Mercedes-Benz to recall 147,000 vehicles over fire danger

Mercedes-Benz has joined the growing number of auto makers hit with problems this year, and as such it'll be recalling about 147,000 cars in the United States — in this particular case, the decision to recall them is over a potential fire risk. That issue — that a fire could start as a result of some issue with the car — has been a common one this year, afflicting models from many auto makers, though the newest Jeep Cherokees are the most notable among them, with several of them having gone up in flames recently.

In this particular case, the recalled vehicles are at risk of a fire due to a rubber seal within the engine compartment — there's a chance it could end up falling into the exhaust, and that could cause a fire to start, at least according to a recent report from the NHTSA.

The affected cars are of the 2013 through 2015 model years, and include both station wagons and sedans, among them being E-class and CLS-class models. Those with an affected vehicle will be receiving a notification from the auto maker starting next month, after which point owners will be able to get it serviced.

The recall doesn't come as a surprise — consumers have grown jaded in the face of increasing numbers of automotive recalls, something that has steadily increased over the past several months. In 2014, the industry saw a record number of recalls, and the NHTSA is gunning for improvements to the number of recalled cars that are ultimately fixed...all the while warning that the number of recalls could be higher this year than last.

SOURCE: CNBC