The recall concerns 6,247 examples of Mercedes’ flagship SUV, all of which were built by Magna Steyr in Austria between December 2023 and January 2025. The affected G-Wagens/G-Wagons, each of which is based on Mercedes’ latest generation W 465 platform, include the six-cylinder G 550, the V8-powered G 63, and the all-electric G 580 with EQ Technology (yes, that's still a ridiculous name).
This Is Effectively A Non-Issue, But You Can't Be Too Careful
Official documentation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that, should the vehicle’s electronic stability program (ESP) malfunction, an incorrect warning light would be illuminated on the dashboard. While on the face of it, that sounds more like an annoyance than something calamitous, the NHTSA states that "an increased risk of a crash cannot be ruled out."
Notably, the recall does not state that there are problems with either the ESP or the interconnected anti-lock brake system on the G-Class itself. Should there be an "independent hardware failure," however, incorrect "warning telltales" would be illuminated on the instrument cluster, and could deliberately (if inadvertently) mislead the driver as to the issue.
Of the 6,247 affected examples, the entry-level G 550, powered by a 443-horsepower 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six, makes up the bulk of that figure, with 3,070 potentially affected vehicles in the U.S. The remainder is split pretty evenly between the 585-hp, 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8-powered G 63 (1,670 examples), the most powerful version of the iconic Gelandewagen currently available, and the 579-hp, all-electric G 580 (1,507 examples), which is a new addition to the lineup.
How Mercedes Will Remedy The ESP Issue
The issue first came to light last October, when Bosch Engineering, manufacturer of the ESP software for Mercedes-Benz, alerted the Stuttgart-based brand to a potential problem, leading to an investigation. Interestingly, Mercedes-Benz USA claims to have received no customer complaints regarding a potential ESP warning light problem.
Despite this, the automaker issued a voluntary recall and will alert all owners of potentially affected vehicles no later than June 15.
To remedy the problem, official Mercedes service departments will update each vehicle’s ESP software, free of charge, with an upgraded program introduced in December.
Related News
