The new S-Class brake hose recall covers 30,064 Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Maybach sedans from the 2022 through 2025 model years. The front brake hoses on these cars may rupture and leak brake fluid. Mercedes-Benz USA filed the campaign with federal safety regulators on October 2, 2026, and dealers will replace the hoses for free.

This isn’t the first time Mercedes has recalled these parts. In fact, the new campaign expands an earlier recall that covered a smaller group of cars. According to autoevolution, Mercedes first linked those failures to hot, humid weather. Later field data didn’t back up that theory.

So far, Mercedes-Benz USA has received no crash reports tied to the problem, according to autoevolution. Here’s which cars the recall covers, what can go wrong and what owners should expect next.

Which cars the S-Class brake hose recall covers

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists the campaign as recall 26V638000. According to NHTSA’s summary, it includes these W223-generation sedans:

• 2022-2025 Mercedes-Benz S 500 4MATIC
• 2022-2025 Mercedes-Benz S 580 4MATIC
• 2023-2025 Mercedes-Benz S 580 e 4MATIC
• 2024-2025 Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance
• 2022-2025 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 4MATIC
• 2022-2025 Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC

The AMG model appears in NHTSA’s vehicle records as the AMG S 63 E 4MATIC+. Both names refer to the same car.

How many of each model

Overall, NHTSA’s records give one total of 30,064 vehicles. However, autoevolution broke that number down by model from the filing. By its count, the S 580 4MATIC accounts for 16,881 cars and the S 500 4MATIC for 7,143.

The plug-in S 580e adds 2,277 cars, according to autoevolution. Then come 1,746 AMG S 63 E Performance sedans, 1,070 Maybach S 680s and 947 Maybach S 580s. Autoevolution also reports that Mercedes built the cars in Germany between February 2, 2021, and November 28, 2024.

What can go wrong

NHTSA describes the defect plainly. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid. Because a leak can extend stopping distance, it raises the risk of a crash.

Autoevolution also adds detail from the filing. The S-Class brakes run on two hydraulic circuits, and a failed hose drains one of them. The other circuit can still stop the car, but braking gets weaker. Moreover, there’s no warning before the hose fails. Instead, the first sign is a red brake fluid message in the instrument cluster, after the car has already lost a significant amount of fluid.

The front hoses have a hard job. They flex every time the suspension moves, they soak up heat from the brakes and they face road moisture. As a result, a hose that misses its durability target can wear out early, according to autoevolution’s reading of the filing.

Why Mercedes widened the earlier recall

NHTSA’s summary says the new campaign expands recall 25V116. That earlier recall covered 20,339 vehicles from the 2021 to 2023 model years, according to autoevolution. At first, Mercedes tied the failures to a specific production period and to hot, humid regions, where reports clustered.

Later, reports came in from markets with very different climates. Then Mercedes sent suspect parts to the supplier, Continental Automotive Technologies, for testing. After a review in July 2026, the company widened the recall to every car built before an improved front hose entered production. According to autoevolution, Mercedes says those hoses didn’t meet its durability specifications.

Within the expanded group, Mercedes found three U.S. field reports from April, May and August 2026. Meanwhile, autoevolution says Mercedes-Benz USA has no reports of a crash linked to the defect. Mercedes also says cars built after the cutoff date have hoses that meet its specifications.

A timeline of the recall

The dates below come from NHTSA’s record and autoevolution’s reading of the Mercedes filing:

• February 2, 2021, to November 28, 2024: Mercedes builds the affected sedans in Germany
• February 2025: the original action, recall 25V116, covers 20,339 cars
• April, May and August 2026: three U.S. field reports surface in the wider group
• July 2026: a Mercedes review leads to the expanded scope
• October 2, 2026: NHTSA receives the new report, 26V638000
• October 9, 2026: affected VINs become searchable on NHTSA.gov
• November 27, 2026: owner letters go out by first-class mail

What owners should do

The fix is simple. Dealers will replace both front brake hoses free of charge, according to NHTSA. Neither a park-outside nor a do-not-drive warning applies to this recall. Also, it isn’t an over-the-air software fix, so the car has to visit a dealer.

First, owners can check their vehicle identification number on NHTSA.gov, where the affected VINs became searchable on October 9, 2026. Owners can also call Mercedes-Benz USA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. According to NHTSA, Mercedes expects to mail the S-Class brake hose recall letters to owners on November 27, 2026.

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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.