Mercedes S-Class Takes Its Recalls Seriously

The German automaker went to a lot of trouble to fix this potential issue on a single vehicle and submitted all of the paperwork to prove it.
 

Remember when we told you about Mercedes-Benz recalling a single 2021 S 580 4Matic back in February? To jog your memory, at the end of 2022, it found that the car in question might have a loose glass panel that could become detached with the company informing both the NHSTA and the owner. Now, Mercedes submitted a plethora of paperwork to the NHTSA detailing how it found the problem, what it’ll do to fix it, and even what it sent the owner.
 
Automakers keep so many records that even many enthusiasts wouldn’t believe it. In the case of this recall, Mercedes says that a standard review of documents led to a multi-month discussion over safety. The result of those talks led to the recall of a single S-Class sedan.
 
According to Mercedes, it began that review at the end of 2022 and continued discussions about it through mid-February of this year. During that time it was found that the adhesive used to affix a glass panel between the windshield and roof may not remain in place over the “vehicle lifetime.” As a result, it’s recalling the single car with this issue.
 
Interestingly, it doesn’t appear that this is a reactive recall where the owner brought up a potential issue and Mercedes responded after the fact. The official documents filed with the NHTSA specifically say that there are “no warranty claims, field or service reports… related to this defect.” Instead, it’s Mercedes who contacted the owner.
 
In fact, the automaker also filed that letter in conjunction with the recall. In it, Mercedes describes the potential safety issue saying that “a detached glass panel might become a road hazard, which could increase the risk of a crash.” It also tells the owner that their local dealer will replace the glass panel with fresh adhesive.
 
In a service bulletin to dealers, Mercedes-Benz says that it expects the job to take 2.5 labor hours to complete. That includes time to remove, clean, and replace the glass along with time to ensure that the panoramic sunroof continues to work properly with the new glass ahead of it. That might sound like a lot of work but it’s far less than Mercedes went to just to recall this single vehicle.