Sedans from 2001 to 2011 were affected, including the C-class, CLK-class, CLS-class, and E-class.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced the recall of nearly 750,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the U.S. market due to sunro-windowed glass panels that can detach from their frames.
The recall affected older Mercedes-Benz sedans until 2011 and no injuries or accidents were reported.
The company is also being audited by NHTSA and must pay up to $20 million in fines for mishandled previous recalls.
Mercedes-Benz is recalling 744,852 cars in the United States to ensure their panoramic sunroro windows are not unwinding, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records. This issue particularly affected all details of these vehicles: 2001–2007 C-class, 2003–2009 CLK-class, 2007–2011 CLS-class, and 2003–2009 E-class.
On older C-class, CLK-class, CLS-class, and E-class models, the glue that holds the glass plate with the sliding frame may be reduced in quality. Supplier Webasto did not cover enough primer for the frame during installation, the automaker said. Mercedes-Benz began investigating the issue in December 2017 when it received reports of sunro windows being separated outside the United States and was unable to give a clear root cause until an unknown date after November 2018, according to the records. The automaker did not say how many sunro windows were damaged or reported any accidents or injuries.
Last month, Mercedes-Benz was fined $20 million for mishandled dozens of recalls and is currently under two years of NHTSA inspection. Owners of Mercedes-Benz vehicles from 2001 to 2011 can enter their VIN number on the automaker’s website to find out if it is related to the recall.
Agents will inspect the roofs starting in mid-February and replace only those roofs identified by the plant as faulty. The repair process has not yet been announced for NHTSA.
