NHTSA safety recall
Recall 26V216000: POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:UNIVERSAL JOINT
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · Reported to NHTSA Apr 3, 2026
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govWhat this recall covers
NHTSA's campaign record, quoted as published
The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2018 E 400 4MATIC Sedan, E 400 4MATIC Wagon, E 400 4MATIC Cabriolet, E 400 4MATIC Coupe, 2018-2020 Maybach S 560 4MATIC, S 560 4MATIC Coupe, S 450 4MATIC, 2019-2020 E 450 4MATIC Sedan, E 450 4MATIC Wagon, E 450 4MATIC Coupe, and E 450 4MATIC Cabriolet vehicles. The drive shaft universal joint may break, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power.
The risk
A sudden loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the drive shaft as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed May 22, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 10, 2026.
A safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
Campaign details
Identifiers and dates as filed with NHTSA
- Manufacturer
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
- Manufacturer's campaign number
- Not recorded
- NHTSA campaign number
- 26V216000
- Units potentially affected
- 24,092
- Report received
- Apr 3, 2026
- Production range
- Oct 1, 2017 – Dec 18, 2019
- Campaign type
- Vehicle
- Federal safety standard (FMVSS)
- Not recorded
Vehicles covered
24 model years across 12 models
- Mercedes-Benz E 400 4MATIC
- Mercedes-Benz E 400 4MATIC Cabriolet
- Mercedes-Benz E 400 4MATIC Coupe
- Mercedes-Benz E 400 4MATIC Wagon
- Mercedes-Benz E 450 4MATIC
- Mercedes-Benz E 450 4MATIC Cabriolet
- Mercedes-Benz E 450 4MATIC Coupe
- Mercedes-Benz E 450 4MATIC Wagon
- Mercedes-Benz S 450 4MATIC
- Mercedes-Benz S 560 4MATIC
- Mercedes-Benz S 560 4MATIC Coupe
- Mercedes-Maybach S 560 4MATIC
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.