In what could not have been an easy move to make, the luxury carmaker has recalled up to 1 million Mercedes-Benz C-class, E-class, CLA, GLA and GLC due to a fire safety issue. These models are built between 2015 and 2017, according to a Reuters report.
It was reported that repeated attempts to start a car which won't turn over could lead to overheating and melting of other car parts. Mercedes started investigating the case last July after reports of 'thermally damaged' cars were filed. Though there have been no injuries involved in these accidents, a total of 51 fires have been reported worldwide, with 30 in the United States alone.
Owners will find out by the end of this month whether their cars are affected or not. They will also be notified about when replacement parts are available, which will be around July. Dealers will take about an hour to rectify the issue, and will install another fuse to prevent fires. All work will be free of charge.
A Mercedes spokesman said that up to "75,000 cars in the UK" would be affected. Of the million vehicles to be recalled, 307,629 are in the United States, the Reuters report further added. In a statement, Damler Ag confirmed that when the engine is damaged and cannot crank, "a very high electric current can flow through the starting current limiter causing it to overheat".