Mercedes recalls A-Class, B-Class

MERCEDES-BENZ has identified a fusebox fault in a small number of its A-Class and B-Class small passenger models which, under certain circumstances, could cause the incorrect deployment of airbags.

The German car-maker is recalling all 64 affected vehicles that were sold nationally between September 8 and November 7 last year, and will be contacting the owners of all cars to arrange remedial work.

A manufacturing fault in a handful of fuse boxes could cause fuses to become loose in their contacts, which in turn could potentially affect the correct firing sequence of an airbag restraint.

Incorrect deployment has the potential to increase the risk of occupant injury during a collision, but the electrical fault does not pose a threat to passenger safety under normal conditions.

Other vehicle functions may also be affected by the electrical component manufacturing error, but the safety restraint system (SRS) is the only safety system pinpointed in the recall.

After receiving a letter of confirmation, owners of the affected vehicles will need to arrange inspection and repair work at an authorised local Mercedes-Benz service centre.

The fault is unrelated to the unprecedented Takata global airbag inflator recall, which has so far affected about 800,000 vehicles on Australian soil and more than 53 million around the world.

That ongoing recall involves the incorrect assembly of inflator modules, which allowed the ingress of moisture and potential case rupture due to unstable propellant combustion.