Mercedes-Benz has issued a major safety recall in Australia affecting 58,822 vehicles built between 2018 and 2026.

The German carmaker has identified a defect which could allow vehicles to move unintentionally.

“Due to a manufacturing defect, the door-lock microswitch may be susceptible to water damage and could fail,” the recall notice says.

“If this occurs, the door may not be detected as open, preventing the auto park feature from operating as intended.”

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The recall covers dozens of Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG passenger vehicles, SUVs and electric models, including A-Class, C-Class, CLA, GLA, GLB, GLC, CLE and EQA variants.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the autopark failure could have serious consequences. The notice warns that a loss of the auto park feature may result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of a crash.

Until then, drivers have been reminded to manually place the vehicle in Park and apply the parking brake before getting out, as set out in the owner’s manual.

Affected owners will be contacted in writing and asked to arrange a repair through an authorised dealership once replacement parts become available.

The repair will be carried out free of charge.

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The recall applies to selected vehicles sold in Australia between model years 2018 and 2026.

Affected models include the A 180, A 200, A 250, B 180, B 200, C 200, C 300, CLA 200, CLA 250 4MATIC, CLE 200, CLE 300 4MATIC, EQA 250, EQA 250+, EQA 350 4MATIC, GLA 200, GLB 200 and GLC 300 4MATIC, along with a number of AMG performance variants.

Owners can confirm whether their vehicle is included by checking the VIN list published with recall number REC-006695 on the Australian Government’s Vehicle Recalls website.

Earlier in the week, it was revealed that Mercedes-Benz was involved in a class-action lawsuit in America.

The case, which is filed in California, alleges that a seat badge inside some Mercedes-AMG cars can become hot enough in the sun to burn drivers and passengers

Two people claim the metallic emblem left painful injuries. The burn apparently was bad enough that the AMG branding was visible on the plaintiff’s skin.

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