Mercedes-Benz Wheel Lawsuit Says ‘Defective’ AMG Rims, Tires Cause Problems for S580 Vehicles

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges 2021-present Mercedes-Benz S580 vehicles are equipped with defective 21-inch AMG V-multispoke wheels prone to cause sudden, repeated tire blowouts, punctures and cracked rims, among other problems requiring pricey repairs.

Have you had problems with the rims and/or tires on your Mercedes-Benz S580? Let us know here.

The 54-page Mercedes wheel lawsuit accuses the luxury automaker of failing to disclose that the S580 sedans at issue are equipped with 21-inch wheels and tires that are unable to withstand the weight of the vehicle itself, which compromises the rims’ and tires’ structural integrity, inevitably causing blowouts, sidewall bubbling, deflation, cracked rims and other headaches for drivers.

According to the complaint, Mercedes-Benz knew of the so-called wheel configuration defect through, among other avenues, pre-production testing and a noticeable uptick in customer service calls, warranty claims and customer complaints to dealers. Despite its knowledge of the wheel and rim defect, Mercedes “actively concealed” the safety issue from drivers, many of whom were told by the automaker, with no supporting evidence, that their wheel/tire problems were not due to a defect, but instead that blowouts were caused by potholes or “other driver error,” the case says.

Moreover, although the vehicles at issue come with a four-year, 50,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty, and the tires are covered by their own one-year, 12,000-mile warranty, Mercedes S580 drivers are paying thousands out of pocket to repair or replace wheels and/or tires with equally defective wheels and/or tires due to the company’s systematic denial of warranty coverage, the lawsuit alleges.

The alleged Mercedes wheel defect poses a significant safety concern as a tire blowout can impair a driver’s ability to control their vehicle, the suit emphasizes.

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“Had Mercedes disclosed the Wheel Configuration Defect, Plaintiff and Class Members would not have purchased or leased the Class Vehicles on the same terms or would have paid less for them,” the suit asserts.

The plaintiff, a Las Vegas resident, claims that the front driver’s side tire of his S580 blew out within seven months of purchasing his vehicle, as he was driving through New Mexico on a road trip from Las Vegas to Florida in January of this year. Per the suit, the plaintiff and his wife were forced to stay in a hotel overnight and the next day were driven three hours by tow truck to a Mercedes dealer in Lubbock, Texas, where they paid almost $500 for the repair, which the dealer “refused to cover [] under warranty.”

Just five days later, the plaintiff experienced a second tire blowout on the front driver’s side, this time in Tennessee, the lawsuit continues. The plaintiff paid more than $1,031 for the tire replacement and an extra tire, and a service advisor at the dealer allegedly told the driver that the salesperson “should never have sold [him] the vehicle with 21” rims knowing that he was going across the country.”

“Neither one of Plaintiff’s tire repairs/replacements were covered under warranty, despite the fact that the vehicle was less than seven months old,” the case stresses, calling the plaintiff’s experiences with the wheel configuration defect “unnerving” as he tried to regain control of his Mercedes, once while exiting the freeway and once while driving on the freeway.

The Mercedes wheel lawsuit looks to cover all persons in the United States who bought or leased any 2021-present Mercedes-Benz S580 equipped with 21-inch AMG V-multispoke wheels.

Have you had problems with the rims and/or tires on your Mercedes-Benz S580? Let us know here.