2024-2026 Mercedes-Benz Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet Instrument Cluster Recall (26V281)

Recall 26V281 at a glance

What is wrong with the 2024-2026 Mercedes-Benz Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet in recall 26V281?

The infotainment control unit may reset while the vehicle is in motion and cause the instrument panel display to go blank.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2024-2026 AMG GT, C-Class, E-Class, SL, CLE, and GLC vehicles. The infotainment control unit may reset while the vehicle is in motion and cause the instrument panel display to go blank.

Is it safe to drive a 2024-2026 Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet with recall 26V281?

NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer and warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

NHTSA describes the risk this way: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer and warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

There is no do-not-drive order on this campaign. If your Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet shows warning lights or behaves differently in a way that involves the instrument cluster and panel, have it checked before driving further.

Which vehicles are included in recall 26V281?

Recall 26V281 covers 144,049 vehicles: 2025-2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG C43 4MATIC; 2025 Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 S E 4MATIC+; 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 S E Performance 4MATIC+; 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE53 4MATIC Cabriolet; 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE53 4MATIC Coupe; 2024-2025 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE53 4MATIC+; 2025 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE53 4MATIC+ Cabriolet; 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG E 53 4MATIC+; 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG E 53 4MATIC+ Wagon; 2025 Mercedes-Benz AMG E 53 E 4MATIC+; 2025-2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC43; 2025 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC43 4MATIC Coupe; 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC43 Coupe; 2025-2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC63 S E 4MATIC+; 2025-2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC63 S E 4MATIC+ Coupe; 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT43; 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL43; 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL55 4MATIC+; 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL63 4MATIC+; 2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL63 S E Performance 4MATIC+; 2025-2026 Mercedes-Benz C 300; 2025-2026 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4MATIC; 2024-2025 Mercedes-Benz Cle 300 4MATIC; 2024-2026 Mercedes-Benz Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet; 2026 Mercedes-Benz Cle 300 4MATIC Coupe; 2024-2025 Mercedes-Benz Cle 450 4MATIC; 2024-2026 Mercedes-Benz Cle 450 4MATIC Cabriolet; 2026 Mercedes-Benz Cle 450 4MATIC Coupe; 2025-2026 Mercedes-Benz E 350; 2024-2026 Mercedes-Benz E 350 4MATIC; 2024-2026 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4MATIC; 2024-2026 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4MATIC All-Terrain; 2025-2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300; 2025-2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC; 2025-2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC Coupe; 2025-2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350 E 4MATIC.

NHTSA lists 144,049 vehicles in this campaign, built September 19, 2022 to February 6, 2026. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.

What is the fix for the Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet instrument cluster recall?

Yes. Dealers will update the infotainment control unit software, free of charge.

Dealers will update the infotainment control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 29, 2026. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2026050004. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 8, 2026.

When was recall 26V281 announced?

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC reported recall 26V281 to NHTSA on May 1, 2026. NHTSA lists the owner letter date as June 29, 2026.

This recall was filed 5 months ago, and vehicles were built over a span of 1236 days. If your Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.

How do I check if my Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet is part of recall 26V281?

Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 26V281 is open on your Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet, it will be listed there.

The fastest check is NHTSA’s VIN lookup. Type in the 17 characters from your registration or insurance card. Because only some 2024-2026 Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet vehicles are included, the VIN check is the only reliable way to know. A brand-new recall may take several days to show up.

What should Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet owners do about recall 26V281?

Check your VIN, schedule the free recall repair, and keep a repair order for every dealer visit.

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm recall 26V281000 applies to your Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet.
2. Call a Mercedes-Benz dealer and schedule the recall repair. Ask how long the repair takes and whether parts are in stock.
3. Get a repair order for every visit, even if the dealer only inspects the vehicle. Read it before you leave and make sure your complaint is written the way you described it.
4. Write down when symptoms involving the instrument cluster and panel happen: date, mileage, speed, weather and what you felt or heard. Photos and short videos help.
5. Count the days the vehicle is at the dealer. Days out of service add up toward California's 30-day presumption.
6. If the problem comes back after the repair, return to the dealer and contact a lemon law attorney.

What are Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet owners reporting to NHTSA?

Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 47 of them about the electrical system.

NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 88 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 47 of them involve the electrical system. Complaints are reports from owners and have not been verified by NHTSA, but a high count for the same component is a sign the problem is widespread.

• 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350 E 4MATIC: 18 complaints in total, 8 about the electrical system
• 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300: 16 complaints in total, 11 about the electrical system
• 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC: 10 complaints in total, 6 about the electrical system
• 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC: 6 complaints in total, 4 about the electrical system
• 2026 Mercedes-Benz E 350 4MATIC: 4 complaints in total, 2 about the electrical system
• 2025 Mercedes-Benz C 300: 4 complaints in total, 1 about the electrical system
• 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350 E 4MATIC: 3 complaints in total, 0 about the electrical system
• 2025 Mercedes-Benz E 350 4MATIC: 3 complaints in total, 2 about the electrical system

Examples of what owners have reported to NHTSA (unverified excerpts):

When I entered my vehicle after it was washed at the Mercedes-Benz service location, I pressed Memory 1 button and the seat returned to my normal position. Without any further input, I started the engine, and the driver's seat automatically moved backward by itself.

2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 owner, NJ, NHTSA complaint 11692559, filed October 10, 2025

The infotainment and instrument panel screens blacked out after the vehicle was started a few miles away from our home. I was unable to see the speedometer while driving back home. This was the first time that this has happened to us.

2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 owner, AR, NHTSA complaint 11694886, filed October 21, 2025

The contact leased a 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC300. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the instrument panel and the infotainment system screen turned black, and the vehicle made abnormal electrical snapping sounds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where two software resets were performed days apart; however, the failure persisted.

2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 owner, TX, NHTSA complaint 11726336, filed March 23, 2026

Can recall 26V281 make my Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet a lemon in California?

Not by itself. A recall repair that fails, or repeat dealer visits for the same defect, can support a California lemon law claim.

A recall by itself does not make a car a lemon. Under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, what matters is whether a defect covered by the warranty substantially impairs the vehicle's use, value or safety, and whether the manufacturer or its dealers fixed it within a reasonable number of attempts (Civ. Code 1793.2(d)).

Intermittent electrical problems are a frequent source of repeat repair visits: the dealer cannot reproduce the fault, the owner brings the 2024-2026 Mercedes-Benz Cle 300 4MATIC Cabriolet back, and the problem shows up again.

The recall repair is available at dealers. If it works, great. If the same symptom comes back, the recall visit is one repair attempt and the next visit is another.

Civil Code 1793.22(b) sets out a presumption that applies in the first 18 months or 18,000 miles: two or more repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, four or more attempts for the same defect, or more than 30 total days out of service for repairs. Written notice to the manufacturer is required in some cases. Owners outside that window can still have a claim.

An owner who prevails in a lemon law case can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the manufacturer (Civ. Code 1794(d)). You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.

Frequently asked questions about recall 26V281