The digital instrument cluster and center infotainment display screen went completely black and blank while the vehicle was in motion. This immediate failure blinded the driver to critical safety telemetry, including the current vehicle speed, gear positioning, and active safety warning telltales, creating an immediate, severe crash hazard on the roadway.This symptom is identical to the failure condition detailed in active NHTSA Safety Recall Campaign 26V281000 for this exact model year. The vehicle is currently held at an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership (Mercedes-Benz of West Covina) where technicians confirmed the physical screen and plug blackout but are actively refusing to execute the safety recall remedy without a $1,272.95 out-of-pocket consumer diagnostic fee, falsely claiming a localized cosmetic stain on a connection plug voids the manufacturer's obligation to repair a known, federally acknowledged factory software design defect.The vehicle remains unmodified, intact, and available for federal or corporate engineering inspection at the dealership location upon request. No warning lamps or symptoms appeared prior to the sudden screen blackout.
- NHTSA ID
- 11746077
- Incident
- Jun 1, 2026