The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 4Matic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V073000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact was concerned that the manufacturer provided limited safety risk information and that the vehicle could catch on fire during a crash. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted several times about the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

My 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB is included in the high-voltage battery fire recall (NHTSA campaign 26V073). The recall states the battery cells may fail internally at a high state of charge, causing an internal short circuit and a potential fire whether the vehicle is parked or being driven, with no advance warning while parked. As interim safety measures, Mercedes-Benz instructed me to limit charging to 80% and to park the vehicle outdoors, away from structures. These restrictions materially impair the vehicle's use: I cannot charge to full capacity and cannot park in my garage due to the fire risk to my home. The permanent remedy is replacement of the high-voltage battery pack. However, my Mercedes-Benz dealer has informed me that the replacement parts will not be available until 2027. That means I am being asked to operate a vehicle with an acknowledged fire risk, under charging and parking restrictions, for roughly 18 months or more, with no remedy currently available. I am requesting that NHTSA document this lack of an available remedy and the extended timeline. A delay of this length leaves owners exposed to the safety defect the recall was issued to address.

I am reporting a significant safety concern regarding my 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB. While my specific VIN has not been included in the current high-voltage battery fire risk recall (NHTSA Campaign 26V073000), my vehicle is a 2023 model that shares the identical high-voltage battery architecture, manufacturing window, and platform design as the approximately 12,000 EQB vehicles officially recalled due to an internal defect that causes sudden, unpredictable battery fires. As a vehicle owner, I am now experiencing deep, well-founded anxiety regarding the safety of this vehicle. Due to the proximity of my vehicle's design to those definitively identified as defective, I have lost confidence in the vehicle's safe operation. I can no longer park this vehicle in an enclosed garage or charge it with confidence, effectively limiting my ability to utilize the vehicle as intended. I am filing this report to formally document my concern that this safety defect may be more widespread than the current recall population suggests, posing an unreasonable risk to the safety of myself and the public.

I received an Important Safety Recall notice (NHTSA Recall ID: 26V073) from Mercedes-Benz USA in March 2026 regarding my 2024 EQB (VIN: [XXX] ). The notice states that the high-voltage battery may fail due to an internal short circuit, potentially causing a vehicle fire while parked or driving. No incident has occurred. This complaint is filed because no remedy is available and no timeline has been provided by the manufacturer. Mercedes-Benz has advised owners to limit charging to 80% and to park outside while awaiting battery replacement parts. This interim guidance creates an additional hardship: my vehicle is garaged in ZIP code 98119 (Seattle, WA), where property crime is documented at over 50% above the national average. The manufacturer's guidance forces me to expose a $55,000+ vehicle to elevated theft and vandalism risk indefinitely, through no fault of my own. I am requesting NHTSA pressure Mercedes-Benz to accelerate parts availability and provide affected owners with a loaner vehicle or covered parking reimbursement until the remedy is performed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

See attached document for complaint.