Mercedes-Benz over-the-air update OTA - 5496434
What it saysMercedes-Benz AG, the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain subject vehicles, the mobile device connection control unit software does not correspond to current production specifications. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mercedes-Benz filed this with NHTSA as an over-the-air update dated Mar 21, 2025, received Mar 27, 2025, about the electrical system. It names 5 model years across Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Maybach (2025). An over-the-air update 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 mobile device connection control unit software does not correspond to current production specifications. The mobile device connection control unit will receive an over-the-air (OTA) software update which improves general system stability and device compatibility for the Digital Vehicle Key functionality. The update is downloaded in the background and the customer will be prompted to accept or decline installation during the following ignition cycle. MBUSA will conduct an OTA service campaign. Remote software updates are automatically downloaded and installed in the customer’s vehicle free of charge and do not require a dealer visit.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTA - 5496434 | Over-the-air update | Mar 21, 2025 | 11016036 | PDF, 416 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 4 model years
Mercedes-Maybach 1 model year
Also filed against: 2025 Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV 680 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 8 of them name Electrical System — 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 digital instrument cluster and center infotainment display screen went completely black and blank while the vehicle was in motion. This immediate failure blinded the driver to critical safety telemetry, including the current vehicle speed, gear positioning, and active safety warning telltales, creating an immediate, severe crash…
2025 Mercedes-Benz E-Class · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 23, 2026 · ODI 11746077
Car had a burning smell when entered and so stopped the car and had it towed to the dealership on 9/20/26 (Mercedes Benz of Laguna Niguel). Dealer said that a "liquid beverage were spilled onto the rear passenger seat are, resulting in liquid intrusion and a short circuit at the rear SAM control unit.
2025 Mercedes-Benz EQE · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 23, 2026 · ODI 11766383
Software issue: all screens go black without warning while driving. No access to speed, car temperature, a real safety issue. It’s like driving blind complete loss of controls. It was 98 degrees in Florida and suddenly the heater was blasting heat. My son, a passenger was unable to turn it off
2025 Mercedes-Benz E-Class · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 12, 2026 · ODI 11756403
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group188 other manufacturer communications filed against these Mercedes-Benz models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Mercedes-Benz list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| LI47.70-P-079912 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | Complaint Vehicle will not start after DC charging Warning in the instrument cluster related to High‑voltage on board electrical system The… |
| LI54.30-P-080963 | Service bulletin | Sep 17, 2026 | Complaint Issue after OTA Update IC Odometer Reading blank("_ _ _ _") IC Maintanence data unavailable Cause OTA Update E61.0 Remedy In the I… |
| LI82.60-P-080383 | Service bulletin | Sep 15, 2026 | Complaint Radio station cover art does not refresh when switching stations. The UI continues to show the old station’s artwork instead of up… |
| LI54.71-P-079104 | Service bulletin | Sep 11, 2026 | Complaint Traffic sign symbol for "Traffic Sign Assist" is blinking in instrument cluster without obvious cause usually with one of the foll… |
| LI82.60-P-079747 | Service bulletin | Sep 4, 2026 | Complaint The Apple Music app is no longer available in the head unit apps menu after updating the software of the… |
| NCU - 2026080001 | Service campaign | Aug 15, 2026 | Issue Mercedes-Benz AG, the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain Model Year 2027 S-Class (223 platform) ve… |
| LI82.85-P-079088 | Service bulletin | Aug 14, 2026 | Complaint The following most common complaints may be observed: • Brief connectivity interruptions when using Apple CarPlay over Wi-Fi • Aud… |
| LI54.65-P-080132 | Service bulletin | Aug 12, 2026 | Complaint 1. General Diagnostic Tips 2. One or More PARK Sensor Activations 3. Red Ring Around Vehicle 4. "Active Parking and Parking Assist… |
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 OTA - 5496434 a recall?
No. A over-the-air update 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 OTA - 5496434 repair free?
A over-the-air update 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 OTA - 5496434 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years across 2 brands (Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Maybach): 2025 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQE, 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS, 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, 2025 Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV 680 4MATIC. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.