— Mercedes-Benz is recalling nearly 19,500 GLE-Class SUVs because the air conditioner drain hoses may have been incorrectly installed.
The 2020 Mercedes GLE350, GLE350 4Matic and GLE450 4Matic SUVs will allow water to drain from the air conditioners into the passenger compartments.
The automaker says problems occurred during assembly when the drain hoses weren't installed according to specifications, affecting the tightness of the connections.
All sorts of problems may occur if water invades the compartments and foot wells, including the problems caused by corrosion and short circuits.
In addition to the risk of fire, Mercedes says the emergency call (eCall) feature may be disabled and the vehicle may not be able to be unlocked and started. And if that's not enough, the engine limp-home mode might be activated during driving.
Mercedes opened an internal investigation in May after several complaints about water entering the passenger compartments. Technicians found loose air conditioning hoses were to blame, so investigators turned to the assembly plant to search for more defective vehicles.
The automaker determined why the hoses were leaking and made changes in the assembly process that corrected the hoses starting August 3, 2019.
Drivers may notice a few symptoms such as wet carpets or fogged windows.
More than 17,750 of the recalled vehicles are in the U.S. and 1,724 are recalled in Canada.
The Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class recall is expected to begin October 8, 2019. Dealer technicians will inspect and correct the air conditioner drain hoses.
Customers with questions should call 800-367-6372.