Daimler AG has been named in a lawsuit alleging the high-performance Mercedes-Benz AG series vehicles equipped with <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/defective_vehicle_parts">M156 V8 engines are defective and should be recalled. The Mercedes-Benz engine lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, and alleges violations of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and New Jersey state consumer protection laws.
According to Law360, the lead plaintiff in the class action lawsuit is Cedric Chan, a California resident and former owner of pre-owned Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, which he purchased in 2008. According to his lawsuit, Chan spent $4,600 to repair engine parts in his vehicle and eventually traded it in for a loss of more than $25,000.
“As an owner or lessee of numerous Mercedes vehicles in the past, plaintiff expected to receive a product that conformed to the quality that Mercedes advertises for its AMG products,” Chan’s suit contended. “Alas, plaintiff did not even receive a vehicle that conformed to the lesser (but, still high) quality of Mercedes non-AMG vehicle line.”
According to the complaint, the M156 engine is prone to premature wear due to the material used in the camshafts. The camshafts used are made of cast nodular iron, while the valve lifters used are made of 9310 grade steel. According to the complaint, the combination of these metals as designed is contributing to premature wear of the M156 motors. “The premature wear can cause eventual catastrophic engine failure, resulting in a necessary replacement of the entire engine block, costing tens of thousands of dollars,” the suit states.
According to Law 360, Daimler markets its Mercedes-Benz AMG series as high-performance luxury vehicles designed for auto enthusiasts. The vehicles sell anywhere from $60,000 to $200,000. Daimler introduced its M156 engine, a 6.2-liter V8 engine, in its AMG vehicles starting in the 2007 model year, the suit says. The M156 is the first V8 automobile engine designed autonomously by Mercedes-Benz subsidiary Mercedes-AMG, as previous AMG engines have always been based on original Mercedes engines.
The lawsuit alleges that Daimler has known about defects in its M156 engine since introducing it in the 2007 model year and has revised service bulletins for mechanics covering replacement of engine parts.
According to Law360, the lawsuit seeks class action status on behalf of consumers who own or lease Mercedes-Benz vehicles equipped with the defective engine in model years 2007 through 2011 that were sold or leased in California.
Mercedes-Benz USA LLC, a unit of Daimler, is based in New Jersey.
