Mercedes Benz, the global manufacturer of luxury cars, SUVs, trucks, and buses, has been forced to recall several models of its vehicles in response to the wider action of the Takata Company.

The Takata company, maker of several Mercedes Benz airbags and airbags of vehicles produced by other major automakers, recalled airbags because of safety issues with the airbag inflator. The inflator is a metal cartridge with propellants that, rather than inflating the life-saving airbag, have exploded at times and caused significant injury and even death.

The National Highway and Transportation Safety Association has referred to Takata’s recall as one of the most commercially complex because it has affected vehicles made by 19 different automakers.

Mercedes Benz airbags that are a part of this huge action by Takata were installed in 711,266 passenger vehicles and 136,361 vans that are in circulation in the U.S. alone.

The German car maker, a division of the company Daimier AG headquartered in Stuttgart, Wurttemberg, has not revealed whether it is recalling the roughly 841,000 affected vehicles for replacement of Mercedes Benz airbags located on the side of the driver, side of the passenger, or general side as yet.

According to Car and Driver’s online blog, the Mercedes Benz airbags were installed in the following affected vehicles:

• C-Class: 2005 C230 Kompressor, 2006–2007 C230, 2008–2011 C300, 2008–2011 C300 4Matic, 2005 C320, 2006–2011 C350, 2009–2011 C63 AMG

• E-Class: 2010–2011 E350, 2010–2011 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 Cabriolet, 2010–2011 E550, 2010–2011 E550 4Matic, 2011 E550 Cabriolet, 2010–2011 E63 AMG

• GL-Class: 2009–2010 GL320 BlueTec 4Matic, 2011–2012 GL350 BlueTec 4Matic, 2009–2012 GL450 4Matic, 2009–2012 GL550 4Matic

• GLK-Class: 2010–2012 GLK350, 2010–2012 GLK350 4Matic

• M-Class: 2009–2010 ML320 BlueTec 4Matic, 2009–2011 ML350, 2009–2011 ML350 4Matic, 2010–2011 ML450 4Matic Hybrid, 2009–2011 ML550 4Matic, 2009–2011 ML63 AMG

• SLK: 2007–2008 SLK280, 2007–2008 SLK350, 2007–2008 SLK55 AMG

• SLS AMG: 2011–2014 SLS AMG, 2012 SLS AMG Cabriolet, 2013–2014 SLS AMG GT

• R-Class: 2009–2010 R320 CDI 4Matic, 2009–2012 R350 4Matic, 2011–2012 R350 BlueTec 4Matic

Also, according to Car and Driver’s online blog, Sprinter vans from model years 2007 to 2014 with Dodge, Freightliner, or Mercedes badges are included with the Mercedes Benz airbags recall. A few Sprinters from the year 2006 were added to the recall in June 2015.

Takata Airbag Failures

The Takata Company’s recall of airbags will ultimately affect over 42 million cars, SUV’s, and trucks in the domestic U.S. market alone. According to Consumer Reports, there have been 180 injuries and 11 deaths specifically attributed to the faulty airbag inflators.

The problem has been isolated and is believed to be caused by an aluminum-nitrate based propellant present in the inflator cartridge. This type of propellant, used without a chemical drying agent, is particularly volatile in areas where there is high humidity or high temperatures.

As vehicles and their airbags age in these conditions, the inflator is more likely to explode during a crash, and the safety mechanism can turn deadly itself by sending shards of metal debris flying throughout the cab of the vehicle.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The airbag injury attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual defective airbag recall lawsuit or defective airbag recall class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, defective airbag recall lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

Learn More