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A dark grey SUV seen from above on a sloping concrete ramp, its driver's door standing open.

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Mercedes dated two owner letters September 18 for its 310,667-vehicle rollaway recall: one says the fix is ready, the other says it is not, and the only parts release in the federal file covers 3,504 vehicles.

4 min read

Original editorial artwork generated for Hugin.

Mercedes-Benz is recalling 310,667 vehicles, model year 2019 to 2026 A-Class, CLA, C-Class, CLE, GLA, GLB and GLC models, because a switch in the driver's door lock can corrode and miss that the door is open, so the electronic parking brake or Auto-Park may not engage and the car could roll away. The owner letters, posted to NHTSA's recall file on September 27, come in two versions, both dated September 18, 2026. One says 'The remedy is now available for your vehicle.' The other says 'Unfortunately, the remedy is not yet available.' Mercedes's September 11 notice to dealers, headed Wave 1, made parts orderable for 3,504 vehicles, just over 1 percent of the recall; the file shows no later release. The fix, a new driver door lock, is free. Owners can check a VIN at mbusa.com/recall or on NHTSA.gov. Mercedes told NHTSA it plans to notify owners about reimbursement for repairs they already paid for, but neither posted letter mentions it. Mercedes says it knows of no rollaway in the U.S.

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If you drive a Mercedes-Benz A-Class, CLA, C-Class, CLE, GLA, GLB or GLC from model years 2019 to 2026, the company may have written to you about your driver's door. A switch inside the lock can corrode and stop noticing when the door opens. Then the car may not set its own parking brake as you get out, and it could roll away.

Mercedes is recalling 310,667 vehicles for it. Its owner letters, posted September 27 to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public recall file, come in two versions, both dated September 18, 2026.

Same date, opposite news

One letter says:

The remedy is now available for your vehicle.

It adds: "This repair will be provided FREE of charge."

The other says:

Unfortunately, the remedy is not yet available. We are working to obtain the necessary parts to address this important safety recall as quickly as possible.

It promises another letter when the remedy becomes available, and gives no date.

Parts for 3,504 of 310,667

Mercedes's notices to its dealers give a clue to the split. On July 31 it told them "The remedy is not available at this time." On September 11 it sent a launch notice headed Wave 1: parts could now be ordered for 3,504 vehicles, which the notice lists as GLA, GLB and GLC models from 2021 to 2026. That is just over 1 percent of the recall. The federal file, re-checked September 28, holds no second wave.

Which cars

Per model family, as summed by Hugin from Mercedes's July 24 report:

  • GLB 250 and AMG GLB 35, 2020-2026: 133,681
  • GLA 250, AMG GLA 35 and AMG GLA 45, 2021-2025: 57,337
  • A 220 and AMG A 35, 2019-2022: 46,612
  • GLC 300, GLC 300 Coupe and AMG GLC 43, 2023-2024: 36,125
  • C 300 and AMG C 43, 2022-2023: 23,871
  • CLA 250, AMG CLA 35 and AMG CLA 45, 2020-2021: 12,596
  • CLE 300, CLE 450 and AMG CLE 53, 2024: 445

Not every car of those models is included, so check yours. The report ties the corrosion to sustained heat and humidity, but the recall covers "the entirety of the United States and its territories", dry states included.

What to do

  • Check your vehicle identification number at mbusa.com/recall or with the agency's recall lookup at nhtsa.gov.
  • If your letter says the remedy is available, book a dealer. The new driver door lock is free, and the letter says the repair time "can be less than 2 hours". Mention Mercedes recall 2026080004. The dealer notices print another campaign number, 2026070007; the federal one, 26V481, is on every document.
  • If your letter says it is not, there is nothing to book yet. Mercedes takes questions at 1-800-367-6372.
  • Watch the radio and lights. Mercedes says reports from 2021 to 2024 described "the continued operation of the radio or lights when vehicles were exited". It counts 176 U.S. field cases between March 1, 2021 and June 9, 2026, "all comfort-function related", and says it "is not aware of any case of rollaway in the US".
  • If you already paid to fix this, keep the receipt. Mercedes told the agency it "plans to provide notice about pre-notice reimbursement to owners". Neither posted letter does, though a federal rule, 49 CFR 577.11, requires owner letters to mention possible reimbursement unless the agency grants an exception.

What the record does not say

  • How many owners got each letter. The 3,504 figure comes from a dealer notice, not a mailing count.
  • When parts will reach the other 307,163 vehicles. No document gives a date.
  • Exactly which models are in Wave 1. The September 11 notice lists GLA, GLB and GLC. Mercedes's repair bulletin for the same 3,504 vehicles lists "GLB (247 platform)" and no GLC.
  • Whether a reimbursement notice went out separately or as an enclosure. The file holds none.
  • Whether Wave 1 is mostly unsold stock. The July notice counted 3,507 recalled vehicles in dealer inventory, close to Wave 1's 3,504. No document links the two numbers.
  • What to do while waiting. The interim letter offers no precaution beyond the phone number. Mercedes left its report's Do Not Drive and Park Outside boxes unchecked.

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