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Mercedes-Benz Door Latch and Hood Lock Problems Owners Should Know
Door opening and latching failures recur across these Mercedes-Benz notices, with Sprinter vans and G-Class vehicles appearing repeatedly. The 2018 Sprinter door recall concerns right-side doors that may remain inaccessible after electronic unlocking. Separate Sprinter notices cover hood catches on 2018-2019 vehicles and incorrect auxiliary locks on 2019-2020 vans with optional electric sliding doors. G-Class rear-door problems appear in the May 2021 and September 2024 notices; the latter covers specified vehicles that received replacement latches. Other notices address an incorrectly installed bowden cable in certain 2026 GLA 250 vehicles and driver-door lock micro-switch corrosion that can interfere with automatic parking functions across several model lines.
Warning signs to watch for
- October 2018 Sprinter door recall: right-side doors may not open from inside or outside after electronic unlocking.
- May 2021 G-Class rear-door recall: a rear door may appear closed without fully latching, open while driving, or fail to open from inside.
- September 2024 G-Class rear-door recall: affected rear doors may appear closed without fully latching, open while driving, or fail to open from inside.
- March 2026 GLA 250 recall: a door may not open from inside.
- September 2019 Sprinter hood recall: the hood may open while driving.
Can you keep driving? What the notices say
None of the listed notices carries a stop-driving or park-outside instruction. The October 2018 Sprinter right-side door, May 2021 G-Class rear-door, September 2024 G-Class right-rear-door, and March 2026 GLA 250 bowden-cable notices do not tell owners to stop driving. The July 2026 driver-door lock micro-switch notice likewise does not tell owners to stop driving. Neither the September 2019 Sprinter hood-catch notice nor the March 2021 Sprinter electric sliding-door auxiliary-lock notice tells owners to stop driving.
What the free repair involves
Remedies are free: October 2018 Sprinter locks are inspected and replaced if necessary; May 2021 G-Class rear latches and September 2024 right-rear latches are replaced. March 2026 GLA cables are inspected and repaired as necessary; July 2026 driver-door locks are replaced. September 2019 Sprinter hood screws are inspected and tightened as necessary; March 2021 sliding doors are converted from electric to manual function.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| high | 5 |
| medium | 2 |
Models affected most
Where owners report latches/locks/linkages problems most
NHTSA owner complaints filed under latches/locks/linkages for the Mercedes-Benz models and years in this guide. Complaints are unverified reports and are not limited to the recalled defects.
| Vehicle | Latches/locks/linkages complaints |
|---|---|
| 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 | 1 |
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 24, 2026 | Mercedes-Benz Door Lock Defect May Cause Rollaway | high |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 door may not open inside | high |
| Sep 9, 2024 | Mercedes G63 and G550 Rear Door Latch Defect | high |
| May 14, 2021 | Mercedes-Benz G-Class Rear Door Latch Defect | high |
| Mar 10, 2021 | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter sliding door may open too far in crash | medium |
| Sep 18, 2019 | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Hood May Open While Driving | medium |
| Oct 24, 2018 | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Right-Side Door Won't Open | high |
Common questions
Does an earlier G-Class latch repair satisfy the September 2024 recall?
The September 2024 notice says vehicles in that recall previously repaired under recall 21V-353 need the new remedy. Its specified population includes certain G 550 and G63 AMG vehicles that received replacement door latches during service or a prior recall repair.
Will the Sprinter sliding-door recall preserve electric operation?
The March 2021 notice specifies converting the affected sliding door from electric to manual function, free of charge. It concerns certain 2019-2020 Sprinter vehicles with an optional electric sliding door whose auxiliary lock may be the incorrect type.
How can a driver-door lock problem lead to rollaway?
The July 2026 notice says corrosion can affect the micro-switch in the driver's door lock. If it fails to detect an open door, the electronic parking brake or Auto-Park feature may not engage automatically, potentially resulting in rollaway.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.