Two Mercedes-Benz GLS variants are being recalled in the United States because of a wiring harness issue.
The German car manufacturer has revealed that the wiring harness for one of the front airbag sensors could be damaged in the event of a front impact. If this is to happen, a second-stage frontal airbag deployment may be triggered when only a first-stage deployment is required.
A recall notice issued with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that a “non-compliance cannot be ruled out for the specific frontal crash condition of a rigid wall with 100% overlap at 0 degrees at a speed between 13 and 16 mph for an unbelted 5th percentile adult female in an ‘out-of position’ scenario.”
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In layman’s terms, that means impacted vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, ‘Occupant Crash Protection.’
Mercedes-Benz says the issue is caused due to a deviation in the development and production process of the wiring harness that means it may be positioned incorrectly. The driver will not receive a warning if the fault is present.
The recall involves a total of 35 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 models produced between April 29, 2019 and February 13, 2020 as well as 46 examples of the GLS 580, built from April 29, 2019 to February 13, 2020.
To rectify the issue, Mercedes-Benz dealers will correct the wiring harness routing on affected vehicles. Dealers were notified of the voluntary recall campaign on July 8 while owners will be informed on or before August 30, 2022.
