Who is the problem vehicle?
March 15 Consumer Rights Protection Day Special Program
The Mercedes-Benz C260 and C260L models are equipped with a 1.5T engine and a 48V mild hybrid power system. Some owners have complained that their vehicles have repeatedly displayed “48V mild hybrid onboard power system fault” within two years, and despite multiple repairs, the issue remains unresolved. During the investigation, it was found that this fault is quite common and has not been thoroughly resolved for a long time.
Over 300,000 for a new Mercedes
Frequent faults in less than two years
Mr. Sun, a resident of Nanjing, purchased a Mercedes-Benz C260 sedan from Nanjing Lizhixing Automobile Sales and Service Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Nanjing Lizhixing Mercedes 4S Store) for over 300,000 yuan in April 2020. However, after six months of use, the dashboard suddenly displayed the message “48V onboard power system fault” and the “engine fault light” icon, appearing intermittently and disappearing for no reason. Strangely, the vehicle did not show any hardware faults.
According to Mr. Sun, the same fault has occurred five or six times in less than two years, and he has taken the vehicle to the 4S store for inspection and repair five times. Initially, the 4S store attempted various repair methods, including replacing the battery and updating the software, but the problem remained unresolved. The most recent occurrence was in January of this year, when the warning text and icon appeared again. This has greatly affected Mr. Sun’s normal use of the vehicle.“I dare not drive on the highway; what if it breaks down or there is a real engine fault? I was planning to drive long-distance to Shuyang for the Spring Festival, but in the end, I didn’t dare to go,” Mr. Sun said.
4S Store Response:
It is a software fault
Can drive normally, including long distances
On March 10, the reporter accompanied Mr. Sun to the Nanjing Lizhixing Mercedes 4S store located in the Qixia District of Nanjing. The head of the after-sales department, Mr. Zong, stated that the fault is not limited to Mr. Sun’s vehicle; a portion of C260 models indeed has the same issue, primarily due to software program faults leading to erroneous displays. The vehicle does not actually have a fault, and Mr. Sun can drive it normally.If it is just a software issue, can the vehicle be driven on the highway? Mr. Zong responded: “It’s fine, definitely fine, you don’t need to worry about that. I’m not saying that there’s a problem with the vehicle or that there’s a hidden danger that would prevent you from driving long distances.”
Manufacturer’s Commitment:
Will thoroughly resolve the fault by early second quarter
Mr. Zong further stated that although the manufacturer had previously updated the vehicle’s software, it was only a “patch”. The latest response from the manufacturer is that a final version of the upgraded software is expected to be released by the end of the first quarter or early second quarter to fundamentally resolve the issue and eliminate the fault. However, Mr. Sun, who has lost trust, shook his head after hearing this plan. The 4S store rejected Mr. Sun’s requests for a vehicle exchange or refund.“I cannot promise that if this problem occurs again, I can refund or exchange the vehicle. Even now, I cannot make that promise. If such a situation occurs again, I can help you feedback to the manufacturer,” Mr. Zong said.
Link:
Onboard power system fault
Not an isolated case nationwide
The reporter found through the China Internet Automobile Quality Complaint Platform that similar fault issues have occurred in many regions across the country with the Mercedes-Benz C260 model. Among the 50 complaints from May 6, 2021, to January 5, 2022, 25 complaints were about the 48V onboard power system fault and the engine warning light, accounting for 50%.
Many complaining netizens also reported that when the fault warning text and engine fault yellow light are on, there are also phenomena such as body shaking, lack of power output when pressing the accelerator, and stuttering when starting the vehicle.
Expert Opinion:
Software faults can also lead to hardware malfunctions
May cause vehicle loss of control and accidents
In this regard, Professor Song Yunbo from the Automotive Engineering College of Nanjing Traffic Technician College stated that faults in the engine sensors and their circuits, actuator faults and their circuits, engine mechanical system faults, and faults in the instrument itself can all cause the engine fault light to illuminate. Each situation should be analyzed specifically, and it is recommended to seek professional diagnosis.
(Professor Song Yunbo, Automotive Engineering College of Nanjing Traffic Technician College)“The reasons for the “48V onboard power system fault” generally include:1. Excessive standby current or prolonged parking power consumption.2. Software bugs.3. Hardware faults.In this case, whether it is a false alarm or a hardware issue depends on the inspection results from the 4S store.Professor Song Yunbo stated that the software fault mentioned by the 4S store is only one of the reasons, and the 4S store cannot attribute all such issues to software faults. Moreover, software faults can also lead to hardware malfunctions, and in extreme cases, may result in loss of vehicle control and accidents.In this case, Mr. Sun’s vehicle should be considered a problem vehicle.
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Reporter from Jiangsu TV: Liang Zhenhua
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