2026 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4MATIC All-Terrain

I wish to respectfully report a safety concern with my new 2026 Mercedes All-Terrain Wagon. Specifically, at certain sun angles under cloudless skies, flaring occurs on the inside of my front windshield. They would appear to be linked to the Heads-Up Display Unit via reflection. The housing and dash can also reflect patterns on the windshield. Again, this occurs under certain sun angles when the sun is anywhere between 11 o'clock and 4 o’clock. Additionally, the density of a flaring pattern can be dense enough to obscure signs, objects, or other hazards. For this reason, I strongly believe this constitutes a safety hazard as well as something that plagues automobile travel: principally distractions. I do agree that flaring on a small level can occur in connection with HUD’s. Nevertheless, on this vehicle, I contend it is excessive and usually appears every day under bright sun conditions. In shade or cloudy conditions, this is not an issue. This was first noticed sometime after 500 miles in winter, under sunny conditions. I now have 10,500 miles with no resolution from Mercedes national. After documenting this case from the beginning, I was notified today, 06/25/26 by the Service Manager at Chico, California, Mercedes, that the national engineers determined this was normal. In fact, one of these engineers came to Chico to inspect my vehicle. Respectfully, I beg to differ and ask you to open a case to investigate further whether this is an anomaly that constitutes a safety concern and/or a distracting issue, which is another threat to safety. For further information, contact Mercedes Benz of Chico Service 530-345-9444. I wish to add credibility to this case, as I am a retired airline captain with 26,000 hours of flying time, including 10,500 hours on the Boeing 777. You can understand my emphasis on safety: anything that impairs visibility and distracts, in my view, is a red flag. I certainly appreciate the work all of you do, with thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO

NHTSA ID

11746559

Incident

Feb 19, 2026

Complaint Diverse functional limitations in the vehicle in combination with various warning and fault messages in the instrument cluster display. Cause Communication timeouts mean that communication errors may occur in the on‑board electrical system, which can result in various fault messages being displayed in the instrument cluster. This could be down to delayed feedback from the drivetrain control unit (N127) (CPC) to other control units networked to the CAN bus. Information: Only valid for vehicles through production period 10/2025. Not valid for vehicles with control unit CDCC (N125, central controller charging and driving) • It may not be possible to attribute any communication errors stored in the control units on the CAN bus to a specific cause • In rare instances, there may be a brief activation of the yellow warning lamp for engine diagnosis or there may be a sporadic delay with the start enable. • There may not be any specific fault codes present that indicate a specific component. Example image: Fault messages in instrument cluster: The reason for this could be down to delayed feedback from the control unit CPC3 to other control units networked on the CAN bus. Remedy Do not replace any components!!! ******************************************************************************************************* 1. Connect charger (see AR54.10‑P‑1127WT). Note: An adequate voltage from the on‑board electrical system battery must be guaranteed for the entire duration of the work procedure. Otherwise, the control units could be damaged if an undervoltage occurs. Information: Observe the operating instructions of the charger. Information: Use the charger to ensure an adequate voltage (at least 12.5 V) from the on‑board electrical system battery. ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ 2. Connect diagnostic system (see AD00.00‑P‑2000‑06FR). Note: Always use the latest XENTRY Diagnostics software release. Information: Strict compliance with the operation steps in XENTRY Diagnostics is absolutely essential. ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ 3. Select control unit N127 (CPC) via the direct link using XENTRY Diagnosis. Information: To do so, select the following menu items: Control units view → Drive systems → N127 ‑ "Drivetrain" control unit (CPC) ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ 4. Update software for control unit N127 (CPC) (see AR54.21‑P‑0014‑01Y). Info: To do so, select the following menu items: Adaptations → Control unit update → Update control unit software. Information: You are then automatically guided through the steps "Update of control unit software" and "SCN coding". Always observe the following operation steps at all times ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ 5. Disconnect diagnostic device from vehicle (see AD00.00‑P‑2000‑06FR). ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ 6. Disconnect charger from vehicle (see AR54.10‑P‑1127WT).

Issue Mercedes-Benz AG, the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, is launching an OTA update to the subject vehicles to provide an enhanced user experience. This OTA update includes enhancements to the MBUX voice assistant. Remedy MBUSA will conduct an OTA service campaign. Remote software updates are automatically downloaded and installed in the customer’s vehicle free of charge and do not require a dealer visit.

Complaint Wheezing noises/squeaking noises from the front shock absorbers when passing over surface undulations and rough road. Noise MUST match those heard in the attached videos. Cause • Wheezing noises: Flow noises of the damper oil • Squeaking noises: From the mechanical rubber valve in the dividing piston Remedy In case of complaints, the front shock absorbers must be replaced. If shocks have been replaced and noise persists, please open a TIPS case to the Body, Chassis, Entertainment inbox.

Complaint Wheezing noises/squeaking noises from the front shock absorbers when passing over surface undulations and rough road. Noise MUST match those heard in the attached videos. Cause • Wheezing noises: Flow noises of the damper oil • Squeaking noises: From the mechanical rubber valve in the dividing piston Remedy In case of complaints, the front shock absorbers must be replaced. If shocks have been replaced and noise persists, please open a TIPS case to the Body, Chassis, Entertainment inbox.

Issue A software update will be performed that provides enhancements to the robustness and system stability of the communication module. The update is free of charge and runs in the background, which takes about 8 minutes to install. During this time, the vehicle can be driven without any restrictions, and the new software will be active with the next ignition cycle. Remedy MBUSA will conduct an OTA service campaign. Remote software updates are automatically downloaded and installed in the customer’s vehicle free of charge and do not require a dealer visit.

Complaint Slight creaking noises when steering. Cause Noises may come from one or more sleeves of the horn contact plate. Remedy Remove the horn contact plate and check the sleeves for noise; see attached video. If necessary, apply lubricant to the sleeves.