Campaign 21V-789

Air bag control unit software may deactivate the occupant recognition control unit, resulting in a deactivated front passenger air bag

Defect summary

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2021 S500, S580, and Maybach S580 vehicles. The air bag control unit software may deactivate the occupant recognition control unit, resulting in a deactivated front passenger air bag.

Consequence

A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the air bag control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 1, 2021. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021100010. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Source: NHTSA ODI recalls file, campaign 21V789000. Text as published by NHTSA.

Vehicles covered

2 product lines are covered

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA about airbags on these vehicles: 0, of which 0 involved a crash, fire, injury or death. Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Vehicles covered by campaign 21V-789
Make	Model	Model years	Complaints on this component
Mercedes-Benz	S 500	2021	0
Mercedes-Benz	S 580	2021	0

Source: NHTSA ODI recalls and complaints files. Equipment, tire and child-seat campaigns list products, not vehicles.

Investigation

No NHTSA investigation is linked to this recall

Most recalls are started by the manufacturer. This one lists "Manufacturer" as its origin.

Before the recall

No service bulletins on this component preceded the recall

Distinct manufacturer communications on the same component group, make, model and model year in the 24 months before the report date.

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications file.

Service bulletins

26V-199 Mar 27, 2026
Passenger air bag fabric may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended
24V-960 Dec 20, 2024
Mounting brackets near the roof may have sharp edges that can damage the side-curtain air bag during deployment
22V-466 Jul 1, 2022
Front air bag wiring harness may be routed incorrectly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy properly
22V-215 Apr 1, 2022
Trim parts on both front seats may detach during rear air bag deployment, which can damage the air bag cushion or cause the air bag to deploy…
22V-124 Mar 4, 2022
Air bag control unit may be improperly secured and may result in an unintentional air bag or seat belt deployment, or an improper deployment in…
22V-078 Feb 11, 2022
These vehicles may be equipped with an incorrect front driver's air bag module