Daimler Sprinter Vans Probed for Faulty Software by Germany

(Bloomberg) -- Daimler AG said German authorities are probing suspected faulty software in the carmaker’s Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans after a report that 260,000 vehicles could be affected across Europe.

The KBA German Federal Motor Transport Authority is examining the vehicles which are a previous generation of the Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 diesel model, for which the regulator issued a recall order in June, Daimler said in a statement. The KBA is looking into potential emissions manipulation in cars using “impermissible defeat devices,” Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported on Sunday.

Daimler, which filed an objection to the June recall, said it had informed the regulator that the “functionality at issue is contained in different production series” and that it had carried out a review, according to the statement. The review is complete and “KBA has now also initiated a hearing procedure,” Daimler said.

The company, which generates the vast majority of profits with hulking sport utility vehicles and sedans, has been under investigation by U.S. and German authorities over its practices on diesel emission setups. In 2018, it was forced to recall 774,000 vehicles in Europe.

--With assistance from Christoph Rauwald.

To contact the reporter on this story: Patrick Donahue in Berlin at pdonahue1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Rakteem Katakey, James Amott

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.