Mercedes-Benz service campaign NCU - 2025010006
What it saysMercedes-Benz AG, the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain MY 2016-2019 E-Class (213 and 238 platform) and S-Class (217 and 222 platform) vehicles, the drivetrain control unit software… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mercedes-Benz filed this with NHTSA as a service campaign dated Feb 7, 2025, about the power train. It names 10 model years (2016–2019). A service campaign is not a safety recall — there is no NHTSA campaign number and no federal requirement — but it is usually work the manufacturer pays for on the vehicles it names; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationPicked out of NHTSA’s summary below, word for word. The document itself is the record, and the dealer checks the VIN.
Mercedes-Benz AG, the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain MY 2016-2019 E-Class (213 and 238 platform) and S-Class (217 and 222 platform) vehicles, the drivetrain control unit software does not correspond to current production specifications. The drivetrain control unit will receive a software update that improves vehicle diagnostics. MBUSA will conduct a service campaign. An authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer will update the drivetrain control unit software.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCU - 2025010006 | Service campaign | Feb 7, 2025 | 11013994 | PDF, 404 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 themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 550; 2019 Mercedes-Benz S 550.
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 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 477 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 42 of them name Power Train — 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.
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while shifting between the lower gears, the vehicle would shift roughly resulting in the vehicle jerking while driving. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission replaced.
2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jan 21, 2022 · ODI 11448342
The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 4MATIC. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V216000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 5, 2026 · ODI 11769084
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz E-450 4MATIC. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the brakes and throttle body were repaired.
2019 Mercedes-Benz E-Class · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 28, 2026 · ODI 11767393
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 power train
Source: same model, same component group38 other manufacturer communications filed against these Mercedes-Benz models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Mercedes-Benz list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| LI27.00-P-073124 | Service bulletin | Sep 26, 2026 | Complaint Customer complaints relating to automatic transmission 725.0 (NAG3 Classic /9G‑TRONIC automatic transmission) and 725.1… |
| LI35.31-P-080353 | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | Complaint Whining / humming noises (described as foghorn‑like) from the drivetrain in the rear axle area during cornering. (figure 1) On the… |
| LI27.10-P-075869 | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | Complaint Only vehicles with a variable transfer case are affected. This can be identified through control unit N45 or N15/7 in the quick te… |
| NCU - 2026060005 | Service campaign | Sep 11, 2026 | Issue The transmission control unit (VGS) in the automatic transmission does not comply with our currently valid specifications in the vehic… |
| LI 27.10-P-080851 | Service bulletin | Aug 29, 2026 | Complaint Intermittent shift feel or thud/clunk noise perceived, such as a brief jerk or transmission reaction during certain driving situat… |
| LI27.00-P-075630 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2026 | Complaint This document is intended as a pre-case diagnostic reference for transmission related concerns. It will also ensure that if a case… |
| LI27.00-P-080840 | Service bulletin | Aug 4, 2026 | Complaint Mercedes-Benz USA is currently experiencing limited availability of transmission fluid specification ATF 236.17 due to a global su… |
| LI33.30-P-080490 | Service bulletin | Aug 3, 2026 | Complaint Leakage/oil leakage at drive pinion sealing ring (input shaft) (Figures 1-2) Minor leakage/slight seepage at coupling flange nut a… |
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 NCU - 2025010006 a recall?
No. A service campaign 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 NCU - 2025010006 repair free?
A service campaign is usually paid by the manufacturer on the vehicles it names, within the terms and time limit the document sets; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
Which vehicles does NCU - 2025010006 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 10 model years: 2019 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, 2019 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.