Mercedes will recall 1,168 units of the 2020 GLC 350es as a result of a defect in the routing of the transmission wiring harness.
The automaker first became aware of an issue in September 2020, when a customer outside the U.S. complained that their vehicle lost power while driving. The company investigated, and found similar issues occurring at both GLC plants and in the E-Class. Since those occurred on different platforms and at different plants, Mercedes determined that the problem didn’t stem from an engineering error on its part, and it turned to the wiring harness supplier.
Ultimately, it found that the transmission wiring harness was miss-positioned in certain vehicles. When that is the case, it can make contact with the front driveshaft. Over time, the chafing that occurs as a result of that contact could eat away at the wire and eventually lead to a loss of vehicle propulsion, which increases the risk of a crash.
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Fortunately, there have been no reports of accidents or injuries as a result of this defect, but Mercedes determined on July 1 that a safety risk could not be ruled out and, therefore, launched this recall, which affects GLC 350es made between May 20, 2019, and May 27, 2020, all from the 2020 model year.
The automaker will notify owners of the affected vehicles starting on September 9, 2022. They will be asked to bring their vehicles into an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer, where its wiring harness will be checked and replaced, if necessary. New harnesses will be the correct length and will adhere to current production specifications, making them safer. The production processes for both the GLC 350e and the E-Class have also been updated since May 2021, so this should no longer be a problem in new vehicles.
