Mercedes-Benz warns 800K owners their vehicle could catch fire

All eyes were on Mercedes-Benz this week as the German marque revealed the Vision EQXX. It featured a sleek design and over 1,000km of electric driving range. But it seems the EQXX is not the only reason they’re the talk of the town. Mercedes will reportedly issue a recall for over 800,000 vehicles, but there are no parts for it yet.

It was first reported in the German newspaper Bild when they obtained a copy of a letter sent to affected owners. Mercedes-Benz later confirmed that the letter is indeed authentic. The letter has been sent to some 800,000 Mercedes-Benz owners affected by the defect. Specifically, the issue has been traced to a leaky coolant pump, which could heat up components and potentially cause a fire.

While the number of vehicles involved is quite big, that isn’t the biggest issue. Bild adds that the automaker doesn’t have parts to fix the problem just yet. It’s also why a recall is not possible at the moment but will be launched once components are available.

The affected vehicles are exclusive to diesel-powered models of the GLC, GLE, GLS, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLS, and the G-Class built from January 2017 to October 2021. In particular, those fitted with the OM 654 or the OM 656 engines.

Since there is no official fix yet, Mercedes-Benz told owners in the letter that the “affected vehicle should be driven in a particularly prudent manner and usage reduced to the bare minimum”.

There’s no word whether the affected vehicles are only for the European market around the world. Locally, Mercedes-Benz Philippines does offer the GLE, GLS, and the G-Wagen with diesel variants that use the said engines. So if you happen to own a diesel GLE, GLS, or G-Class here, you might want to ask the dealership if your vehicle is affected.