Mercedes and Chrysler are recalling more than 150,000 vehicles over safety issues

Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler are recalling more than 150,000 vehicles over safety issues, adding to the more than 1 million cars already recalled by automakers in March.

Stuttgart, Germany-based Mercedes said it needed to recall 116,020 vehicles due to a loose 48-volt ground connection under the passenger seat. The defect could cause the wiring to overheat and start a fire, according to documents filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Wednesday. Mercedes said no crashes or injuries have been caused by the defect.

The defect affects all vehicles recalled, including 34 products across model years 2019 through 2024. This includes the following models: AMG GLE53, AMG GLE63 S, AMG GLS63, GLE350, GLE450, GLE580, GLS450, GLS580, and GLS600.

According to Mercedes, dealers will be notified of the recall on March 22, while owners will be notified before May 14. Owners can bring their car to an authorized Mercedes dealer, who will check for the defect and replace the part if necessary.

Wednesday’s notice marks the fourth recall in recent weeks for Mercedes.

Last month, the automaker recalled more than 105,000 GLE and GLS vehicles over a defective transmission, which may not fully downshift in certain conditions, stalling the engine and increasing the risk of a crash. Mercedes also recalled nearly 32,000 vehicles over a defective fuse that could result in a sudden loss of driving power. Plus, it had to recall more than 250,000 vehicles worldwide on Feb. 20 over faulty fuses.

Meanwhile, Chrysler said on Wednesday it would recall more than 38,100 vehicles in the U.S. over driver’s side airbags that aren’t able to deploy. Chrysler is the U.S. branch of Stellantis, the global giant created by the 2021 merger of Fiat Chrysler and the French PSA Group.

“The steering column control module may not be welded properly, which can prevent the driver’s [airbag] from deploying in a crash,” increasing the risk of an injury, Chrysler said. The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based company will also recall nearly 11,000 replacement steering column control modules.

The recalls affect certain model years 2023 through 2024, including the Ram, Jeep, and Chrysler models, Jeep Wrangler, Wagoneer, and Ram 3500 and 2500. Owners will receive letters on May 3, and qualified dealers will inspect and replace the parts, if necessary, for free.

Another 1,831 2016 model-year Jeep Wrangler Right-Hand Drive vehicles are being recalled over parts that may fail and prevent airbags from deploying. Owners will be notified on May 3 and can get the affected parts replaced, free of charge, at a qualified dealer.

Wednesday’s recall is just the latest problem for Chrysler, which was forced to file a recall notice for 36,093 model year 2023 through 2024 Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale models over a non-compliant tire placard.

Since the year began, Chrysler has recalled over 663,000 vehicles, while Mercedes has recalled 281,000, according to the NHTSA. Neither holds a candle to Ford Motor Co., which remains a recall leader; the Detroit automaker has recalled more than 2.1 million vehicles over the past three months.

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