Two confirmed fires and over 12,000 affected vehicles later, Mercedes-Benz finally admits software can’t fix everything. The luxury automaker just escalated its EQB electric SUV recall from digital Band-Aids to complete battery pack replacement—a costly acknowledgment that their initial fixes weren’t cutting it.
When Software Updates Meet Hardware Reality
Two previous recall attempts using software monitoring proved insufficient to prevent battery fires.
The root problem lies in early-production battery cells from supplier Farasis Energy that can trigger internal short circuits, especially when your battery charge hits higher levels. Mercedes tried twice before to solve this through software updates designed to monitor battery behavior more closely. But after additional analysis and more incidents discovered internationally, the company concluded that software-based monitoring “cannot be fully confirmed” to prevent thermal events across all affected vehicles. Translation: they needed a hardware solution for a hardware problem.
Your EQB Needs Immediate Attention
Current safety restrictions require outdoor parking and limited charging until battery replacement.
If you own a 2022-2024 EQB250+, EQB300 4MATIC, or EQB350 4MATIC, you’re living with some serious restrictions right now:
- Park outdoors and away from structures—thermal events while parked can happen without warning
- Limit charging to 80% maximum to reduce stress on those problematic battery cells
Mercedes documented two confirmed fire incidents in the U.S. before their initial software fix, proving this isn’t theoretical risk. Owner notification letters go out February 27, with repair scheduling information following in early April.
What This Means for Electric Vehicle Trust
The recall exposes quality control challenges in the rapidly scaling EV battery supply chain.
This recall reads like a masterclass in what happens when automakers rush to electrify without bulletproof supplier vetting. Farasis Energy’s early production runs clearly had quality issues later resolved in post-July 2024 manufacturing—but that leaves thousands of customers dealing with defective batteries. For an industry already fighting range anxiety and charging infrastructure concerns, having luxury EVs require outdoor parking due to fire risk isn’t exactly the confidence booster electric vehicles need.
Current EQB owners should contact Mercedes-Benz at 800-367-6372 or the NHTSA vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236. While this recall represents a comprehensive fix rather than another software patch, it also serves as a stark reminder that early adoption of new EV platforms comes with real risks—sometimes literally explosive ones.
