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Engine and transmission · UNITED STATES

26V216000: Drive shaft universal joint may break, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power

MERCEDES-MAYBACH S 560 4MATIC and 11 other models: check the listed vehicles, the reported issue and the manufacturer remedy for 26V216000. Keep the official status and service answers in one private record.

Official record checked 2026-10-19 UTC · Filing date 2026-04-03

Start with the specific vehicle

The report lists 24 model-year entries. Read the equipment and production restrictions in the reported issue, then use the official lookup or manufacturer to establish whether this campaign applies to your vehicle.

View the listed model years
  • 2018 MERCEDES-MAYBACH S 560 4MATIC
  • 2019 MERCEDES-MAYBACH S 560 4MATIC
  • 2020 MERCEDES-MAYBACH S 560 4MATIC
  • 2020 MERCEDES-BENZ S 560 4MATIC
  • 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ S 560 4MATIC
  • 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ S 560 4MATIC
  • 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ S 450 4MATIC
  • 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ S 450 4MATIC
  • 2020 MERCEDES-BENZ S 450 4MATIC
  • 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ E 450 4MATIC
  • 2020 MERCEDES-BENZ E 450 4MATIC
  • 2020 MERCEDES-BENZ E 450 4MATIC WAGON
  • 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ E 450 4MATIC WAGON
  • 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ E 450 4MATIC COUPE
  • 2020 MERCEDES-BENZ E 450 4MATIC COUPE
  • 2020 MERCEDES-BENZ E 450 4MATIC CABRIOLET
  • 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ E 450 4MATIC CABRIOLET
  • 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ E 400 4MATIC
  • 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ E 400 4MATIC WAGON
  • 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ E 400 4MATIC COUPE
  • 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ E 400 4MATIC CABRIOLET
  • 2020 MERCEDES-BENZ S 560 4MATIC COUPE
  • 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ S 560 4MATIC COUPE
  • 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ S 560 4MATIC COUPE

Check your VIN on NHTSA →

Enter the VIN only on the official service or manufacturer site. This worksheet does not ask for it.

What the official report says

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2018 E 400 4MATIC Sedan, E 400 4MATIC Wagon, E 400 4MATIC Cabriolet, E 400 4MATIC Coupe, 2018-2020 Maybach S 560 4MATIC, S 560 4MATIC Coupe, S 450 4MATIC, 2019-2020 E 450 4MATIC Sedan, E 450 4MATIC Wagon, E 450 4MATIC Coupe, and E 450 4MATIC Cabriolet vehicles. The drive shaft universal joint may break, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power.

Official NHTSA campaign record

Why the reported issue matters

A sudden loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Official NHTSA campaign record

Prepare your observation

Record an existing symptom and its date. Do not reproduce a loss of power, stall or transmission fault in traffic.

A reported defect describes the campaign. It does not establish what caused a symptom on your individual vehicle, and absence of a symptom does not establish that an open recall is complete.

The reported manufacturer remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the drive shaft as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed May 22, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. 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 April 10, 2026.

Official NHTSA campaign record

The source describes a pending remedy or parts

The dated official record describes development, future availability or a later remedy step. It does not establish today’s parts or appointment availability. Confirm the current remedy and any interim instructions with the manufacturer.

Timing language in the official record

Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available.

This describes the dated source record. Current arrangements for your VIN remain unconfirmed.

Choose the next step from the official result

Not checked or unavailable

Keep eligibility unconfirmed. Use the official lookup or contact the manufacturer with 26V216000.

This campaign is open

Confirm current interim instructions, remedy availability and service arrangements. Keep the dated answer.

Not listed as open

Review earlier repair records and lookup limits if needed. A zero-open result does not explain an unresolved symptom.

Work order records recall work

Keep the campaign number, remedy and date together. Ask separately about a symptom that remains after the visit.

Your campaign-specific service questions

Use these questions with the official report. Keep the answers beside the remedy record; “discussed” records a conversation, not a completed repair.

  1. Does the manufacturer confirm that campaign 26V216000 applies to this VIN, including the report’s equipment and production restrictions?

    A matching model and year is only a starting point. The official lookup or manufacturer must establish the individual vehicle’s status.

  2. The source describes a pending remedy or parts. What is available now for this VIN, and which interim instructions still apply?

    The dated official record describes development, future availability or a later remedy step. It does not establish today’s parts or appointment availability. Confirm the current remedy and any interim instructions with the manufacturer.

  3. Which engine or transmission component is covered, and does an existing drivability problem need separate diagnosis?

    Compare the answer with the reported component: POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:UNIVERSAL JOINT.

  4. If an inspection determines which work is needed, what was inspected, what was found, and which corrective work followed?

    Ask for the inspection result as well as the final action. A parts list alone may not describe an inspection-based remedy.

  5. Which items in the reported replacement remedy for 26V216000 were replaced, and are they identified on the work order?

    Keep the replaced items and the campaign number together so that a later visit can distinguish recall work from other repairs.

  6. What dated document records the remedy performed under 26V216000, and what should I do if the reported concern remains?

    Keep campaign completion and unresolved symptoms as separate questions. A saved worksheet or booked appointment does not establish a repair.

Download the full guide and blank worksheet

Source and lookup coverage

NHTSA 26V216000: official campaign data · Official lookup and coverage limits

The quoted issue, consequence and remedy come from the official record as checked above. This independent guide adds a vehicle-check decision process, service questions and a private worksheet. Confirm current eligibility, remedy availability and interim instructions with the manufacturer.

The official VIN lookup may omit completed recalls, some recent campaigns and recalls outside its coverage. Vehicle notes and answers stay in this browser. A downloaded brief contains your notes; keep it appropriately. Groundwork is independent of NHTSA and the manufacturer.