Mercedes-Benz bulletin LI46.80-P-080662
What it saysComplaint Rattling/knocking noise from the rear axle steering is audible when driving on rough terrain or cobblestones. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mercedes-Benz filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 1, 2026, received Jun 2, 2026, about the steering. It names 18 model years (2020–2026). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationComplaint Rattling/knocking noise from the rear axle steering is audible when driving on rough terrain or cobblestones. Large play in the rear axle steering. Cause Diverse functional play in the rear axle steering. Remedy 1. Detach underfloor paneling under rear axle steering. 2. Unscrew both holders of the rear muffler on the exhaust system and lower the rear muffler 3. Remove heat shield. 4. Remove large clamps from left bellows. 5. Slide bellows to side. The bellows can be pulled outwards to work on the screw-on stud. 6. A second person sits in the vehicle and, with the drive activated and the automatic transmission in the N position, turns the steering to left lock. Caution! Risk of trapping when steering at the same time! Do not move steering wheel during operation steps 7 and 8! 7. Clean screw-on stud of any grease using a clean, lint-free rag. => Up to the area where the stud enters the bearing! Then completely degrease the threaded stud using a lint-free cloth soaked in a suitable assembly cleaner (e.g., A 000 986 56 01); if necessary, clean hard-to-reach areas with the assembly cleaner. => Up to the area where the stud enters the bearing! Important:The surface must be thoroughly cleaned and free of grease! 8. Then apply Hylomar (A 001 989 25 20 09) all around to the degreased screw-on stud using a new brush. => Up to the area where the stud enters the bearing! 9. Move steering wheel from end stop to end stop 1-2 times. Then, turn the steering to the left lock again. Warning! Risk of trapping when steering at the same time! 10. Then apply Hylomar again. 11. Move steering wheel from end stop to end stop 1-2 times. Then, turn the steering to the right lock. Warning! Risk of trapping when steering at the same time! 12. Bellows installation: Coat contact surfaces of bellows and rack-and-pinion steering lightly with Renolit (A094 989 38 00). When doing so, ensure that the grease is underneath the edges of the bellows. Replace large clamps (A 000 995 89 08). 13. Repeat operation steps 4 to 5 on the other side. 14. Then repeat operation steps 7 to 12 for the screw-on stud on the other side. 15. Attach heat shield. 16. Install both holders of the rear muffler again. 17. Attach underfloor paneling. 18. When relocating the vehicle on the premises, please use Snow Chain Mode through the head unit. 19. Leave the Hylomar to dry for approx. 90 minutes. Note:Deacti
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LI46.80-P-080662 | Service bulletin | Jun 1, 2026 | 11033168 | PDF, 3,388 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| A 000 986 56 01 | — | — | |
| A 001 989 25 20 | — | — | |
| A 000 995 89 08 | One-ear clamp 2 X | — | eBay Motors → |
| A094 989 38 00 | Complex grease | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (8 pages), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Mercedes-Benz’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 S E; 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 S E 4MATIC+; 2020 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4MATIC Cabriolet; 2020 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4MATIC Wagon; 2026 Mercedes-Benz E53 E 4MATIC+ ALL-Terrain.
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 13 model years this bulletin names have filed 281 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 4 of them name Steering — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the steering
Source: same model, same component group13 other manufacturer communications filed against these Mercedes-Benz models under the same component group (steering), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Mercedes-Benz list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| LI46.10-P-080896 | Service bulletin | Sep 26, 2026 | Complaint Slight creaking noises when steering. Cause Noises may come from one or more sleeves of the horn contact plate. Remedy Remove the… |
| LI46.10-P-077314 | Service bulletin | Sep 25, 2026 | Complaint Noises in the steering column area when steering. See example file in the attachments area: "MRSM‑Schleifgeräusch_SCCMGrindingNois… |
| LI46.35-P-067339 | Service bulletin | Aug 28, 2026 | Complaint During part of the steering movement, it feels heavier or more difficult to steer in the same spot every time. OR Rattling, hummi… |
| LI46.15-P-070510 | Service bulletin | May 22, 2026 | Complaint Noises from the area of the steering column. - Creaking - Squeaking - Chattering - Humming - Grinding Cause At present, there are… |
| LI82.90-P-080159 | Service bulletin | Feb 28, 2026 | Complaint Stored DTC C220564 - "There is an internal fault in the steering angle sensor. There is an implausible signal." In the quick test… |
| LI46.10-P-079582 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2025 | Complaint Valeo Steering Column Module (N80) goes into bootloader after updating software to A2239028729. To verify the supplier and softwar… |
| LI46.10-P-079375 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2025 | Complaint Criteria: • Customer concern for ESP/Brake or Steering yellow instrument cluster message. • DTC's C220564 or P161447 in the Steeri… |
| LI46.15-P-063353 | Service bulletin | Jun 9, 2025 | Complaint Height adjustment of electric steering column adjustment jammed in the top/bottom adjustment position… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Mercedes-Benz, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Mercedes-Benz LI46.80-P-080662 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the LI46.80-P-080662 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Mercedes-Benz warranty extension on file lists the ones Mercedes-Benz has filed.
Which vehicles does LI46.80-P-080662 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 18 model years: 2026 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 2025 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 2023 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 2026 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.