Several customers report that their 2021 Mercedes Benz vehicles are missing a communication chip (called the Hermes module) which enables several features. Mercedes has promised to retrofit vehicles with the chip once it is available, but in the meantime, navigation services, remote services, and other app-connected services are unavailable to customers. The same problem does not appear to be affecting any  model years other than 2021.  

Mercedes Benz appears to be notifying customers after they place deposits that the chips are unavailable and asking them to sign waivers that include guarantees from Mercedes that the vehicles will be retrofitted with the chips once they are made available. Some customers report receiving a $300 credit, while others report that Mercedes refused any request for consideration in exchange for the waiver. Customers may have claims for false advertising.

Honda settled a similar lawsuit in January 2022, where customers alleged that Honda sold vehicles knowing that its “infotainment” system was defective.