Mercedes-Benz has become the latest automaker forced to order a recall due to a potential fire risk on almost 6,000 of its luxury sedans, coupes and crossovers.
A who’s-who of automotive brand names has been caught up by fire-related issues -- ranging from leaky engines to power window switches that could inadvertently short-circuit – so far this year.
The latest entrant into this select club is Mercedes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordering the recall of about 5,800 of the German maker’s products – covering eight separate models – because of a faulty fuel filter flange.
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According to regulators, a defect in the molding process can led the flange to crack and possibly spill gasoline during refueling. That, in turn, could cause a fire.
The models covered by the recall include the C300, CL550, CL63 AMG, E350, GLK350, S400 Hybrid, S550 and S63 AMG.
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The maker plans to notify owners and begin the repairs next month – at no charge – once dealers across the country have a sufficient supply of replacement parts.
The Mercedes recall follows a series of other fire-related safety actions that now have affected around 4 million vehicles in the U.S. market alone this year.
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The largest of the recall was announced earlier in autumn when Toyota recalled 2.5 million vehicles sold in the U.S. – and nearly 7.5 million worldwide – due to a faulty window switch that can short-circuit and cause a fire.
Ford most recently recalled its newest Fusion and Escape models because of a potential engine coolant leak. The fluid could come in contact with hot engine components and catch fire. It was the third fire-related recall of the Escape this year.