Mercedes-Benz’s new recall affects nearly 125,000 cars. It’s also a doozy, with problematic models dating back more than two decades. According to the company, the sunroof glass panels may not be installed properly on certain cars and may detach from the vehicle. The recall involves 123,696 C-Class, E-Class, CLK-Class and CLS-Class models built from 2001 to 2011. This also includes high-powered AMG variants.
Based on documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this issue first came to Mercedes’ attention in December 2017. The automaker launched a preliminary investigation into claims from outside the US of sunroof panels detaching from the vehicle. Mercedes discovered during the investigation that the supplier had changed the sunroof manufacturing process over the years, changing the drying time for the sunroof glass bonding agent.
The findings resulted in the company issuing a recall in December 2019 for the matter. The automaker determines that bonding agents may be out of specification during certain production periods. Subsequent investigations continued to find problems with the part, forcing the automaker to expand the scope of the recall by March 2021.
During the intervention period, Mercedes continued to work closely with its suppliers to determine the extent and cause of the problem. In April 2022, automakers learned that parts that underwent the complete curing process could still experience separation issues. Months later, in September 2022, a supplier discovered that several factors during the manufacturing process can affect part quality, not just drying time, which led the automaker to initiate this latest recall.
To remedy the situation, Mercedes will require owners to bring their affected vehicles to dealers for inspection. Technicians will replace sunroof panels as needed and free of charge. The automaker will start notifying customers by mail starting February 21, 2023. While the recall affects 123,000 cars in America, the automaker noted that it has yet to receive any reports of the issue from the US market.
