Forward collision avoidance and issues with the brakes are among the main cause of complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The EQS SUV is the first all-electric Mercedes-EQ to be built in the U.S. The first all-electric luxury EQS vehicle was unveiled in April 2021, with 450, 450+, and 580 models launching in 2022. The all-new 2023 EQS 450 4MATIC Sedan, 450 4MATIC SUV, and 580 4MATIC SUV, as well as several other new, but not EQS, models, arrived at dealers late in 2022. Mercedes-Benz states they are redefining “progressive luxury,” with the EQS Sedan offering “a dynamic driving experience.” The problem is that some new owners are finding the experience beyond dynamic! Hard and phantom braking, as well as other forward avoidance collision issues are their main problem.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2022
According to Mercedes-Benz “EQ means the dawn of a new age of mobility – uncompromising and highly ambitious.” They say that it offers “exceptional driving fun,” as well as “maximum safety.”
But owners of various ESQ models including the 450, 450+, and 580, are seriously concerned about their experiences with the autonomous emergency braking system. This is expressed in complaints to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) as well as international Mercedes-Benz forums. Those affected feel highly compromised and certainly not safe. There weren’t a huge number of complaints about the 2023 ESQ by the end of the first quarter of 2023, but almost all of them are seen by owners as brake and/or forward collision avoidance issues.
It is a great worry that 75% of the complaints to the NHTSA about the launch 2022 model are also about brake and/or forward collision avoidance problems. It seems that Mercedes-Benz hasn’t addressed these issues, because nothing has changed – the emergency braking system continues to malfunction.
While there are 9 recalls for the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS, none of these relate to brakes or forward collision avoidance.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Structure:body | |
| Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| Suspension | |
| Tires |
Forward collision avoidance problems go hand in hand with brake issues. Some owners state in NHTSA complaints that the Mercedes-Benz EQS hard brakes for no reason. Others talk about phantom braking. But it all means the same thing. The autonomous emergency braking system is malfunctioning.
The owner of a 2023 EQS from California states in a complaint that his wife was injured when the autonomous emergency braking system malfunctioned. He states in an NHTSA complaint filed as an electrical system, service brakes, and forward collision issue, that they had been traveling on freeways doing 65-75 mph with the flow of traffic. The weather was clear and dry and there were no cars in front of or behind him when he turned off the freeway. At this stage, he was doing about 35-40 mph.
Suddenly, “the car inexplicably and suddenly stopped, hard, as though I had run into a dense hill of sand. It was a violent and sudden jolting stop, and all four passengers’ seat belts activated, firmly tightening and restraining us in our seats. My wife’s head whipped back and forth, resulting in an enduring headache for her through the rest of the evening. No one knew what had happened, or why, as there was absolutely no obstruction in the road and no traffic around us.” He pulled over. There was no evidence of contact and the road was clear. “No animals; no objects; no obstruction.”
A bit of research on the NHTSA website revealed that this was not a new problem. His concern is that if the emergency braking system were to activate while he was traveling at 70 mph on a freeway, “this could be fatal.”
Another owner from California experienced the hard-brake defect twice just weeks after buying the EQS. On both occasions there were no vehicles anywhere nearby. The complaint states that it was “if the vehicle had sensed a pending collision or something, but nothing was around.”
His first step was to change “the recuperation mode setting.” But, because it happened again, he thought it might be because the “collision avoidance settings were set to the max sensitivity levels (and) that perhaps it’s seeing things that aren’t there. It was very scary. It was so violent I thought I had hit something in the road, but it was a clear, dry, sunny day with no road hazards, obstacles or anything else that would have caused it.”
After reporting the incident to the dealer, he says: “I get a little nervous now every time I get behind the wheel because I wonder if/when the next occurrence will be.”
An owner from Virginia states in an NHTSA complaint that when his wife was driving at about 40 mph, “the vehicle experienced phantom braking without another vehicle nearby.” As appears to be the norm, there were no warning lights. Fortunately, this driver was able to continue driving without any further issues.
Here are two examples of comments in forums that highlight 2023 EQS vehicles shutting down because of problems with the emergency braking system.
In a thread on the MBWorld forum that relates specifically to the 2023 EQS 580, an owner describes how the vehicle “initiated an emergency shutdown on 3 separate occasions. The vehicle goes into a reduced speed mode and then completely shuts down. After about 5 minutes. the vehicle will return to normal operation. This has happened while on the highway and while turning in an intersection. Both times, leaving the vehicle inoperable in the middle of traffic.” The dealership confirmed that other owners had reported similar cases. They said they were “in the process of updating the software and they state that this will resolve the issue.”
The owner adds that he also owns an Audi eTron “that has been at the dealership for two months with multiple issues.”
After dealership feedback, he reported on the forum that it seems there were multiple fault codes stored in the BMS and PTCU. Ultimately, “it sounds like the temperature sensors were faulting and causing the emergency shut down of the vehicle and required a software update to resolve the issue. I will continue to drive and see if I experience the issue again.”
An owner from Armenia reports on the MBEQ Club forum that he was faced with brake assist problems within days of buying an EQS 450+. He said it wasn’t working correctly and was braking “in situations where there is no need and it’s happening every day, every hour!” He adds that it usually happens after he’s turned off the function from the menu. Then, it happens automatically after this. He states that he wants to turn brake assist off “forever.”
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Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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I have twice experienced phantom braking while driving on the freeway. Very dangerous the way other drivers tend to tailgate.
Big mistake on my part for buying the 2024 Mercedes EQS 580 sedan.