Mercedes-Benz Metris Recalls For Potential Loss Of Drive Power

Available in cargo and passenger flavors, the Mercedes-Benz Metris has been hit with a recall due to potential fuel pump failure. Suspect fuel pumps were produced by South Korean supplier Hyundam Industries, whereas the affected population of vans was assembled in South Carolina from CKD kits between April 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023.
 

According to a chronology report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the German automaker’s van-making division started investigating field reports and warranty claims alleging inconsistent fuel delivery at the beginning of June 2022. By the end of 2022, Mercedes-Benz AG and the supplier conducted numerous tests and analyses, identifying an issue with the raw material used to produce the fuel pump impellers.
 
The material in question was supplied by a sub-supplier rather than Hyundam. The unnamed sub-supplier was booted in January 2023. Rather than recalling potentially affected vehicles then and there, Mercedes-Benz AG continued to investigate said condition through June 2023. No fewer than 2,031 field reports and warranty claims later, a safety recall was published on the NHTSA’s website.
 
No fewer than 20,500 examples of the Metris and Sprinter were recalled, namely vans assembled between April 21, 2021 and December 23, 2022. Following the recall, Mercedes-Benz AG continued product monitoring. In July 2023, the Stuttgart-based automaker became aware of reports involving fuel pump failures on vehicles produced outside the original recall population. Curious, huh?
 
The subsequent analyses and tests revealed that additional batches of raw material that didn’t meet the required material characteristic were used by the injection molding supplier to make fuel pump impellers. In addition to the original 2,031 claims and reports, Mercedes-Benz AG further received 1,901 claims and reports for a grand total of 3,932 for both the Metris and the more spacious Sprinter.
 

On January 5, dealers will be instructed to replace the fuel delivery module – including the fuel pump O ring – on affected vehicles. Known owners will be informed by first-class mail no later than February 16. According to Merc, the condition described earlier can no longer occur starting March 1.
 
The raw material used by the injection molding supplier can result in a deformed fuel pump impeller, which – due to deformation – may lead to a shutdown of the fuel pump while driving. On this occasion, Merc has recalled 13,726 units of the Metris.
 
Marketed as the V-Class, Vito, and Viano in Europe, the Metris was discontinued after the 2023 model year due to abysmally poor sales in the North American market. The announcement came in August 2022, with Mercedes confirming the death of both the cargo van and passenger specification.
 
Still available to configure and order on the automaker’s US website, the Metris starts at $39,600 and $43,600, respectively. Both versions come standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasser connected to the 9G-Tronic torque-converter automatic. In this application, the M274 engine belts out 208 horsepower at 5,500 revolutions per minute and 258 pound-feet (350 Nm) of torque between 1,250 and 4,000 rpm.