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NHTSA campaign 22V189000 · manufacturer recall 2022040010

2021–2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT and 6 other Mercedes-Benz models: steering recall

Deactivated hands-off detection will prevent DISTRONIC system features from functioning, including warnings to grab the steering wheel and calling first responders as part of the Active Emergency Stop Assist, which can increase the risk of

moderate 8,396 vehicles affected 98% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2021-2022 C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL, EClass Coupe/Convertible, CLS, AMG GT 4-doors Coupe, and EQS vehicles with a heated leather steering wheel. Due to a software error in the hand detection control unit, the hands-off detection might not detect when the driver's hands are away from the steering wheel when using the Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC system. Risk Deactivated hands-off detection will prevent DISTRONIC system features from functioning, including warnings to grab the steering wheel and calling first responders as part of the Active Emergency Stop Assist, which can increase the risk of a crash or injury. Fix Dealers will update the hand detection control unit software for the DISTRONIC system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 6, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022040010.

Reported to NHTSA Mar 25, 2022 by Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, owners notified May 9, 2022.

What that means, in plain English

Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wording

The defect disables hands-off detection and associated ADAS warnings/emergency stop features but does not directly remove steering or braking control from the driver; it degrades a safety monitoring system without causing an immediate crash mechanism.

Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.

The fix, from the dealer bulletin

Source: NHTSA remedy instructions and dealer notice
Stop-sale Not stated in the dealer documents
Remedy Instructions filed: the dealer bulletin exists

Read from NHTSA’s copy of the manufacturer’s dealer documents (manufacturer campaign 2022040010). The procedure itself is in the bulletin; a franchised dealer has the current copy on the manufacturer’s portal, and that copy governs. Working a lot or a fleet? Recall Watch carries this line on every VIN it checks: remedy status, hours, stop-sale.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 22V189000
Model yearClassSafety SignalRecalls on file
2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GTCompact SedanF6
2022 Mercedes-Benz C-ClassCompact SedanF9
2021 Mercedes-Benz CLS-ClassCompact SedanF11
2022 Mercedes-Benz CLS-ClassCompact SedanD6
2021 Mercedes-Benz E-ClassCoupeF19
2022 Mercedes-Benz E-ClassCoupeF7
2022 Mercedes-Benz EQSLarge SedanF14
2021 Mercedes-Benz S-ClassLarge SedanF17
2022 Mercedes-Benz S-ClassLarge SedanF10
2022 Mercedes-Benz SL-ClassConvertibleC4

Those are the model years inside WhichTrim's range, 2016 onward. The campaign may cover others outside it, and the only thing that settles whether one specific vehicle is included is its VIN.

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired 98%

of the campaign

The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.

Campaign 22V189000 · the manufacturer calls it 2022040010

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.

Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Is 2022040010 the same recall as 22V189000?

Yes. 2022040010 is the number Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 22V189000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.