Mercedes-Benz preliminary evaluation PE21001
Front Roof Panel Detachment. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the roof and pillars on 42 model years (2014–2020). Opened Jan 8, 2021, closed Oct 14, 2021 after 9 months. It led to safety recall 21V197000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedOn January 8, 2021, after ongoing review with Mercedes Benz, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-001 to assess allegations of front roof panel detachments while driving at highway speeds in certain 2015 Mercedes-Benz (Mercedes) C-Class vehicles. The subject front roof panel is a stationary panel composed of polycarbonate and is attached to the vehicle via adhesive at the time of manufacture. The panel is found on subject vehicles equipped with panoramic sunroofs. Over time, the subject panels may exhibit cosmetic degradation leading to replacement of the panel, a procedure which entails: removal of the old panel and adhesive, site preparation, and installation of a replacement panel with new adhesive. The consumer complaints that prompted the opening of PE21-001 all described detachments of front roof panels that had been replaced after the vehicle was put into service. Mercedes' internal investigation identified a broader scope of affected vehicles (2014-2020 CLA, GLA, C, S, GLC, and GLE class) and found the following potential service procedure- related causes of front roof panel detachments:- Improper surface pretreatments such as the use of the wrong primer or cleaner or scoring of the surface; or - Use of the incorrect adhesive. These conditions lead to a front roof panel bond that, even if sound at the time of repair, cannot maintain its strength over time and environmental exposure. Mercedes updated its service and parts ordering systems to reinforce the proper use of specified kits and procedures via webinars, shop foreman meetings, and explicit reference to the risks incurred by diverging from the repair procedures. Mercedes is also furnishing parts ordering assistance, and will hold dealerships accountable for improper repairs. ODI's analysis of the ten complaints it has received from the public (VOQ's) and MBUSA's complaint data submitted in response to the information request letter for PE21-001 identified a total of 57 non-duplicative reports alleging incidents in which the front roof panel detached from the vehicle while in motion. Included within the 57 reports are incidents where consumers state the panel detached ...and flew off into traffic. On March 19, 2021, Mercedes notified NHTSA that it would recall subject vehicles with front roof panels known to have been replaced after the original sale of the vehicle. In total, the recall (designated as Recall 21V197) covers 15,099 vehicles that were ever registered in the United States. Based on Recall 21V197 and the remedy implemented by Mercedes, further investigation does not appear to be warranted at this time. Accordingly, this investigation is closed. The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following ODI identification numbers: 11376425, 11352686, 11351629, 11349158, 11341541, 11337594, 11324100, 11311591, 11222127, 11404183
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one became a recall. The campaign page carries the manufacturer’s filed defect, risk and remedy, the build window and every model year covered; whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named on model years this site has no page for: 2014 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA45; 2015 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA45; 2015 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLA45; 2014 Mercedes-Benz AMG S63; 2015 Mercedes-Benz AMG S63; 2015 Mercedes-Benz AMG S65; 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300; 2015 Mercedes-Benz C400; 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250; 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250; 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250; 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550; 2015 Mercedes-Benz S550; 2015 Mercedes-Benz S600.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE21001 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 21V197000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE21001 still open?
No. It closed on Oct 14, 2021 and led to recall 21V197000.
Which vehicles does PE21001 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 42 model years: 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class and more. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.