Quality assurance at Mercedes-Benz has a big win on its hands, after it found a problem in a small number of EQS sedans that could have easily gone dangerously unnoticed. The issue relates to the rear seat belts and the bolts that hold them in place.
The automaker launched an investigation into the problem in April, after its quality assurance team found that the rear seat belt buckle bolt connection was loose in a vehicle. That led to a hunt for the root cause of the trouble.
Its investigation determined that the vehicle was one of a handful that had been reworked at the production plant, and bolt torque data and other documentation were used to determine that five 2022-2023 EQS450s and one 2022 EQS580 also potentially had improperly torqued bolts in the U.S. market.
Read: 450,000 Honda Vehicles Recalled For Potential Seatbelt Malfunction
The loose bolts in the belt buckle are a problem because vibrations from the act of driving or a crash could loosen the bolts further, and cause them to fail when they are called upon to restrain a passenger.
That could lead to an increased risk of injury in an accident, and due to the nature of the fault, there’s no real way for drivers or passengers to learn about the issue until it’s too late. Fortunately, Mercedes reports that it has received zero warranty claims or field reports relating to this problem, and that it is not aware of any accidents or injuries as a result of it.
In order to prevent any from happening, the automaker will start reaching out to the owners of these electric vehicles starting on August 29. They will be asked to return their vehicle to an authorized dealership, where the bolts in question will be inspected and, if necessary, tightened to the correct torque rating.
