More Than 131,000 Trucks Are Covered by the Recall
Daimler Truck has launched a major worldwide recall involving Mercedes-Benz heavy trucks because of a potential fire hazard.
According to information published by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority, KBA, and confirmed by the manufacturer, more than 131,000 vehicles may be affected globally.
In Germany alone, the campaign covers 27,084 trucks.
The vehicles include Mercedes-Benz Actros, Arocs and eActros models manufactured from late March 2021 through late October 2025.
The recall therefore spans several of Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ most important heavy-duty product families, ranging from long-haul Actros tractors and construction-focused Arocs models to battery-electric eActros trucks.
The Problem Involves Sealing of an Electronic Component
The potential defect is connected to an electronic chip installed in the vehicle’s battery system.
According to Daimler Truck, the component is sealed by the supplier using synthetic resin.
In isolated cases, however, that sealing process may not have been performed adequately.
Moisture can then reach electrical contacts and promote corrosion.
Under unfavourable conditions, corrosion may increase electrical resistance and cause local heat generation.
In the worst case, this could result in a fire.
The potential for overheating is the reason the manufacturer has launched such a large preventive campaign.
The Chip Is to Be Disconnected
The corrective measure described for the campaign is relatively straightforward.
The potentially affected electronic component has to be disconnected.
This means the recall does not automatically require replacement of an entire battery or another major vehicle assembly on every one of the more than 131,000 trucks.
For fleet operators, that distinction matters.
The primary operational cost may be associated with scheduling a workshop visit and taking the truck temporarily out of service rather than replacing a major component.
The campaign should nevertheless not be ignored because the potential failure is directly related to fire safety.
This Is Not Exclusively an Electric-Truck Problem
The reference to a battery could create the impression that the recall mainly concerns electric trucks.
It does not.
Diesel-powered Actros and Arocs vehicles are included alongside eActros models.
The issue should therefore not be interpreted simply as a defect in the high-voltage traction battery of an electric truck.
It concerns a battery-system component used across different Mercedes-Benz heavy-truck applications.
Owners of conventional diesel trucks therefore need to check their vehicles as well.
Daimler Truck Reports Only Isolated Incidents
The manufacturer says the problem has so far been associated with only a small number of actual cases.
Daimler Truck has reported no personal injuries linked to the defect.
The reason the recall still covers more than 131,000 vehicles is the potential severity of the consequences.
Even a relatively small source of heat can be dangerous on a heavy commercial vehicle.
Trucks carry fuel, oils, electrical systems and other combustible materials, while the tractor may also be connected to a trailer carrying valuable or potentially hazardous cargo.
More Than Four Years of Production Are Covered
The broad production period is another important feature of the recall.
Potentially affected trucks were manufactured from late March 2021 through late October 2025.
For transport companies, that means several generations of vehicles in the same fleet may be involved.
A large carrier that has regularly purchased Actros tractors over the past four years could potentially have dozens of trucks requiring checks.
Vehicles should therefore be identified by VIN through the official Mercedes-Benz Trucks service network rather than simply by appearance or registration year.
Fleet Downtime May Be the Main Operational Cost
Even when the technical intervention itself is relatively simple, a recall involving more than 131,000 trucks creates a substantial scheduling challenge.
Operators need to arrange workshop appointments without disrupting freight operations.
Several hours of downtime may be manageable for one vehicle.
It becomes more difficult for a company with dozens of affected tractors because servicing them simultaneously could remove a significant share of available fleet capacity.
International hauliers working with fixed delivery windows and highly utilised vehicles are particularly sensitive to this issue.
Checking the entire fleet early and spreading workshop visits across the schedule can therefore reduce the operational impact.
A Truck Fire Can Also Destroy the Cargo
For logistics companies, the risk extends beyond the value of the vehicle itself.
A tractor fire can damage or destroy the trailer and its cargo.
Consequences can be particularly expensive when transporting electronics, pharmaceuticals, vehicles, industrial equipment or other high-value goods.
A fire at a truck parking area can also threaten surrounding vehicles.
That matters in Europe, where many truck parks operate close to capacity and vehicles are parked only a short distance apart.
K2Cargo.News has previously reported on the growing role of bookable secure truck parking in European route planning.
Vehicle condition forms another part of the same risk-management process.
Actros Is One of Europe’s Core Long-Haul Trucks
The size of the campaign partly reflects the reach of the Mercedes-Benz heavy-truck range.
Actros is one of the most widely used long-haul trucks on the European market and is operated by both multinational logistics groups and small transport businesses.
Arocs is focused largely on construction and demanding specialist applications.
eActros represents Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ electric portfolio and is increasingly used in distribution and long-haul transport.
The recall therefore affects vehicles operating in very different conditions.
Some cover hundreds of motorway kilometres each day, while others work on construction sites or electric regional distribution routes.
eActros 600 Has Already Proven Itself in Arctic Conditions
The battery-system component issue does not erase the results of broader durability testing of Mercedes-Benz’s electric technology.
Earlier in 2026, an eActros 600 became the first battery-electric heavy truck with a semitrailer to complete the eNordkapp Challenge.
The vehicle, operated by Austria’s VEGA International, worked in temperatures as low as −41°C.
The 32.5-tonne combination travelled through Germany, Denmark and Sweden to Norway’s North Cape largely in production specification, with extreme-winter tyres being the main special adaptation.
The expedition also highlighted a different challenge for electric trucking: charging infrastructure.
At some locations, the crew had to uncouple the semitrailer, while short charging cables and frozen payment terminals created practical difficulties.
The distinction is important. The current recall concerns a specific potentially defective component and should not be interpreted as evidence of a systemic failure of the entire eActros electric drivetrain.
eActros 600 Is Becoming a Key Daimler Truck Product
Series production of the eActros 600 began at the end of 2024.
The truck uses three lithium iron phosphate battery packs with a combined installed capacity of 621 kWh and is designed for approximately 500 kilometres of range in typical long-haul operation without intermediate charging.
Mercedes-Benz sees the model as one of its key products for electrifying European long-distance freight.
Charging infrastructure is expanding alongside the trucks themselves. K2Cargo.News previously reported on Milence opening new heavy-truck charging infrastructure in Europe.
Owners of individual eActros vehicles should nevertheless verify whether their VIN is included in the recall. Model name and manufacturing period alone are not a substitute for an official vehicle check.
Carriers Should Check Every VIN
For owners of Actros, Arocs and eActros trucks, the practical response is straightforward.
Vehicles built between late March 2021 and late October 2025 should be identified and their VINs checked through Mercedes-Benz Trucks or an authorised service partner.
If a vehicle is included in the campaign, the manufacturer-prescribed work should be scheduled.
Operators should not attempt to disconnect battery-system components independently without the appropriate service instructions.
Even if the repair involves disconnecting a chip, work on a heavy truck’s electrical system should follow the manufacturer’s procedure.
Large fleets should also retain documentation proving that the recall work was completed.
This can be useful for future servicing, vehicle resale and maintenance records.
131,000 Vehicles Does Not Mean 131,000 Defects
The headline number also requires context.
More than 131,000 vehicles represents the potentially affected population, not the number of trucks on which corrosion has already been discovered.
Daimler Truck says only isolated cases have actually been identified.
The campaign is preventive.
The manufacturer is applying the measure to vehicles that may have received the relevant component during the affected production period.
That is standard automotive practice, particularly when the possible consequence of a defect includes fire.
The size of the recall should therefore be viewed as the size of the potential risk population rather than a count of actual failures.
The Recall Will Be a Major Service Operation
More than 131,000 heavy commercial vehicles worldwide represents a substantial workload even for Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ global service network.
Vehicles will need to be checked and serviced across numerous national markets.
Commercial trucks are more difficult to remove from service than passenger cars because every day of downtime can mean a lost freight movement or the need to provide a replacement tractor.
The effectiveness of the campaign will therefore depend not only on the technical remedy but also on how quickly workshops can carry out the work around carriers’ schedules.
For operators, the conclusion is straightforward: the sooner potentially affected trucks are identified, the easier it will be to combine recall work with planned maintenance and avoid unexpected downtime.
The Daimler Truck campaign demonstrates how a relatively small electronic component in a modern commercial vehicle can trigger a global service operation affecting more than 131,000 heavy trucks.
Read also: Milence Opens Its First Truck Charging Station in Denmark
