Mercedes-Benz bulletin LI54_71_N_080985_1
What it saysBrakes may lock up when reversing at slow speeds Complaint When reversing slowly, the vehicle erroneously triggers an emergency braking event, causing the brakes to lock up. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mercedes-Benz filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 29, 2026, received Oct 6, 2026, about the service brakes. It names 8 model years (2019–2026). 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 communicationBrakes may lock up when reversing at slow speeds Complaint When reversing slowly, the vehicle erroneously triggers an emergency braking event, causing the brakes to lock up. Engine may not start following a key cycle. Cause The vehicle triggers a maneuvering or emergency braking event while reversing. The customer must then immediately park the vehicle (ignition Switched OFF) The hydraulic pressure release process within the ESP control unit may not be completed. Remedy Updating the software release of the RVC177 reversing camera
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LI54_71_N_080985_1 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | 11038169 | PDF, 31 KB |
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 themA 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 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 387 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 47 of them name Service Brakes — 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.
2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 experienced unusually rapid brake, tire, and battery wear at low mileage. Front brakes required replacement at approximately 29,000 miles. Rear brakes were already worn low by approximately 37,000 miles. Rear tires required replacement by approximately 37,000 miles.
2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Apr 23, 2026 · ODI 11733239
Mercedes Dealership is refusing to get the vehicle in to make this safety recall repair in a timely manner. I have been told that i will need to wait for over a month just to drop the vehicle off with no time frame given in terms of how long the vehicle will be gone while being repaired
2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA May 12, 2025 · ODI 11660365
During a drive in an extended rain shower,the adaptive cruise control stopped working, and the accident avoidance system ceased to function, giving multiple warnings on the dashboard information system. It took 2 days to dry out and start functioning again
2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA May 27, 2025 · ODI 11663161
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.
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 LI54_71_N_080985_1 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 LI54_71_N_080985_1 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 LI54_71_N_080985_1 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years: 2026 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, 2025 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, 2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.