2012-2018 Mercedes-Benz Recall 17V627: Air Bag

Recall 17V627 covers 495,290 2012-2018 Mercedes-Benz vehicles for unintended driver air bag deployment. Repair is free at any franchised Mercedes-Benz dealer.

What's wrong?

The driver frontal air bag in these 2012-2018 Mercedes-Benz vehicles is built into the steering wheel and is controlled through wiring in the steering column. A clockspring, also called a commutator ring, lets those wires stay connected while the wheel turns. The air bag system depends on that connection and on proper grounding of the steering components.

In affected vehicles, the clockspring can break inside the steering column module. When that happens, an electrostatic discharge in a steering column without enough grounding can travel through the open air bag wiring. That combination can trigger the driver air bag without a crash.

Before this happens, the vehicle alerts the driver through a driver air bag warning message in the instrument cluster. The red air bag warning lamp also turns on. Treat either warning as a sign that the driver air bag system needs dealer inspection.

Who's affected?

The included vehicles span Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class, GLK, GLA, CLA, GLC, and B-Class variants from 2012-2018, all tied to the front air bag.

A matching year and model does not guarantee inclusion. Check your VIN to confirm whether this recall applies to your specific vehicle.

What's the safety risk?

An inadvertent driver air bag deployment can injure the driver and increase crash risk. The warning sign is a driver airbag message in the instrument cluster or a red airbag warning lamp. If either appears, arrange dealer service and limit driving until it is checked. Repair is free at any franchised Mercedes-Benz dealer.

What should I do?

1. Check your VIN to confirm your 2012-2018 Mercedes-Benz model listed on this page is included in this recall.
2. Contact your nearest franchised Mercedes-Benz dealer to schedule the free steering-component grounding repair that addresses unintended driver air bag deployment.
3. Bring the recall notice if Mercedes-Benz mailed one. If not, reference recall number 17V627 when you call.
4. Ask Mercedes-Benz customer service at 1-877-496-3691 if the dealer needs help locating the recall or confirming the repair path.

What happens at the repair

At the dealer, a Mercedes-Benz technician adds sufficient grounding to the steering components. The repair is meant to prevent an electrostatic discharge from triggering an unintended driver's air bag deployment when the air bag clockspring is broken. Parts and labor are covered under the recall. Mercedes-Benz's standard reimbursement plan applies to qualifying documented repairs paid before the recall notice. If you've already paid for this repair, bring the repair invoice and payment documentation to the service desk and ask how to file the claim.

Timeline

Frequently asked questions

More information

Source documents

• Download Misc. Document (PDF) · RMISC
• Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF) · RIONL
• Download Owner Notification Letter (PDF) · RCONL
• Download Owner Notice (PDF) · RCMN
• Download Recall Report (PDF) · RCLRPT
• Download Quarterly Report (PDF) · RCLQRT
• Download Recall Acknowledgement (PDF) · RCAK

This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on May 25, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →