Mercedes-Benz Japan's 'standard equipment' list wasn't — a record ¥1.23B surcharge

Mercedes-Benz Japan's brochures and website for the GLA and GLB SUVs listed equipment as 'Standard Equipment' or included in the AMG Line package that the cars did not carry. The GLA 200d and GLB 200d data sheets promised Direct Steering, an Off-road Engineering Package, Active Steering Assist and an Auto Restart function as standard — some were paid options inside a Navigation Package, some were missing on some cars. The AMG Line promised sports suspension, Mercedes-logo brake calipers and drilled discs that were not fitted. Even a sunglasses case was listed as standard and sometimes absent.

The displays ran from June 2020 to August 2021 across five products: the GLA 200d 4MATIC, the GLB 200d, the GLB 250 4MATIC Sport and the AMG Line packages for GLA and GLB — a combined ¥41.3 billion in sales during the violation period. The Consumer Affairs Agency found the company had not sufficiently verified the basis for its equipment lists, and ruled the displays misleading about quality.

On 12 March 2024 the CAA ordered a surcharge of ¥1,230,970,000 — the largest ever under Japan's Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations — payable by 15 October 2024. The portion covering the GLB 200d AMG Line was halved because Mercedes-Benz Japan had reported those facts to the agency itself. The company said it would prevent recurrence.