Immediately after detecting this increase, analyses were initiated to investigate the issue and attempt to identify the root cause. These analyses showed a deviation in the lambda control in the Engine Control Unit software.
- Starting in January 2024, further analyses of the possible consequences of the deviation for the vehicles in the field were started. In the course of these analyses, detailed analyses of the worldwide field situation including warranty data and diagnostic fault codes were performed. Parts from the field were retrieved and thoroughly analyzed.
- Starting in April 2024, all possibly affected software versions were evaluated to determine which technical variants might be affected by this issue. These analyses and the evaluation of the data were completed in August 2024. The potentially affected vehicles were determined based on the software versions installed on the vehicles.
- On September 13, 2024, MBAG determined that a potential safety risk cannot be ruled out and decided to conduct a recall. MBAG is currently aware of 48 warranty field reports received from August 11, 2021 to August 29, 2024, and1 potential related fire claim, in the US. MBAG is not aware of any cases of injury, death or crashes.
Dealers will update the ECU software, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 26 November 2024. Owners can contact Mercedes-Benz Customer Service at 1-877-496-3691. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to nhtsa.gov about NHTSA 24V704.
Mercedes-Benz USA Software Recall for Sudden Stalling
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling more than 27,000 model year 2021-2023 S580, and Maybach S580 vehicles. In the event of a mechanical failure in the engine Camtronic system, the engine control unit (ECU) software may cause the engine to overheat or stall, according to the required safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today.
“In the event of an independent hardware failure in the Camtronic system, the amount of injected fuel might be erroneously increased by the lambda control system during cylinder deactivation. As a result, exhaust temperatures may increase and might damage surrounding components (e.g. engine wiring harness, catalytic converter). A loss of propulsion without warning and an increased risk of fire cannot be ruled out. Due to a deviation in the development process, in the event of an independent hardware failure in the Camtronic system, the lambda control might not be deactivated as intended if cylinder deactivation is engaged. Before the issue occurs, the driver will not receive a warning due to the nature of the failure mechanism,” MBUSA said.
Chronology
Dealers will update the ECU software, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 26 November 2024. Owners can contact Mercedes-Benz Customer Service at 1-877-496-3691. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to nhtsa.gov about NHTSA 24V704.