Drivers in Serbia warned: 9 Mercedes models will have malfunctioning and dangerous parts recalled

Photo: Tanjug/AP

The Ministry of Trade has warned owners of nine Mercedes models that their vehicles have a malfunction that could put anyone traveling in the car at risk of injury and even death.

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This warning came through the NEPRO portal, the Ministry of Trade's rapid alert system, which is activated when unsafe products are discovered in the Serbian market.

There are two warnings on the NEPRO portal concerning this issue. One was published on February 12, and the other on February 17. The problem is the same, and the models in question are 197, 204, 207, manufactured between 2007 and 2017, and models 164, 169, 171, 203, 212, 251 manufactured between 2000 and 2017.

"Specific climate conditions can cause chemical changes in the propellant in the gas generator of certain Takata airbags. In the event of an accident involving airbag deployment, this change may cause the gas generator to burst due to increased internal pressure. In that case, this airbag would not develop its containing effect and passengers would be exposed to risk of injury due to the separation of the parts of the gas generator," the warning reads.

The recall with the list of the first three models was announced by the manufacturer on January 26 and on February 2 for other models. A network of authorized service shops has been notified about the recall on the same dates, after which they will contact their customers in writing.

The problem with these airbags is not new and the car industry has been struggling with it for years. It is estimated that over 60 million vehicles have been affected worldwide, most of which were manufactured between 2000 and 2015.

These Takata airbag models are use by more than 20 carmakers, and after about 20 people died due to faulty airbags, whose job was to protect their lives, a huge number of vehicles were recalled.

According to Takata, chemicals in airbags can degrade over time and become volatile, especially in hot and humid conditions.

The problem is that these airbags can also fire metal fragments into the faces of passengers. If this happens, the metal charge can disintegrate during detonation and send pieces of sharp metal towards passengers.

(Telegraf Biznis)