On March 25 last year, Mercedes issued a recall for 8,396 vehicles. A few examples of the SL were included in said total, and the reason for said recall came in the form of a DISTRONIC software error.
Come June 26 this year, the German manufacturer acknowledged a problem affecting no fewer than 143,551 vehicles, including the 2022 to 2023 model year SL in both 55 and 63 flavors. In the Stuttgart-based automaker’s vernacular, those numbers mean twin-turbo V8 muscle. Adding to the confusion, 63 also stands for a plug-in hybrid turbo four-cylinder powertrain that makes 671 ponies in the C-Class.
Rather than BMW’s archrival, fuel pump supplier Hyundam Industrial of South Korea took the blame for the recall in question. Fast forward to October 6, and Mercedes issued the third recall for the seventh-generation SL. Internally referred to as R232, the heaviest Sport Leicht yet features a wiring harness for the starter and alternator that may not be secured properly. In other words, this blunder may result in a short circuit, leading to a loss of motive power.
That’s not all, though. As per the document attached below, the risk of a fire cannot be ruled out because of the high electrical currents flowing through said wiring harness. Mercedes-Benz USA told the federal watchdog that an insufficiently secured retaining clip allows the wiring harness to contact a drive shaft and chafe. Mercedes further highlights that it became aware of this problem in November 2022 following an incident from outside the US market.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG
Thankfully for the customer in question, the car simply lost propulsion without catching fire. Merc originally shrugged it off as an isolated case, but come August 2023, the company learned of additional incidents. A grand total of six warranty claims and field reports were reported in the United States, with receipt dates ranging from December 7, 2022 to August 15, 2023. The MBAG mothership in Germany isn’t aware of any injuries or deaths potentially related to the aforestated condition.
An estimated 5,326 vehicles are called back in the United States and federalized territories, namely 2022 and 2023 models produced between June 4, 2021 and August 9, 2023. The 232-series SL is manufactured at the Bremen assembly plant exclusively.
Said population is split between 2,567 examples of the 55 and 2,759 examples of the punchier 63. Care to guess how Mercedes dealerships nationwide will remedy this problem? As it happens, service techs will use a cable tie to secure the wiring harness in place. The cable tie is listed under part number A0069973590 in Merc’s parts system, a cable tie that costs only $2 at the moment of reporting.
A bit cheap on the German automaker’s part, but if it does the job, why not? Mercedes changed how the wiring harness is secured on August 30. Owners will be informed about recall number 23V-676 via first-class mail no later than December 5, 2023.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News