Mercedes-Benz service campaign NCU - 2026080002
What it saysMercedes-Benz AG, the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain subject vehicles, the transmission control unit (VGS) in the automatic transmission does not meet current MBAG specifications. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mercedes-Benz filed this with NHTSA as a service campaign dated Sep 25, 2026, received Oct 6, 2026, about the power train. It names 3 model years across Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Maybach (2026). 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.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Mercedes-Benz · Mercedes-Maybach.
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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 subject vehicles, the transmission control unit (VGS) in the automatic transmission does not meet current MBAG specifications. The polarities of the magnets in the transmission control unit (VGS) may have been inadvertently swapped. This, in turn, could lead to complaints regarding shift quality and gear lockups. Remedy MBUSA will conduct a service campaign. An authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer will replace fully integrated transmission control unit (Y3/8n4) for the automatic transmission.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCU - 2026080002 | Service campaign | Sep 25, 2026 | 11038223 | PDF, 1,350 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 themMercedes-Benz 2 model years
Mercedes-Maybach 1 model year
Also filed against: 2026 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC.
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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 3 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.
My vehicle has violently jolted 10+ times while driving at low speeds (15–30 mph) in all drive modes. The jolting is severe enough to feel like being rear-ended and poses an immediate safety hazard. The check engine light came on during one incident.
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Dec 5, 2025 · ODI 11703355
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 group25 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… |
| 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… |
| LI35.30-P-058566 | Service bulletin | Jul 14, 2026 | Complaint Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The noise is heard once… |
| LI35.25-P-077385 | Service bulletin | Jul 2, 2026 | Complaint Throbbing/humming sound around 60mph. Howling in overdrive mode around 5th gear. Models 167.1/3 and 167.9 up to 03/2022… |
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 and Mercedes-Maybach, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Mercedes-Benz NCU - 2026080002 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 - 2026080002 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 - 2026080002 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years across 2 brands (Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Maybach): 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, 2026 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.