Mercedes slow to warn drivers of safety recalls
DETROIT — The U.S. government is investigating Mercedes-Benz, alleging that the German automaker has been slow to mail safety recall notices and file required reports involving recalls of over 1.4 million vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said a review found that Mercedes’ U.S. unit exceeded time limits for mailing letters to owners. In documents posted on its website, the agency also said it has questions about the company’s process and cadence for making recall decisions and notifying the government about them.
After an annual audit of recall files, the agency said it sent a letter to Mercedes outlining a list of problems with 2017 recalls.
“This list included numerous recalls in which MBUSA failed to notify owners of vehicle recalls within the full 60 days the company has under federal regulation,” the letter said.
In addition, the agency found that numerous times, Mercedes left out information about the problem that caused the recall or details of its recall plans. Those details included the percentage of vehicles affected by the recall problem and information about when the recalls would start.
The company didn’t answer the agency’s request to identify the steps it would take to meet notification requirements, the letter said.
Company spokesman Robert Moran said in an statement that customer safety is Mercedes’ highest priority.
“We make every effort to ensure our recall campaigns and customer notifications are executed in a timely manner. We will work closely with NHTSA on this audit query to address its concerns,” the statement said.
The letter says Mercedes must respond to the letter within three weeks.