According to the report released by the State Administration of Market Supervision, Mercedes-Benz recalled a total of 2,778,791 vehicles in 2021, mainly due to the risk of safety hazards caused by various factors, of which the largest single recall exceeded 2.6 million vehicles. Just last year, Mercedes-Benz launched 18 recalls, recalling more than 800,000 vehicles in total, and even got the title of "recall king" in China. As a world-renowned luxury car brand, product quality should be at the leading level in the industry, but in recent years, Mercedes-Benz's recall plan filed in the Chinese market has shown a significant upward trend.
According to data from the Defective Product Center of the State Administration for Market Regulation, Mercedes-Benz (including Beijing Benz Automobile Co., Ltd. and Mercedes-Benz (China) Automobile Sales Co., Ltd.) has taken 15 recall actions in 2021, which is not only rare among luxury brands, but even surpasses most mainstream car brands, of which 7 involve Mercedes-Benz imported S-class models.
Single recall of more than 2.6 million vehicles to become the "recall king"
The largest recall this year was launched on March 12, and Mercedes-Benz filed a recall plan with the State Administration for Market Regulation. More than 2.6 million defective vehicles were involved, three times the sales volume of Mercedes-Benz in China last year. Mercedes-Benz (China) Automobile Sales Co., Ltd. and Beijing Benz Automobile Co., Ltd. shall, in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations on the Administration of the Recall of Defective Automobile Products and the Implementation Measures for the Administration of the Recall of Defective Automobile Products, recall from April 12, 2021, some imported and domestically produced A-class, B-class, C-class, E-class, S-class, GLASUV, GLBSUV, GLCSUV, GLESUV, GLESUV, GLASUV, GLESUV, GLSSUV, CLA, SLC, CLS, SL, G-Class, AMGGT, EQC vehicles, a total of 2600677 units.
The recall information shows that due to the design problems of the communication module software, when the vehicle collides and automatically triggers the emergency call service, the temporary drop in the voltage of the communication module power supply caused by the vehicle collision may cause the vehicle to be automatically sent to the Mercedes-Benz emergency call center to deviate from the position of the vehicle, which may lead to rescue delays and potential safety hazards. Mercedes-Benz (China) Automobile Sales Co., Ltd. and Beijing Benz Automobile Co., Ltd. will upgrade the communication module software for vehicles covered by the recall free of charge through vehicle remote upgrade (OTA) technology to eliminate safety hazards.
Previously, a large-scale recall was also issued on March 3, recalling a total of 125568 vehicles. Some imported and domestically produced C-class (platform 205) vehicles with production dates from June 9, 2014 to February 28, 2018 will be recalled from April 30, 2021.
Vehicles within the scope of the recall under unfavorable environmental conditions of heat dissipation, such as engine idle for a long time, the heat generated by the fairing bridge diode may not be dissipated in time, and individual diodes may cause short-circuit failures due to exceeding the maximum working temperature, resulting in an increase in the temperature of the alternator stator coil, which cannot eliminate the risk of fire, and there are safety hazards. Mercedes-Benz (China) Automobile Sales Co., Ltd. and Beijing Benz Automobile Co., Ltd. will upgrade the engine control unit software for vehicles covered by the recall through authorized dealers to eliminate safety hazards.
S-class problems occur frequently recalled 7 times
Among this year's recall announcements, the recall announcements for imported S-class individual models were the most issued. The number of individual recalls of imported S-Class models has exceeded 29,952 units, mainly due to the risk of safety hazards. The most recalled were 11,124 imported S-Class models with production dates between August 3, 2020 and March 15, 2021, and 17,927 imported S-Class models with production dates between August 10, 2020 and June 9, 2021.
The main reason for the recall, on the one hand, is that the software of the vehicle airbag control unit module in the range does not meet the requirements. When the vehicle ignition switch is turned off, the airbag control unit may permanently deactivate the front passenger seat occupancy identification control unit, resulting in the front passenger airbag being deactivated, which will increase the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a collision of the vehicle, and there is a safety hazard. Mercedes-Benz (China) Automotive Sales Co., Ltd. will upgrade the airbag control unit software for vehicles covered by the recall free of charge to eliminate safety hazards.
On the other hand, the reason is that there is a problem with the vehicle's communication module control unit software, resulting in the communication module cannot be started normally or reset repeatedly; or there is a problem with the software program settings, resulting in the emergency call test mode may be activated by the user by mistake. In both cases, the user cannot automatically or manually establish a voice connection for emergency calls through the communication module, which may cause rescue delays and security risks. Mercedes-Benz (China) Automotive Sales Co., Ltd. will upgrade the communication module software free of charge for vehicles covered by the recall through vehicle remote upgrade (OTA) technology to eliminate safety hazards.
Regarding the recall-related issues, Caijing Auto contacted senior experts in the industry and got a detailed interpretation. Zhang Xiang, an analyst in the automotive industry, said: Due to the rapid technological upgrading and rapid replacement of automobiles in the current era, if the model does not accelerate research and development and iteration, it will affect sales. The rapid upgrading of technology is the main reason for the increase in recalls.
Previous car development cycles were long, and the chance of problems was low. Luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz 20 years ago usually take 10 years to develop a car. Today's joint venture brands usually take 5 years to develop a car, while independent brands usually take only 3 years, and new forces even only take 2 years. Automotive product development originally required a lot of certification experiments and approvals, but now that technology is advancing rapidly, product iteration is fast, and time needs to be shortened, then many development processes will be omitted, and there will be some small problems after listing.
Although the large number of recalls of Mercedes-Benz will affect the brand image to some extent, the actual impact on sales is not very large. Whether it is a luxury car brand or other brands, recall activities are a common phenomenon, including new forces, Tesla and other brands have also been recalled.
Although a large number of recalls indicate that there are some hidden dangers in the product, it is the responsibility of manufacturers to actively protect the rights and interests of users. The relevant announcement shows that some of the recalls are the cause of suppliers, but it cannot be ruled out that Mercedes-Benz currently has defects in manufacturing and supply chain control. In addition to the issues in the recall announcement, there are some other possible issues that have not been resolved. Some owners said that his new S-class has some problems every once in a while. The problem this time is that the other 3 windows are hard to lift the window automatically, the driving position of the window is pressed up 2 cm and back, can only be pressed by themselves to come up, up to half and can be a key to raise the window. 4S said it was to start the anti-pinch, but there was nothing. Such problems occur frequently, and the 4S store has not solved it, and it is impossible to say what the problem is.
Liu Junhai, a professor at the Law School of Chinese Min University, said in an interview with the media that enterprises should consolidate and protect consumers' rights to know, choose, fair trade, safety, governance and claims. The obligations of enterprises and the rights of consumers are mutually exclusive. In order to enhance the core competitiveness of enterprises, enterprises must respect and protect the rights of consumers with satisfaction and sincerity.
Conlinson, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Daimler AG and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mercedes-Benz AG, once said, "The S-Class is the best-selling luxury sedan in the world and the core of our brand. ”。 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is Mercedes-Benz's main top-of-the-line sedan series first launched by Mercedes-Benz in 1954, and its main competitors are BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Lexus LS and so on. The S-Class has been Mercedes-Benz's flagship model for more than half a century, and many of Mercedes-Benz's most advanced technologies have been first applied to the S-Class and are the world's best-selling luxury cars.
"As the flagship model of the Mercedes-Benz brand, the S-Class represents the highest standards of luxury, comfort, safety, power and quality." Mr. Myers, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Automotive Sales Co., Ltd., said. As the world's most successful top-of-the-line sedan, the S-Class has always been an explorer of new automotive technologies. Many of the automotive technologies that are now familiar today have been pioneered in S-Class sedans and extended to the entire Mercedes-Benz line, ultimately influencing and changing the entire car.
On December 9, according to foreign media CAR AND DRIVER, Mercedes-Benz passed the approval of the German Federal Transport Authority, and the L3 level autonomous driving system Drive Pilot, which will be launched in Germany in early 2022, can operate at a speed of 37 miles per hour on designated highways in Germany. The Drive Pilot system will be the first to be applied to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Mercedes-Benz EQS, becoming the first brand in the world to legally use the L3 level autonomous driving system in Germany. Mercedes-Benz officials said: "At present, users can only experience the technology in Germany, but other countries, including China and the United States, are currently testing the technology, and once the laws of these markets are allowed, the technology will be promoted globally." ”
According to today's latest news, the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, known as the "best car in the world" in the industry, has just begun to be delivered in overseas markets, and has not yet been listed in the Chinese market and has been officially recalled. According to official information, the internal tie rod was triggered by the recall, because its size is too short and the connection with the steering rack may "not be able to withstand the driving pressure permanently", and may even lead to serious steering problems and accidents.
S-Class new replacement or reduced price increase
Since 2007, China has been the largest single market for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the world, accounting for nearly half of the global sales of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The last generation of Mercedes-Benz S-Class, in the first three years of its launch in China, once reached the sales volume of all other luxury flagship cars combined. It can be said that the success of the tenth generation of S-class is inseparable from the strong support of the Chinese market. However, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which has been leading in sales for many years and has long dominated China's D-class luxury car market, released a new replacement model in 2021, but this replacement may usher in many netizens' doubts.
First of all, the appearance design may be more youthful and fashionable, but it has lost the original elegance and modesty. In the design language of the new generation of Mercedes-Benz S-Class, many popular elements of the CLS-class, A-class and CLA-class cars that have been listed can be clearly seen. Some Mercedes C-Class users are happy to call their cars "Little S-Class", but if the all-new S-Class is called "Big A-Class", then the position as the flagship model of the luxury brand may be questioned.
In terms of interior, the new generation of Mercedes-Benz S canceled the dual screen, replaced by a full LCD dashboard and a three-panel multi-function steering wheel, and the central control was equipped with a large-size LCD central control screen. It has a more technological sense of the current mainstream car, but it has lost a lot of the original gene of luxury and refinement. If it comes to exterior and interior design, everyone has different preferences. Then with the price increase of the new generation of Mercedes-Benz S, the official guidance price is 917,800-1.8388 million yuan, and the low-end version also needs to increase the price by 30,000-50,000 yuan to pick up the car, but the configuration has been reduced.
The new generation of Mercedes-Benz S for the Chinese market, the original 3.0T engine was cancelled, and the 2.5T engine + 48V light mix was replaced. You know, once in 2017, Mercedes-Benz launched a 2.0T four-cylinder engine S320L, which was discontinued after only two years on the market and withdrew from the market until the re-use of the 3.0T in-line six-cylinder engine, sales began to return. The current Mercedes-Benz S uses M256 engines, but Mercedes-Benz manufacturers split it into two different displacements of 2.5 and 3.0, and tuned it into three different powers, and then downgraded to the S400, S450 and S500 respectively. The S400 and S500 are equipped with the same engine, but the price difference is nearly half. The multi-purpose of one machine originally saved Mercedes-Benz's research and development costs, but the price increased instead.
In terms of power, from the parameter point of view, the reduced 2.5T engine is the same as the previous generation of 3.0T engine. However, the reduction in displacement by 0.5L may result in it needing to output higher speeds when reaching peak power, which means that stability may be weakened, which will also affect NVH and driving experience. However, the taxes and fees brought about by the reduction of emissions have not brought more benefits to consumers. Some netizens said that "the reduction of the listing, even the leather seat is gone, is it good to say that it is Mercedes-Benz S-Class?" Some netizens called it the "king of de-allocation", and even some netizens said that "the new S450 Mercedes-Benz still does not treat Chinese consumers as people".
At the end of the year, the sharp price reduction rushed sales
According to online car market reports, Mercedes-Benz's sales in the Chinese market reached 774,382 units in 2020, an increase of 11.7% year-on-year, ranking first among luxury brands. From a global perspective, China is also the only One of Mercedes-Benz to achieve positive growth in the three core markets (China, the United States and Europe), and the strong performance of the Chinese market has also narrowed the global sales decline of Mercedes-Benz to 7.5% in 2020, winning the global single-brand sales championship again with a score of 2,164,187 vehicles, and the proportion of Mercedes-Benz's global sales is more than 35%.
Since 2016, the sales volume in the Chinese market (data excluding imported cars), Mercedes-Benz has been ranked second in the BBA camp, Audi first, BMW third. As of October this year, Mercedes-Benz's cumulative sales have fallen to the end, and bmw has greatly overtaken.
Finance network car through the Mercedes-Benz 4S shop learned that at the end of this year, many models have a large discount, some old models can even be discounted as much as 50,000 yuan, and some new models can also be discounted by about 40,000 yuan. In this regard, Zhang Xiang, an analyst in the automotive industry, said: It is an industry practice for car companies to rush sales at the end of the year, and Mercedes-Benz is no exception. Most car companies will assess whether they have achieved sales targets at the end of the year, and will also issue instructions to dealers to help hedge sales through preferential or gift activities. In some cases of high inventory pressure, even cash discounts will be given directly. The annual sales volume has an important impact on the annual summary and annual report, in addition to affecting the company's reputation, popularity, and even affecting the capital market, then the last month of the end of the year is also the last impulse opportunity.
At present, the luxury car market such as BBA is very homogeneous. Zhang Xiang said: Overall, the Mercedes-Benz brand has a long history and is also the world's first automobile brand. In terms of technology, BBA is seriously homogenized and has comparable strength. In terms of market, Audi is the first luxury car brand to enter the Chinese market, BMW is the second domestic brand, and Mercedes-Benz is the last to enter the Chinese market, relatively late.
In the Chinese market three or five years ago, Mercedes-Benz's actual sales lagged behind Audi and BMW. But in the last year or two, sales have increased, even surpassing Audi BMW. However, in terms of new energy, Mercedes-Benz is still relatively backward, and the new energy models released in the Chinese market are not as good as Audi and BMW. But Mercedes-Benz has also been making efforts in the recent year, launching the EQS pure electric SUV model. Zhang Xiang, an analyst in the automotive industry, said.
The BBA brand competition alone is not over, and now it has entered the era of intelligence and electrification, and high-quality products are emerging in an endless stream. At present, the awareness of social environmental protection is awakened, the concept of consumption is more rational, the premium space of brand power has shrunk, and more and more "rising stars" have become opponents. Only by protecting the interests of consumers and coming up with sincere products is the foundation of sales.