Three million Mercedes cars recalled for emissions fix

EVERY Mercedes-benz car sold in Britain in the past six years is to be recalled amid a “fake” emission results scandal.

Owners of nearly every model made by the German car giant Daimler will be asked to return their vehicle so the engines can be adjusted to reduce the amount of pollutants they emit. It follows the launch of an investigation by the German authorities in May into allegations of fraud and criminal advertising by employees of the firm relating to the possible manipulation of exhaust controls in diesel cars.

Daimler sites have been searched across Germany and the firm has said it is cooperating with the investigation.

The decision to modify around three million vehicles across Europe will cost about £195million (€220million). Daimler’s announcement came hours after the government in the company’s home state of Baden-württemberg agreed to abandon plans to restrict diesels if older cars could be mechanically fixed to pollute less.

The recall will include the C-class and E-class Mercedes-benz. Daimler customers in the UK will shortly begin receiving letters inviting them to book their vehicles into an approved dealership for the work to be carried out. It will take around an hour and will be free of charge. Daimler has been offering a similar voluntary recall on compact diesel cars and V-class vans since March.

It will now cover nearly all vehicles made under the EU5 emissions standards – introduced in 2011 – and the more recent EU6 emissions standards and begin in the next few weeks.