— A Mercedes-Benz GLA250 California class action lawsuit alleges model year 2019 Mercedes GLA250 SUVs are equipped with defective transmission control units that cause the vehicles to shift into NEUTRAL.
The class action includes all consumers in California who purchased or leased 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 SUVs.
According to the lawsuit, Mercedes-Benz recalled four of the vehicles in February 2021 which were manufactured August 7-9, 2018. The automaker later expanded the recall but less than 25 GLA250 SUVs were ever recalled.
Documents filed with the government said the power supply for the automatic transmission control unit might be interrupted while driving. This can cause the transmission to shift into NEUTRAL and the vehicle would coast to a stop.
California plaintiff Keisha Corona owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLA250, and in December 2021 she brought the vehicle to a Mercedes dealership because she was allegedly driving on a highway when the GLA250 shifted into NEUTRAL.
The lawsuit doesn't mention if the dealer diagnosed or made repairs to the vehicle. However, the plaintiff says she never received a recall notice from Mercedes.
According to the recall, Mercedes learned about a problem at the transmission control unit supplier in July 2018. The supplier found certain control units failed final testing because an electrical component in the control unit may not have been glued properly.
Mercedes said it knew of no problems from the field and while less than 25 SUVs were recalled, Mercedes said it couldn't rule out more vehicles may be affected by the defective transmission control units.
The plaintiff says Mercedes has never warned owners and lessees of the risk of vehicles that shift into NEUTRAL on their own.
"A vehicle that unexpectedly shifts into neutral causes drivers to react with panic—which can cause an accident. If the driver is somehow lucky enough to be able to safely pull over to the side of the road, the driver still faces heightened risks of danger from other vehicles." — Mercedes lawsuit
The class action alleges the 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 SUVs now have decreased resale values and owners and lessees have been damaged because the automaker concealed the alleged defects.
The Mercedes-Benz GLA250 class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of California: Keisha Corona, v. Mercedes-Benz USA, et al.
The plaintiff is represented by the Frontier Law Center, and the Law Office of Robert L. Starr.
