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This page covers 22 recalls and 125 owner complaints for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris.
Fuel system complaints dominate what owners report for the 2016 Metris, with the most common description being a fuel smell coming from the engine compartment, sometimes accompanied by visible fuel leaking from lower hoses. Some owners report the smell persisting even after hose replacement. Visibility and wiper complaints make up the second-largest group, with owners describing issues including dashboard display failures. Tire wear comes up frequently as well, with multiple owners reporting premature or uneven wear that they connect to alignment problems, some describe going through multiple sets of tires within the first 10,000 to 15,000 miles. A smaller number of owners report power steering assist warnings appearing while driving, with the steering becoming notably harder to turn.
125
Total Complaints
2
Fire-Related
1
With Injuries
By System
The 2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris has 22 recalls, the most serious involving a rear differential weld that can fail and cut power to the wheels, a brake fluid reservoir that can detach and leak, and fuel hose connections that can leak near ignition sources and cause a fire.
Two separate fire risks stem from the electrical system: vans equipped with an integrated backup battery under the front passenger seat may lack a cover, leaving the battery terminals exposed so that a dropped metal object can short-circuit the battery and start a fire. On the drivetrain side, a loose transmission support can damage the driveshaft and cause loss of drive power, and the front seat seatbelt pretensioners may fail to tighten in a crash, leaving occupants less protected.
Several steering recalls overlap in consequence: the electric power steering control unit can lose contact due to connection problems, and separately, corroded bolts on the steering assist motor can break, either way leaving the driver with a sudden and significant increase in steering effort. Incorrect software updates applied during dealer servicing can interfere with stability control, airbag systems, or engine management. The emergency call system may also send responders to the wrong location after a crash.
Visibility issues include a rearview camera that can freeze and show a static image while backing up, and blind spot monitoring that does not function because mismatched instrument cluster and steering wheel hardware was installed. Tire-related concerns involve winter tires with an insufficient load rating and incorrect tire load capacity labeling, both of which raise the risk of tire failure under load.
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Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
At a glance
What can fail
Winter tires on your vehicle may have an incorrect load rating, causing them to be overloaded. This can lead to poor handling or tire failure.
What the fix does
Mercedes-Benz will mail you instructions to visit a dealership for tire inspection and replacement if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The tire load capacity labels on the vehicle are incorrect, showing wrong maximum weight limits that the tires can safely carry.
What the fix does
Dealers will install corrected labels on the B-pillar and fuel filler door, and replace tires if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The maximum weight ratings for the rear axles exceed what the tires can safely carry. This overloading can reduce handling control and cause tire failure.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace weight and tire information labels on the B-pillar and fuel door, update your owner's manual, and inspect and replace tires if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The rearview camera image may freeze while you're backing up, preventing you from seeing what's behind your vehicle.
What the fix does
Mercedes-Benz will replace the rearview camera at an authorized dealership at no cost to restore proper camera function.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A faulty memory chip in the rearview camera can cause the display image to freeze.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the rearview camera at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The brake fluid reservoir may be incorrectly mounted, allowing it to detach from the vehicle.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and repair the brake fluid reservoir mounting at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The communication module software may fail to send your correct vehicle location to emergency services when the automatic emergency call system activates after a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the communication module software for the emergency call system at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger seat base lacks a cover over the integrated backup battery. A conductive object dropped into the opening could contact battery terminals and cause a short circuit.
What the fix does
A dealer will install a cover over the front passenger seat base to protect the battery terminals from contact with conductive objects.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The backup battery compartment under the front passenger seat may lack a cover, leaving the battery exposed when the seat moves forward.
What the fix does
Mercedes-Benz dealers will install covers over the battery compartment at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Aluminum bolts attaching the power steering motor to the gear housing can corrode and crack, reducing or eliminating power steering assist.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the aluminum bolts with steel bolts at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The bolts attaching the electric power steering motor to the steering gear can corrode and break, causing loss of power steering assist.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the aluminum bolts with steel bolts to prevent corrosion and breakage.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The fuel hose in the engine compartment may leak where it connects at the transition point between the underbody fuel line and Schrader valve, or where the fuel line connects to the fuel pump.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the affected hose and clamp at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Fuel can weep or leak from a lower connection point on the fuel hose, causing fuel smell inside the vehicle. Fuel leaks near ignition sources increase fire risk.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the hose and clamp at the lower fuel hose connection and replace the hose at the upper fuel line connection to the fuel pump.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The transmission support bolts may not have been properly tightened to the vehicle body, which could cause damage to the driveshaft.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the transmission support mounting bolts, replace them if needed, and tighten them securely at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The electrical power steering control unit contains contact pins that were improperly welded during manufacturing, which can cause the power steering system to malfunction.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the electric power steering rack at no cost to you once parts become available.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Some vehicles received incorrect software coding during servicing between December 3–5, 2016. Depending on which control unit was affected, this could impair Electronic Stability Control functions, airbag seat belt detection, or engine performance and speed limiting.
What the fix does
Dealers will reprogram the control units with correct software coding.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Software updates applied during service may conflict with the vehicle's computer systems, causing potential malfunctions.
What the fix does
Dealers will reprogram the affected control units at no cost to restore proper computer compatibility.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Some vehicles have seat belt pretensioners with igniters that don't meet specifications, which could prevent them from deploying during a crash when they should.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the affected front seat belt pretensioners.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front seat seatbelt pretensioners may not work properly during a crash, reducing their ability to restrain occupants.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front seat belts at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The Blind Spot Monitoring system may not work because the wrong instrument cluster and steering wheel were installed. The system cannot be activated, so drivers may not receive visual and acoustic warnings when changing lanes.
What the fix does
Dealers will install the correct instrument cluster and steering wheel to restore system function.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The instrument cluster and steering wheel installed in these vans don't support the Blind Spot Monitoring system, so the BSM feature doesn't function even though the vans were supposed to have it.
What the fix does
Dealers will install the correct instrument cluster and steering wheel to enable the Blind Spot Monitoring system at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The rear differential gears may have been improperly welded, which could cause them to fail.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the rear differential gears at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
