Mercedes must recall 3 EQS all-electric sedans because someone at the factory didn’t apply enough glue to the rearview mirror. While that may sound like a relatively small problem, it has wide-ranging impacts on the performance of the car’s safety systems.
In documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mercedes reveals that, because the rearview mirror was “insufficiently attached” to the windshield, it could fall off completely.
If that happens, it’s not just a problem for those who want to an eye on what’s going on behind them. It’s also a problem for Mercedes’ advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) since the housing also contains a camera within it.
Read: Crash Avoidance Tech Is Effective But Plagued By Costly Repairs And Calibration Issues
That means that, if the mirror falls off, the EQS could lose adaptive cruise control, active steering assist, brake assists with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, the rain and light sensors, as well as the augmented reality function, among others. Worse still, Mercedes suggests that the problem could even impair the deployment of the airbags.
Fortunately, the problem is limited to just 3 EQS 580s from the 2022 model year. Mercedes doesn’t provide any information about what caused these mirror assemblies to be insufficiently affixed to the car, but the solution is simple, if extensive.
In order to fix this problem, Mercedes will replace the windshield and reinstall the camera and rearview mirror assembly in affected vehicles. The repairs will be made free of charge to the customer, and the automaker plans to start getting in touch with owners of the EQS 580 starting on April 11.
In addition to replacing the windshield, Mercedes technicians will likely have to calibrate the cameras, something the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety points out, can be expensive and difficult to do properly. Among drivers who had to have their windshields replaced, those with ADAS systems reported more recurring issues following their repairs, suggesting that the three Mercedes owners who will be contacted as part of this recall will likely have to keep a close eye on how well their safety systems are working.
