Recalls for Mercedes-Benz Diesel vehicles involving software updates.

As early as 2017, Mercedes-Benz announced at the ‘National Diesel Forum’ in Berlin that it would offer voluntary service measures involving software updates for millions of diesel vehicles in Europe.

Since 2018, various mandatory recalls have been added. According to the legal stance of the KBA, certain specific calibrations of functionalities in the engine control of particular vehicle variants need to be changed. In order to obtain clarity on a complex matter, Mercedes-Benz filed objections against the administrative orders issued by the KBA and asked the relevant court for legal clarification on open legal questions. Separate to the legal clarification of this matter, Mercedes-Benz will implement the recalls, continue to cooperate fully with the authorities, and create transparency.

Of course, our service partners conduct these measures free of charge for our customers, with the process expected to take about an hour. For the majority of vehicles on the roads, software updates have already been installed.

In many markets, we offer online tools to customers to determine whether a vehicle is still part of a mandatory recall or a voluntary service measure. For Germany, the tool can be found here: Online-Tool 

An overview of the various orders issued by the KBA to date can be found in the section below.

For many models, only vehicle variants manufactured within a particular production period are affected by a recall. Therefore, the vehicle model and engine name alone cannot accurately determine whether a vehicle is part of a recall.

In many markets, we offer online tools to customers to determine whether a vehicle is still part of a mandatory recall or a voluntary service measure.

In addition, information on recalls can be found in a KBA database:

KBA recall database  (in German only)

The KBA also provides further information on Diesel emissions on their website here:

KBA information on clarification of diesel emissions 

As announced, pursuant to an administrative order by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) Mercedes-Benz conducts a mandatory recall for Mercedes-Benz vehicles with diesel engines in Europe. Approximately 670,000 vehicles were part of this recall in Europe. Approximately 280,000 of those vehicles were located in Germany.

The majority of the vehicles was already part of the voluntary service measure in Europe announced in the summer of 2017.

As already known, the recall ordered by the KBA in 2018 applied solely to vehicles with the emission standard Euro 6b. The recall mainly affects the following models: Vito 1.6-liter diesel (OM 622), C-Class 1.6-liter diesel (OM 626), ML/GLE/GL/GLS 3.0-liter diesel (OM 642), V-Class 2.2-liter diesel (OM 651) and GLC 2.2-liter diesel (OM 651).

In June 2019, the KBA sent Mercedes-Benz an administrative order for the company to recall specific variants of the Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 CDI 4MATIC model with the Euro 5 emissions standard, produced between June 2012 and June 2015.

Approximately 41,000 Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 CDI 4MATIC with the Euro 5 emissions standard which were produced between June 2012 and June 2015 were affected in Europe, of which about 22,500 were located in Germany. These vehicles are part of the ongoing voluntary service measure announced in the summer of 2017.

After receiving the GLK administrative order, Mercedes-Benz stated in June 2019 that the functionality in question was included in various model series and announced that a review would be carried out. This review took place in full cooperation with the KBA, with the implementation of an extensive and time-consuming measuring programme.

Original Announcement

In September 2019, in the context of the review process, Mercedes-Benz reported further passenger car versions to the KBA. The KBA issued extended administrative orders for around 17,000 vehicles in Europe (including around 10,000 in Germany). The order covered the GLK 200/220 CDI 4x2 models of the Euro 5 emissions standard.

Original Announcement

In October 2019 the KBA issued a further recall notice to Mercedes-Benz regarding certain vehicles equipped with the OM651 diesel engine of the Euro 5 emissions standard (N1 & M1 certification) for Europe.

In this context, Mercedes-Benz announced that this recall would affect a middle six-digit number of vehicles in Germany in total. The notice directly affected vehicles of the predecessor of the current Sprinter model.

The other van model series reported to the KBA included older versions of the Euro 5 Vito/Viano model (after the facelift/model update).

Production of the affected van series was stopped completely by the end of June 2016.

Original Announcement

In November 2019, an extended administrative order was issued for certain older versions of the E 250 CDI 4 MATIC model of the Euro 5 emissions standard (affecting less than 1000 vehicles).

Original Announcement

In June 2020, the KBA extended the existing “GLK administrative order” from June 2019 to apply to further specific model variants of the A- and B-Class (engine OM 640) and the C-, E- and S-Class (engine OM 651) with the Euro 5 emissions standard. Production of these vehicles had ended completely by the end of August 2014. The extended administrative order affected approximately 170,000 vehicles in Europe, of which about 60,000 were in Germany.

In June 2020, the KBA issued an administrative order for recalls of certain diesel versions of the A and B class and the CLA with the Euro 5 emissions standard produced between March 2012 and April 2015. To avoid misunderstandings, we would like to point out that this recall was not ordered due to an impermissible defeat device. Rather, inaccuracies had occurred during certification measurements on the test bench: The error may have resulted in a CO₂ recording that is very slightly lower than the actual value. We had proactively informed the KBA about the cause of this error. All emissions (NOx, CO, THC+NOx, PM, PN) are below the legal limit. Around 30,000 vehicles in Germany were affected.

In August 2020, the KBA issued a recall notice to Mercedes-Benz regarding certain older variants of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class (CDI 180 and CDI 160) equipped with OM640 diesel engine (model series 169) for Europe. These vehicles have the Euro 5 emissions standard.

Around 2,300 vehicles of the affected variants were produced for the German market. However, production of these vehicles ended in July 2010.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, the KBA issued administrative orders for certain variants of the Mercedes-Benz A- and B-Class as well as CLA and GLA with OM 607 diesel engine. The vehicles have the emission standards Euro 5 or Euro 6b.

Production of these vehicles for Europe stopped in 2017 at the latest. The software updates for these vehicles have been available for some time and can be installed. Customers were informed. In Germany, there was a low 5-digit number of vehicles still on the roads that had not yet received the relevant software update (as of early 2023).

The objected functionalities are specific temperature-dependent controls of the exhaust gas recirculation (so-called ‘thermal window’).

Due to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) judgement , the KBA had further developed its legal stance in this context and called upon Mercedes-Benz to change the corresponding temperature-dependent calibrations of functionalities in the motor control of certain vehicle types.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the KBA issued an administrative order also objecting to specific temperature-dependent controls of the exhaust gas recirculation (so-called “thermal windows”) in the emissions control system of diesel vehicles. The order affects various Mercedes-Benz diesel models with the Euro 5 and Euro 6b emission standards.

As described in section “2022”, the KBA had further developed its previous legal opinion in this context following the European Court of Justice (ECJ) judgement. 

Customers will be informed in writing if their vehicle is part of the KBA administrative order and a software update still needs to be installed at a service partner. In Germany, this is expected to affect a lower six-digit number of vehicles (as of December 2023).

Customers who have questions about their diesel vehicle are welcome to contact the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center (CAC) in Maastricht at any time under an internationally free phone number: 00800 12 777 777. The international team offers qualified support and advice.

This article was last updated in December 2023.