Mercedes-Benz has been the leader of automotive technology for over a century. From ABS braking, all the way through to true autonomous parking, the German automaker has been pushing boundaries. But sometimes even the best make a mistake. It turns out that certain Mercedes-Benz cars are being recalled for a malfunctioning illuminated star badge that is causing all kinds of havoc. The famous logo has been around since 1909 and was inspired by a postcard sent by founder Gottlieb Daimler to his wife, with the famous star marking an address in Germany. Fast forward 111 years and the beloved symbol is now the cause of a minor recall.

The recall has affected certain Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS SUV models, and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a faulty electrical ground is the culprit. The bad ground can cause a loss of power steering, the window wipers to stop working, and headlights to go haywire. It turns out that the issue lies with the fact that the badge's electrical ground is shared with these other systems, and once a bad connection occurs, a number of other systems are also affected. Mercedes-Benz has issued a recall, and thankfully no crashes have been reported.

Thankfully the recall is a minor one, with only 12,799 vehicles being affected. The issue is spread around various 2020 GLE and GLS trims, including the GLE 350, GLE 580, and GLS 580. Owners have been notified to visit their nearest Mercedes-Benz dealership where qualified technicians will relocate the ground for the illuminated badge to avoid future issues. The work will be done at no cost to owners. Mercedes-Benz will be sending out mailed notices from December.

According to J.D. Power, the 2020 GLE 350 has an average reliability score, while the GLS gets a 'great' rating. The news follows the news that Rolls-Royce had to stop offering its illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy statue due to new EU light pollution regulations.