Mercedes EQA and EQB battery recall: replacement schedule, fire risk and 2028 deadline

© A. Krivonosov

The deadline for a Mercedes-Benz EQA and EQB recall covering 51,729 electric vehicles worldwide has been extended to March 1, 2028. The issue involves potentially hazardous high-voltage batteries that can develop an internal short circuit and subsequently catch fire. Available information indicates that battery replacement in Europe is due to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, although replacement packs will initially be available only in limited quantities.

The revised timetable was disclosed by German law firm Dr. Stoll & Sauer, citing a response it received from Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority, the KBA, dated August 17, 2026. This is an extension of the completion deadline for an existing recall, not a newly discovered defect. The March 1, 2028 date does not mean that every owner will have to wait until then for a new battery.

The campaign covers certain Mercedes-Benz EQA and EQB vehicles built from February 20, 2021 to July 30, 2024. In Germany, 4,677 vehicles are potentially affected. According to the KBA and ADAC, an internal defect in the high-voltage battery can cause a short circuit and a fire.

Mercedes-Benz initially tried to reduce the risk with a software update for the battery-management system. However, the measure brought restrictions: ADAC says DC fast charging from 10 to 80% took around 10–15 minutes longer, while usable battery capacity could gradually decrease as mileage increased.

In February 2026, the manufacturer moved to a more radical remedy: full replacement of the high-voltage battery in affected vehicles. It has now become clear that the entire fleet cannot be repaired quickly. Because replacement batteries will initially be in short supply, cars will be handled in stages and the overall campaign deadline has been extended by almost a year and a half.

Until the repair is completed, owners of vehicles subject to the current instruction must not charge above 80% and must park outdoors. Whether these restrictions apply to a specific car should be checked by VIN and against official Mercedes-Benz information.

The safety issue is particularly sensitive for electric cars. German motor-insurance statistics do not show that EVs as a group catch fire more often than petrol- or diesel-powered cars. However, damage to an individual lithium-ion cell can trigger thermal runaway and a chain reaction inside the battery. Mercedes-Benz is developing next-generation battery technology in parallel, including work with ProLogium, but that does not change the conditions of the current EQA and EQB recall.

German courts have already issued first-instance rulings in claims by EQA owners linked to the high-voltage battery fire risk. These judgments do not create an automatic right for every owner to return the vehicle or receive a refund; each case is assessed on its own facts. Likewise, the March 2028 campaign deadline does not mean all owners will wait until the final day—replacement is intended to proceed in stages as parts become available.

In Germany, the active high-voltage-battery replacement campaign is registered as KBA 16136R; Mercedes-Benz's internal code is 4794004. The remedy is complete replacement of the high-voltage battery once the required parts are available. Charging and parking restrictions remain in force until repair. A public owner-notification mailing schedule has not been specified; the status of an individual vehicle can be checked by VIN through Mercedes-Benz's official recall service.