Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz recalls EQS, S-Class over an MBUX safety glitch that allows drivers to watch TV while driving. Tesla has yet to react to a similar problem with its entertainment system.
We all hate the rush-hour commute with its traffic jams and the wasted time behind the wheel. Without proper engagement on the road, drivers turn to other activities to kill time. Long ago there was music and until recently the phone provided an easy escape, but modern cars upped the game with big-screen infotainment systems offering TV channels, Internet browsing, and even games.
Of course, these novel activities were not supposed to be available while the car is moving, but automakers offered them anyway, supposedly for the passenger’s convenience. The problem is, the driver can click a checkbox to confirm he is the passenger, without further checks in place. This is why Tesla cars are now on the NHTSA’s radar, as playing games while driving can lead to a crash.
Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX infotainment systems seem to suffer from a similar problem, as the German automaker discovered. Unlike Tesla, which did not act on the matter, Mercedes-Benz issued a voluntary recall to correct the problem that affects 227 units of their flagship S-Class and EQS models.
According to an NHTSA document, Mercedes-Benz launched an investigation of this issue in November 2021, after discovering the driver could watch TV and browse the Internet on the MBUX infotainment screen while driving an S-Class in Germany. This should not have been possible if not for a glitch in the infotainment system. The investigation revealed that an incorrect configuration on Mercedes-Benz’s backend server was pushed to the cars that had an active connection.
Once the problem was spotted, it was just as simple to push the correct configuration to the affected cars. This means that no vehicle has to visit a dealer workshop like in a traditional recall, although Mercedes-Benz might alert affected owners, pending NHTSA’s approval.
A similar problem affects Tesla cars, the difference being that Tesla considers this a feature, not a bug. Nevertheless, the NHTSA is investigating this issue too and we will probably see an over-the-air update to correct the problem as well
Of course, these novel activities were not supposed to be available while the car is moving, but automakers offered them anyway, supposedly for the passenger’s convenience. The problem is, the driver can click a checkbox to confirm he is the passenger, without further checks in place. This is why Tesla cars are now on the NHTSA’s radar, as playing games while driving can lead to a crash.
Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX infotainment systems seem to suffer from a similar problem, as the German automaker discovered. Unlike Tesla, which did not act on the matter, Mercedes-Benz issued a voluntary recall to correct the problem that affects 227 units of their flagship S-Class and EQS models.
According to an NHTSA document, Mercedes-Benz launched an investigation of this issue in November 2021, after discovering the driver could watch TV and browse the Internet on the MBUX infotainment screen while driving an S-Class in Germany. This should not have been possible if not for a glitch in the infotainment system. The investigation revealed that an incorrect configuration on Mercedes-Benz’s backend server was pushed to the cars that had an active connection.
Once the problem was spotted, it was just as simple to push the correct configuration to the affected cars. This means that no vehicle has to visit a dealer workshop like in a traditional recall, although Mercedes-Benz might alert affected owners, pending NHTSA’s approval.
A similar problem affects Tesla cars, the difference being that Tesla considers this a feature, not a bug. Nevertheless, the NHTSA is investigating this issue too and we will probably see an over-the-air update to correct the problem as well
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