Laguna Hills, CA – December 18, 2018 – Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2019 GLC300 vehicles due to a potential issue with power steering. Daimler AG (“DAG”) has determined that on certain Model Year (“MY”) GLCClass vehicles (253 platforms), an internal sensor within the electric power steering unit might not meet specifications due to a production deviation at a supplier. The potential number of units affected is seven.
The Defect
According to the NHTSA Recall Safety Report, an internal sensor within the electric power steering unit may fail, deactivating the power steering assist. If the sensor were to fail while driving, the position of the electronic motor within the power steering unit would no longer be detected, resulting in a deactivation of the power steering support. This would increase the risk of a crash. The customer will be made aware of a deactivation of the power steering support by a warning message in the instrument cluster.
Timeline of Events
In August 2018, DAG launched initial investigations based on a declaration of a supplier regarding potential deviations of certain power steering units, and immediately initiated a plant campaign. In September 2018, further investigations were carried out in conjunction with the supplier to analyze the failure mode within the production at the supplier.
In October 2018, DAG and the supplier co-reviewed logistics documents to determine which steering assemblies might potentially be affected, and further analyses were completed to identify potentially affected vehicles. In November 2018, DAG determined that there was potential failure of the magnetic sensor, and that a potential safety risk could not be ruled out and made the decision to issue a voluntary recall for affected vehicles.
The Solution
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering unit, free of charge. An interim letter will be mailed beginning January 25, 2019 to notify owners of the issue. A second letter will be mailed once remedy parts are available. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Owners may also call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153). The NHTSA Campaign Number for this recall is 18V-840.
