Mercedes-Benz is studying a tough lesson concerning the significance of dependable car emergency systems. As Car and Driver and The Verge report, Mercedes USA is recalling almost 1.3 million 2016 to 2021 mannequin yr automobiles as a result of a flaw n the eCall emergency calling platform. A glitch within the software program would possibly “fail to speak” the fitting automotive’s location to first responders if the ability provide drops throughout a crash, delaying a rescue at a vital second.
The difficulty impacts a variety of Mercedes’ lineup, starting from entry-level vehicles like the A-Class by way of to flagships just like the S-Class. The corporate has investigated numerous incidents the place vehicles despatched the fallacious places, together with a European case in 2019.
The automaker will begin the formal recall on April sixth and plans to repair the problem by way of both over-the-air updates (by way of Mercedes Me subscriptions) or by having homeowners go to dealerships.
On prime of highlighting the technical challenges of emergency calling techniques, the recall illustrates the rising significance of over-the-air updates for vehicles. Some Mercedes homeowners will not have to go away house to get a probably life-saving repair — that would provide piece of thoughts, to not point out free mechanics to work on different repairs.
