Recall Date: 4/3/2026
NHTSA ID: 26V216
MFr. Campaign Number: N/A
Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
Affected Components: Propeller Shaft (Drive Shaft Universal Joint)
Potential Number of Units Affected: ~24,092
Which Mercedes-Benz vehicles are affected?
This recall covers 12 model variants across the 2018–2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and S-Class lineups, all equipped with 4MATIC all-wheel drive. The affected production window runs from October 1, 2017, through December 18, 2019. Mercedes-Benz estimates that 100% of the 24,092 vehicles in the recall population carry the defect.
The root cause traces to a production process deficiency at IFA Group, the Tier 1 supplier responsible for manufacturing the drive shaft. Insufficient production parameters allowed wear to develop at the universal joint over time. As the joint wears, it can lose lubricant and ultimately fracture, severing the connection between the transfer case and the front-axle differential. The result is a loss of drive without warning and an increased risk of a crash.
What drivers need to know
Drivers may notice noises and vibrations before the issue reaches a critical point. That is the expected warning pattern, but it is not guaranteed. Mercedes-Benz’s endurance testing confirmed that in some cases, the universal joint can fail without any noise or vibration preceding it. A driver may not indicate that anything is wrong until propulsion is lost.
The fix requires a dealer visit. There is no over-the-air update for this condition. An authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer will inspect the drive shaft on each affected vehicle and replace it if the inspection warrants it. The repair is covered at no cost to the owner.
Dealers were notified on April 10, 2026. VINs became searchable in the NHTSA recall database the same day. Owner remedy notification letters are scheduled to begin mailing by June 2, 2026, as a phased recall. Owners can verify their vehicle’s recall status at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Mercedes-Benz also plans to provide pre-notice reimbursement information to owners who may have previously paid out of pocket for a related repair.
Mercedes-Benz recall background
The issue that triggered this recall first surfaced in October 2025, when Mercedes-Benz AG received a report from outside the U.S. in which a customer lost propulsion without any prior warning. MBAG had been tracking noise and vibration complaints tied to the universal joint, which fit the expected wear pattern. An incident with no warning at all was a different problem.
MBAG initiated testing immediately. Analysis conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 was unable to reproduce or explain the absence of a warning. A second round of endurance testing, conducted from February through March 2026 using pre-damaged drive shafts driven to failure, produced the answer: noise and vibration do not necessarily occur before the joint fractures. On March 27, 2026, MBAG determined that a safety risk could not be ruled out and decided to conduct a recall. The Part 573 report was submitted to NHTSA on April 3, 2026.
In the U.S., MBAG is aware of 30 warranty claims filed between January 2022 and April 2025. The issue was corrected in production on December 20, 2019, through a change in the supplier’s manufacturing process. All vehicles produced after that date are outside the recall population.
For a full view of Mercedes-Benz’s recall activity and other major OEM recalls this quarter, see BizzyCar’s most recent quarterly recall report.
Read the latest BizzyCar Quarterly Recall Report
How BizzyCar can help
With 24,092 vehicles in the recall population and owner notification letters not scheduled until June 2, there is nearly a two-month window where affected owners will have no official word from Mercedes-Benz. For Mercedes-Benz dealers with E-Class and S-Class 4MATIC customers in their database, that window is a direct opportunity.
BizzyCar’s Recall Outreach product identifies which vehicles in a dealer’s customer base carry open recalls and reaches those owners through automated two-way SMS, before NHTSA letters arrive, before the service drive backs up, and before customers are left wondering why nobody told them. A drive shaft inspection is a straightforward service event. For dealers, getting ahead of it means bringing a customer in on their terms. Book a Demo.