Mercedes-Benz has issued a recall for 1,400 2021 S-Class sedan coming from its new Factory 56.
Mercedes-Benz poured $888 million to build Factory 56, an high-tech production facility producing the luxurious S-Class, situated in Sindelfingen, Germany. Per reports, the recall is due to a problem with the inner tie rods installed, which were not meant to be fitted in the S-class as it actually belongs to another model.
According to Mercedes, the inner tie rods come pre-assembled, and Factory 56 has to install them in the vehicles. But apparently, they installed the wrong ones. As a result, the careless mistake could cause significant steering issues. It is simply not engineered to withstand the stress induced by the S-Class, even risking road accidents in the worst-case scenario.
The 2021 S-Class is one of the best luxury cars on the market, with a 3.0-liter inline-six making up to 503 HP when coupled with a 44V mild-hybrid system. With that much power, it’s easy to understand that an inner tie rod designed for a different vehicle with lesser specs might have a hard time staying in one piece.
That being said, owners have been issued a recall statement, with “immediate” action to be taken, suggesting the recall’s importance. If a high-class luxury sedan like the S-Class faced such a problem, it makes us wonder what’s the actual margin of error in other, less upscale models.
Factory 56 was specially designed to produce Mercedes’ high-end vehicles like the S-Class and the Maybach, with the EQS arriving in the future. The process of assembling a unit is 25% more efficient than its old assembling plant, and Mercedes takes pride in the level of technology incorporated.
Not to mention that only a few months into production, this recall will surely affect Mercedes and prompt the company to rethink its assembly strategy.
Mercedes service centers have been instructed to replace the inner tie rods for customers who bring their cars to the dealership, free of cost, of course.
