Daimler Truck Recall: 131,000 Trucks Due to Fire Risk

As an immediate measure, the manufacturer plans to disconnect the chip in order to interrupt the electrical connection at the affected point. Daimler Truck emphasised that the work will be carried out at the workshops of the respective service partners. Further details on the repair procedure and the timing of workshop appointments would be communicated by the company at a later date.

Official coordination via the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt

The Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt records the case in its official recall database. The authority is Germany's central reporting point for safety-relevant defects on vehicles and coordinates the information of owners via the manufacturers. With the publication of the recall, owners and workshops are officially obliged to initiate the necessary measures.

On the stock exchange, the news caused only a minimal movement. The Daimler Truck share (ISIN DE000DTR0CK8) briefly rose slightly by 0.02 percent to 48.10 euros in XETRA trading. Observers interpreted this as an indication that the recall had already been priced in by the market or was not regarded as significant for business development.

Impact on the share price minor

The group is one of the world's largest manufacturers of trucks and buses. With the Actros and Arocs models, Daimler Truck serves the heavy distribution and long-haul transport segment; the E-Actros is the battery-electric counterpart for heavy distribution transport. A recall of this magnitude is a significant logistical and communicative undertaking for a commercial vehicle manufacturer.

Daimler Truck assured that the company is aware of only isolated incidents and no personal injuries in connection with the matter. Nevertheless, the safety response is necessary because the risk of a vehicle fire exists. The official statement from the company reads: "Der Daimler Truck AG sind im Zusammenhang mit diesem Sachverhalt nur einzelne Vorkommnisse und Personenschäden nicht bekannt."

What affected owners should do now

Affected owners generally receive written notification from the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt or directly from the manufacturer or the authorised workshop. There, the vehicle is inspected and the faulty chip is disconnected or replaced. Until then, manufacturers and authorities advise that in the event of any abnormalities such as unusual odours, smoke, or warning messages in the cockpit, a workshop should be visited immediately.

The recall is part of a series of major safety actions in the commercial vehicle industry in recent years. At other manufacturers as well, faulty electrical components or battery issues have repeatedly led to recalls. Industry experts see the increase in such cases as a consequence of growing electrification and the associated greater complexity of on-board electronics.