Mercedes EQA and EQB: Free Battery Replacement to Prevent Fires

Mercedes will completely replace the high-voltage batteries in the EQA 250+ and EQB 250+ equipped with Farasis Energy cells, after two consecutive software updates failed to eliminate the fire risk linked to an internal short circuit. An official recall from the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt is imminent in Germany, while in China 19,481 vehicles have already been recalled, and in the US, 11,895 EQB units are subject to a third consecutive recall.

"Previous measures were considered internally as only a temporary solution, not a definitive technical fix." — mb.passion, a leading Mercedes-Benz blog

Farasis Cells Have Been Problematic from the Start

The affected models come with a 70.5 kWh battery pack supplied by Chinese manufacturer Farasis Energy. The issue: variations in these cells' production process, combined with overcharging of certain cells, can trigger an internal short circuit that may cause the vehicle to catch fire. This isn't a hypothetical scenario — in the US, two fires have already been reported, according to the submission to the NHTSA.

Faced with this, Mercedes initially played the software card. A first software update was deployed to monitor battery status. It wasn't enough. A second followed. Same result. According to InsideEVs, Mercedes was 74% complete with this second update campaign in the US when it had to face reality: software fixes don't address the root cause.

The Software Patch: A "Solution" That Created New Problems

The software fix had an unwelcome side effect for owners: it significantly reduced the battery's usable capacity and charging power. In other words, customers were left with a car that performed worse than the one they bought — without being clearly informed this would happen.

The backlash was swift. In Germany, a law firm specializing in consumer rights filed a complaint, arguing that the vehicles no longer matched the marketed specifications after the update. The ADAC, Germany's equivalent of the AAA, also publicly expressed its displeasure. Can't blame them.

Which Vehicles Are Exactly Affected?

The two targeted variants are the EQA 250+ and EQB 250+. In the US, the recall also covers some EQB 300 4MATIC and EQB 350 4MATIC from early production years, specifically models built between December 13, 2021 and May 9, 2024 for the American market. In China, Beijing Benz is handling the recall, covering vehicles produced between April 1, 2021 and March 12, 2024.

For Europe and Germany specifically, the official KBA (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt) recall is announced as imminent. Affected owners will be notified by mail and can schedule appointments at authorized Mercedes workshops. The Netherlands is also in the loop — Autoblog NL confirms that Mercedes has stated Dutch customers who were previously recalled will receive a full battery replacement.

How Long Does the Operation Take?

Expect a full day at the workshop. The complete battery pack replacement is estimated at about eight hours of labor, according to information Mercedes has passed on to dealers. The good news for the