It’s not been a great week for Mercedes. First, it was caught reportedly using cheat devices in its diesel engines, and now it is recalling 20,000 of its premium EQC electric SUVs.
The recall affects 20,000 EQC electric cars sold across Europe and impacts vehicles made between 11 December 2019 and 18 May 2020.
This, the eighth different recall for the EQC, is related to the car’s wiring harness. According to Mercedes, the harness in the car’s steering column could have been damaged during production.
In vehicles with a damaged wiring harness, moisture may leak into the car’s electronics, which could lead to the loss of the EV’s electric power steering.
Water in the controls could also increase the risk of accidents, and a short circuit in the system could result in a fire. That’s not something you want to hear might happen to your $US60,000 (A$80,866) SUV. Especially one full of extremely flammable batteries.
The recall of the Mercedes EQC is so far limited to vehicles sold in Europe. However, it’s similar to other recalls the German automaker issued last year.
In October 2020, the car giant announced that the Mercedes GLC had similar wiring issues across its hybrid and coupe models.
The recall across the U.S. affected more than 2,500 cars, which Mercedes reported had damaged wiring harnesses that could similarly result in a loss of power steering or an electrical short.
To remedy this issue in the U.S., dealers inspected the wiring harness in affected vehicles. If damage was found, they replaced any affected parts free of charge.
It isn’t just the wiring that has gone awry in Mercedes’ EQC, though. In fact, this is now the eighth recall the automaker has been forced to implement since the EQC was launched.
The luxury SUV, which premiered in 2018, was previously recalled due to issues with the axle differential, airbags, rear seating, impact sensors and battery housing.
Seriously, how hard is it to make a car these days?