My Mercedes EQS or EQE Screen Keeps Crashing. Is It a Lemon?

Published October 19, 2026 · Updated October 19, 2026 · California lemon law

The Short Answer

Signs Your EQS or EQE May Qualify

• You bought or leased the car new, or it came with the full new car warranty
• The screen has frozen, rebooted or gone black more than once
• A Mercedes-Benz dealer has worked on it, including software updates
• The crash affected the camera, climate, defrost, navigation or gauges
• Each repair order describes the screen problem
• The problem returned after the dealer said it was fixed

What California EQS and EQE Owners Have Reported

We reviewed complaints California owners filed with NHTSA from 2021 through 2026 for 2019 to 2027 model year vehicles, focusing on electrical, equipment, visibility and backover categories for the EQS and EQE. That search found only 21 complaint entries. That is a small number, and it should not be read as a sign of a widespread problem.

The EQS 450+ had 6 entries, the EQE 350+ had 3, and the AMG EQS, EQS 450 4MATIC and EQS 580 4MATIC had 2 each. By component, 19 were in the electrical system category, with 1 each in visibility and visibility or wiper. By model year, 2023 had 11 entries, 2024 had 5, 2022 had 4 and 2025 had 1.

These are owner reports, not verified defects, and they are not adjusted for sales. The electrical category is broad, so not every entry is about the screen. The numbers say little about your own car. What counts in a lemon law case is your repair history.

Why a Screen Problem Can Substantially Impair the Car

In many modern luxury EVs, the main display is how you reach basic controls. When it freezes or goes black, a driver can lose the backup camera view, climate and defrost controls, navigation, phone, or the information normally shown on the display. That is why a screen defect can affect use, value and, in some situations, safety.

The lemon law, at Civil Code 1793.2(d)(2), requires a replacement or buyback when the manufacturer or its dealers cannot repair a warranty defect that substantially impairs use, value or safety within a reasonable number of attempts. A display that crashes now and then on a car bought for its technology can hurt its value, and one that wipes out the camera or defrost can raise safety concerns.

Whether a screen defect is likely to cause death or serious injury depends on what it does. Losing the backup camera while reversing, or losing defrost in the rain, is different from losing music. If the safety test fits, Civil Code 1793.22(b) presumes a reasonable number of attempts after 2 repairs within 18 months or 18,000 miles. Otherwise the presumption needs 4 repairs of the same defect or more than 30 total days out of service. If your owner's manual clearly requires direct notice to Mercedes-Benz, that notice is needed for the repair-count tests.

A case can be proven without the presumption, too, including after 18 months or 18,000 miles if the screen defect first appeared under warranty.

EQS and EQE Recalls on Our Site

Our site has pages for several EQS and EQE recalls. Two related to displays and software are recall 22V493, listed as a 2022 AMG EQS 53 backup camera display recall, and recall 23V853, listed as a 2023 EQE350 electrical software recall. Check your VIN on the NHTSA recall lookup to see which recalls apply to your car, and check our recall pages and NHTSA for the current remedy status.

A recall is a manufacturer safety repair program. It does not make a car a lemon by itself. But if recall work was done on the system that has been failing and your screen kept crashing, that visit can count as a repair attempt. If your car is not under any recall, your lemon law rights are the same.

Recall pages on our site are listed by model and model year, so an EQE owner should not assume an EQS recall applies, or the reverse. The VIN lookup is the only reliable way to know.

Software Updates and Hard-to-Reproduce Problems

Screen crashes often come and go, which makes them hard for a dealer to see in the shop. Many visits end with a software update, and some end with no problem found. Both kinds of visits matter.

We treat a software update, whether installed at the dealer or sent over the air, as a repair attempt when its purpose was to fix the screen problem you reported. Oregel v. American Isuzu Motors (2001) also helps here: the buyer does not need to identify the technical cause, and could-not-duplicate visits can still count.

Proof helps the dealer and your case. A short video of the black screen or the reboot, taken when it is safe, can show what a technician cannot reproduce. Note what was happening right before the crash, such as starting the car, connecting a phone, shifting into reverse or using navigation. Only work done by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer counts. A visit to an independent shop is not a repair attempt.

Do not reset the system yourself and then skip the dealer visit. Rebooting the screen may bring it back for a while, but the lemon law counts visits to the dealer, not fixes you try at home. Report every crash, even when the screen recovers on its own.

• Which screen failed and which features you lost
• How long it stayed frozen or black, and whether it rebooted on its own
• What you were doing right before it happened
• Any warning messages that appeared after it came back
• Every software update or part replaced on that visit

Example: How Victor Documented His EQE

To show how this works, here is an invented example. Victor leased a new EQE in Irvine. A few months in, the center screen started going black while he drove, taking the climate controls and the camera view with it. The screen came back after a minute or two.

On the first visit, the dealer installed a software update. On the second, the dealer wrote that it could not duplicate the concern. Victor started recording short videos from the passenger seat when his partner drove. On the third visit, after the dealer watched one, it replaced a control module. The screen went black again a few weeks later.

During a free case review, the attorney noted that all three repair orders described the screen problem, that the first visit included a software update meant to fix it, and that losing the camera and defrost could raise safety questions. The firm then handled the next steps with the manufacturer while Victor kept paying his lease. This example describes the process only, not a result.

Victor's videos mattered because they turned a problem that looked random into one the dealer could see.

He also kept the dates of each visit and the days the car stayed at the dealer. When the second visit stretched past a week while the dealer waited for guidance, those days added to his total time out of service.

Refund, Lease Payoff and Who Pays Your Lawyer

If your EQS or EQE qualifies, you can choose a replacement or a refund. Restitution under Civil Code 1793.2(d)(2)(B) covers the actual price paid or payable, collateral charges like sales tax, license and registration fees, and incidental damages such as reasonable towing or rental costs. A mileage offset is subtracted under Civil Code 1793.2(d)(2)(C), based on the miles driven before you first brought the car in for the problem.

Many EQS and EQE drivers lease. The lemon law covers leased vehicles too, and a lease buyback typically refunds what you paid and pays off the lease. Keep paying during the claim, because missed payments can hurt your credit.

When the buyer wins, Civil Code 1794(d) shifts attorney fees, costs and expenses to the manufacturer. You pay our firm $0 out of pocket, and nothing at all if the case is lost. Each case is different, and we do not predict amounts or how long it will take.

If you paid for a rental or ride-share while the car was at the dealer, keep those receipts with the repair orders. If the dealer gave you a loaner, keep the loaner agreement, since it shows the dates your car was out of service.

If You Bought Your EQS or EQE Used or Certified

Some EQS and EQE owners bought their cars used or certified pre-owned. After Rodriguez v. FCA US LLC (2024), a used car that carried only the remaining factory warranty generally does not count as a new motor vehicle under the lemon law's vehicle section.

That is not the end of the road. Used and certified pre-owned buyers may still have claims under a dealer's or manufacturer's express or CPO warranty, the implied warranty, the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which lets a winning consumer recover attorney fees under 15 U.S.C. 2310(d)(2), or fraud law. The CPO paperwork you signed matters, so keep it with your repair orders.

Timing matters for every buyer. Warranty claims generally must be filed within four years under Commercial Code 2725, and the rules on when that period starts are technical. Talk to an attorney early.

If you are not sure which warranty applies to your car, look at your purchase contract and any certified pre-owned booklet the dealer gave you. Bring both to your free case review, along with the window sticker if you still have it.

What to Do Next

1. When it is safe, photograph or video the frozen or black screen and note the date, time and what you were doing.
2. Book a warranty visit at a Mercedes-Benz dealer and describe exactly which features stopped working.
3. Ask that each software update or module replacement be listed on the repair order.
4. Check your VIN on the NHTSA recall lookup and collect every repair order.
5. Call 877-536-6620 and ask for a free attorney review of your EQS or EQE repair orders.

Key Facts (as of October 2026)

• Song-Beverly covers new vehicles, leased vehicles, and other vehicles sold with the manufacturer's new car warranty (Civil Code 1793.22(e)(2)).
• Oregel v. American Isuzu Motors (2001): the buyer does not have to prove the exact technical cause of the defect, and visits where the dealer could not find or fix the problem can still count.
• California's lemon law covers leased vehicles, and a lease buyback typically refunds what you paid and pays off the lease.

Talk to a Lemon Law Attorney Today

You speak directly with an attorney. Our attorneys, listed in firm order: #1 Jacob Shayesteh (founding attorney), #2 Armig Khodanian and #3 Kamau Edwards, will look at your repair history and tell you honestly whether you have a case. The review is free. You pay $0 out of pocket: the manufacturer pays the attorney fees when you win, and if we lose, you owe us nothing.

What Our Clients Say on Google

“He was on top of everything from building a case to filing a demand lawsuit to BB negotiation to case development. Similarly, their prompt communication was outstanding.”

Carlo N. · Ford Mustang · 5-star Google review

“Within less than 2 months, my case was fully settled. He walked me through exactly what my rights were as a consumer, what the process would look like, and what I could realistically expect as an outcome.”

Rafi K. · 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE · 5-star Google review

“Every time I took it to the service center in Van Nuys, I was told they couldn't replicate the issue. America's Lemon Lawyer took my case and turned everything around.”

Ferina F. · 2024 Chevy Silverado · 5-star Google review

Read all 78 reviews on Google (5.0 stars, October 2026). Reviews describe past clients' experiences; every case is different.

FAQ

Does a screen problem count if the car still drives fine?

It can. A defect only has to substantially impair use, value or safety, and a display that controls the camera, climate and defrost can affect all three.

The dealer said a software update fixed it. What if it crashes again?

Go back and make sure the new repair order says the problem returned after the update. That update can count as one repair attempt.

Do I need a recall on my car to make a claim?

No. Many lemon law claims involve problems that were never recalled. Recalls only matter if recall work was done on the same problem.

Can I use an over-the-air update from Mercedes as a repair attempt?

Our firm's position is that an over-the-air update can count when it was done to fix the problem you reported. Save any notice or message about it.

Sources and Official References

• California Civil Code section 1793.2 (California Legislature)
• California Civil Code section 1793.22 (California Legislature)
• 15 U.S.C. 2310, Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (Cornell Law School)
• NHTSA recall lookup by VIN
• California Department of Consumer Affairs: California's Lemon Law Q&A
• NHTSA: Report a Vehicle Safety Problem
• California Attorney General: Buying and Maintaining a Car

Laws change. This page reflects California law as of October 2026 and was reviewed by Jacob Shayesteh, Esq.

Related Guides

• My car screen keeps freezing or going black
• 2022 AMG EQS 53 Backup Camera Display Recall (22V493)
• 2023 EQE350 Electrical Software Recall (23V853)
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Attorney advertising. Wynn Law Group, APC, 10850 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1010, Los Angeles, CA 90024. General information, not legal advice. Results vary. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.