Mercedes-Benz is recalling 215,231 S-Class cars worldwide to replace the front brake hoses. Germany's motor transport authority, the KBA, lists the campaign under reference 17121R, and German outlets reported it in the last week of October. It covers the W223 generation of the S-Class (BR 223 in German documents), built between 5 June 2019 and 28 November 2024. Only cars with air suspension are included, and 11,828 of the total are in Germany.

Which cars are included

The KBA's list takes in these versions, and it says the list may still be narrowed:

  • S 350 d, S 400 d, S 450, S 500 and S 580, in the various drive variants
  • The plug-in hybrids S 450 e and S 580 e
  • The Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance
  • The Mercedes-Maybach S 450, S 480, S 580 and S 680

What can go wrong

The hoses carry brake fluid to the front brakes. They can start to leak over the life of the car, and a leak cuts braking in one of the two brake circuits, so the car needs a longer distance to stop. Fluid that ends up on the road can also be a hazard for the traffic behind. Mercedes-Benz's filing with the US safety regulator puts the cause down to material fatigue from heat and mechanical stress.

There is no warning before a hose fails. A red brake fluid message can appear in the instrument cluster, but only once a leak has started. The KBA knows of no accidents, injuries or property damage linked to the fault, and the US filing counts three US reports, in April, May and August 2026, with no crashes.

How the recall got wider

The same hose was recalled in 2025. In the US that was recall 25V116, filed on 24 February 2025. Hong Kong started a campaign on 17 March 2025 for cars built from September 2020 to March 2022, and Australia's recall register lists 423 cars built from 2020 to 2023. The US campaign was scoped by climate and production period, and Australia's notice blamed high temperature and moisture.

According to the US filing, reports from outside the US between March and August 2025 showed that cars outside those climates and build dates were affected as well. Mercedes-Benz collected hoses and tested them, and the results in July 2026 led to a wider population. On 25 September it formally decided to expand the recall, and the US expansion was filed on 2 October as recall 26V638. It covers about 30,000 cars from the 2022 to 2025 model years, including the Maybach S 580 and S 680 and the AMG S 63 E Performance.

US dealers were told on 9 October, and the lookup by VIN went live the same day. American owners are due to get letters from 27 November, and dealers will replace both front hoses at no cost. The filing says the fault can no longer occur from 29 November 2024 onwards, when a revised hose went into production, and the recall covers cars built up to 28 November 2024.

What it means in South Africa

We haven't found a statement from Mercedes-Benz South Africa on whether local cars are part of this recall, how many there are, or when owners will hear. The German reports call it a worldwide recall, but only Mercedes-Benz South Africa can say which South African cars are included.

If you drive a W223 S-Class with air suspension, including a Maybach or an S 63 E Performance, ask your dealer to check your VIN for open campaigns. One German report tells owners to do the same, and the dealer can book the hose replacement if your car is on the list. If the red brake fluid message comes on, treat it as urgent and get the car looked at before you carry on driving. The club has no link to Mercedes-Benz, so the dealer or the manufacturer is the place to get a firm answer for your car.