Certain driving behavior could leave the owners of 2022-2023 Mercedes EQS and S-Class models with a speedometer that reads 0 mph, regardless of their actual speed. The problem relates to a flaw in the ESP software that could constitute a safety issue.
Therefore, Mercedes is recalling 7,558 vehicles in the United States, which includes examples of the 2022 Mercedes EQS 450 and EQS 580, the 2023 Mercedes S 580e, and the 2023 Mercedes-Maybach S580 and S680.
The automaker first became aware of an issue relating to the ESP system in January 2022, when it received a single field report of lost dynamic control systems. That turned into a pretty big problem because the car lost functions like acceleration slip regulation, electronic brake force distribution, and even its anti-lock braking system.
Read: If Your Mercedes Or Maybach S580’s Carpets Are Wet, You Might Have A Serious Safety Issue
Mercedes immediately looked into the problem, but it proved to be a tough one to nail down. Because of a dead-end lead, it would up taking the German automaker until July before it was ready to address the issue.
Using simulation of field conditions, Mercedes’ engineers found that they could trigger the error that led to the failure of the ESP system. Although it says that certain driving conditions can interfere with the routines executed by the system, it does not specify which conditions those are. However, Mercedes is aware of 96 reports that could be related to this issue, though none of them have resulted in accidents or injuries.
A failure of the ESP system can limit the functionality of related technologies, such as ABS, ASR, and EBD, and can lead the speedometer to read 0 mph while the vehicle is in motion.
All of these issues present their own challenges to the driver and together increase the risk of an accident. Fortunately, Mercedes has prepared a software upgrade that it believes will remedy the issue.
It will start reaching out to owners on July 18, and they will be asked to return to the dealer to have the update installed by an authorized Mercedes technician.
