More than 27,000 of the V8 luxury sedans built for the 2021-23 model years are at risk of cutting out due to a fault with the engine control unit
September 27, 2024 at 12:30
- Mercedes is recalling more than 27,000 of its most expensive cars over fears that their engines could stall.
- If the 4.0 V8’s Camtronic cylinder deactivation system fails an incorrect amount of fuel could be injected, raising temperatures.
- A total of 26,260 Mercedes S580 and 930 Maybach S580 sedans need their engine control unit software updated at Benz dealers.
Spending up to five times as much as the average car buyer might get you a more luxurious car, but it doesn’t completely insure you against annoying breakdowns and gremlins. This week Mercedes announced it was recalling 27,000 of its most expensive sedans due to a potential problem with their V8 engines.
The affected cars are 26,260 examples of the Mercedes-branded S580 sedan built for the 2021-23 model years, and 930 of the fancier Mercedes-Maybach S580 of the same vintage. Both vehicles use an identical 496 hp (503 PS) 4.0-liter V8.
Related: Mercedes Tells A Single Maybach Owner Not To Move Their Car Because Its Rear Thrust Arm Might Break Off
Those V8s are fitted with 48-volt mild-hybrid hardware to increase their efficiency, as well as Mercedes’ Camtronic cylinder deactivation technology which can switch off combustion at four cylinders when cruising.
But Mercedes has discovered that in the event of a hardware failure with the Camtronic equipment, the lambda control system might inadvertently squirt too much fuel into the cylinders, increasing exhaust temperatures. This could lead to damage to components like the catalytic converter and potentially cause the engine to stall, which could be unsafe.
Drivers won’t get any advance warning, the automaker claims, but they might notice a check engine light appear when the fault is occurring, and before the engine has stalled. Beginning in summer 2023, a disproportionate number of owners began reporting engines that wouldn’t go or start up, leading Mercedes to investigate.
The automaker’s solution is to update the software in the engine control unit, which unfortunately can’t be done via an over-air update, so requires a trip to a dealer. That sounds like a major inconvenience to time-is-money Maybach owners, though we guess they can always send their chauffeurs.
And don’t go thinking that if they’d spent a little more and got the V12 S680 they’d have avoided any recalls. Both the Maybach S580 and S680 were recalled last year for an issue with a 12-volt ground connection.
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