Mercedes calls several vehicles for review in Spain for new defects in airbags

eSprinter Roadshow, 2019 eSprinter Roadshow, 2019 MERCEDES BENZ

Mercedes started a recall of different models of its vehicles at the end of June in Spain due to the safety risks posed by the defects again observed in airbags manufactured by the Japanese company Takata.

Takata notified Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes, that under “specific weather conditions” chemical changes could occur in the “gas generator propellant” of certain airbags manufactured by the Japanese company, as detailed in the notification of call to review carried out by the German firm on one of its clients in Spain and to which this medium has had access.

Should these chemical changes occur and an accident occurs that activates the airbag system, it “would no longer perform its restraint function and there would be a risk of injury to passengers due to parts of the gas generator that could become detached. “adds the document.

This preventive call from Mercedes “will be made worldwide” and started “previously in other countries such as the United States and China”, although so far the call process had not started within Europe, Spain being one of the countries where This process has started, “Mercedes assured Servimedia.

The situation has already been communicated to the European Commission and to date Mercedes has not been aware of breakdowns such as those described in any of its models worldwide, the German manufacturer clarified.

“Different models of passenger cars, vans and trucks are affected by this preventive call with worldwide production. The call includes the predecessor models of the V-Class and Vito, ” the German company responded when asked about the origin of the manufacture of the models. potentially affected.

In this sense, the Mercedes website in Spain contains a list of vehicle models that could have problems with defective Takata airbags, specifically: Class A: 169 (manufactured between 2004 and 2012); Class C: 203, 204 (manufactured between 2000 and 2007); Class C: 204 (manufactured between 2007 and 2014); E-Class Saloon: 212 (manufactured between 2009 and 2016) and E-Class Coupé: 207 (manufactured between 2009 and 2015).

The list also includes the M-Class models: 164 (manufactured between 2005 and 2011); Class R: 251 (manufactured between 2005 and 2017); SLK: 171 (manufactured between 2004 and 2010) and SLS: 197 (manufactured between 2009 and 2014).

The call of vehicles to the workshop in Spain will be carried out in phases and began with the “oldest cars of the model years potentially affected from 2005 to 2017″ , details the notification to which this medium has had access and in which the company offers free replacement of the “driver’s airbag” as a “preventive measure”.

A bankrupt company

Takata, which for years supplied components to major car brands, filed for bankruptcy in June 2017 due to debts incurred for the replacement of millions of defective airbags around the world.

The Japanese company’s problems began in 2014, when it was discovered that it had hidden for years a defect in its airbags supplied to more than a dozen vehicle manufacturers, including Honda, Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Ford or General Motors.

Defects seen in Takata airbags have forced numerous manufacturers to call their customers to check components in recent years.