Germany‘s Transport Ministry on Monday said 774,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles were found to contain unauthorized software defeat devices in Europe and ordered Daimler to recall 238,000 cars in Germany.
“The government will order 238,000 Daimler vehicles to be immediately recalled Germany-wide because of unauthorised defeat devices,” Germany’s Transport Ministry said in a statement.
Germany can only order the recall of vehicles within its own borders.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class and models with diesel engines and a sports utility variant of the sedan, known as the GLC, were the main cars found to be at fault, the ministry said.
Daimler has pledged to work on removing the software and to cooperate with authorities, the ministry said.
Daimler confirmed the recall to CNBC and said “open legal questions will be clarified” during discussions with the German Ministry of Transport.
— CNBC’s Robert Ferris contributed to this story.
