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AII-1000-97189
ConfirmedA court, a regulator or the organization itself has stated the core facts, or the record cites a court or regulator source.

Mercedes recalls CLA due to faulty AI driver assistance software

Mercedes-Benz recalled 3,197 CLA vehicles worldwide due to faulty software in driver assistance systems that could deactivate without warning. The defect was identified through the company's digital monitoring systems and the KBA is overseeing the recall actions.

12 January 2026 · Mercedes-Benz · Safety and wellbeing
12 January 2026
AII-1000-971893 sources ↓
Quick facts
Category
Safety and wellbeing
Country
Germany
Source
stuttgarter-nachrichten.de
Date
12 January 2026
Drafted by
Raidu Incident Detection

What happened

Mercedes-Benz discovered faulty software in the Mercedes CLA affecting driver assistance systems. The defect causes the systems to deactivate without warning, requiring a software update to fix the issue.

Globally, 3,197 vehicles were affected, including 594 in Germany, manufactured between February and September 2025. The defects also included fire and electrocution hazards from incorrectly connected battery cables, seat bolt problems, and window airbag issues.

Reported impact

Driver assistance systems can be deactivated without warning to the driver, potentially compromising vehicle safety features.

Governance controls

Mercedes-Benz stated it uses advanced digital monitoring to detect even minor deviations early and remediate them often before they impact customers. The Kraftfahrtbundesamt (KBA) is overseeing the recall actions.

Classification

Category
Safety and wellbeing
Industry
Mobility and autonomous vehicles
Country
Germany
Harm status
Potential harm
Intent
Unintentional
Timing
Post-deployment
Harmed
Consumers
Consequences
Product recall
AI systems
Mercedes CLA driver assistance systems

Sources and evidence

This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.

stuttgarter-nachrichten.de
Rückruf bei Mercedes: Fehlerhafte Assistenzsysteme und Brandgefahr: Neuer CLA mit gefährlichen Mängeln
12 January 2026
stuttgarter-zeitung.de
Rückruf bei Mercedes: Fehlerhafte Assistenzsysteme und Brandgefahr - Etliche CLA müssen in Werkstatt
13 January 2026
SWR Sport
"Car of the Year" mit langer Mängelliste: Immer mehr Rückrufe für Mercedes CLA
13 January 2026