Mercedes Is Being Sued By The Owners Because The AMG Insignia On Their Seats Became Heated In The Sun And Left An Imprint On Their Skin

Owners of expensive Mercedes-AMG models are used to brutal performance, the roar of the V8 engine and the ultimate luxury in the cabin, but surely no one expected that their own car would burn them! The latest lawsuit against Mercedes over seat emblems has raised a huge dust-up in America, as a group of owners claim that the embossed metal logo of the brand gets so hot in direct sunlight that it literally leaves a real direct burn on the skin of the driver and front passenger.

This is an extremely bizarre and unusual problem for a German brand that spends billions of euros on micron design and the smallest details in its vehicles. The problem lies in the choice of material itself. Unlike the classic embroidered or embossed logos in the leather, the controversial AMG emblems embedded in the seat backs are made of pure metal.

How did the luxury sign turn into a red-hot iron?

When the car is parked in the summer sun, the metal emblem acts as a heat accumulator, absorbing the sun’s rays and keeping the extremely high temperature much longer than the seat leather itself. One of the plaintiffs stated that the metal logo became so hot that it left her with an AMG-shaped burn on contact with her skin! The lawsuit further alleges that Mercedes management must have been aware of this risk during cabin testing, but continued to install the disputed detail despite this.

This case laid bare the unusual reality of the modern auto industry in the mildest way: while engineers have been developing powertrains of several hundred horsepower and advanced aerodynamics for years, a simple decorative detail in the cabin creates general chaos in court. Prosecutors in the US are now seeking official class-action status and high financial damages. Although the allegations have yet to receive their judicial epilogue and Mercedes has yet to present its defense, the reputational damage has already been done.

Engineering oversight of several million euros

For all owners and fans of these sports machines, the whole case leaves a funny, but also rather unpleasant question: How is it possible that in a car of 150,000 euros, the hottest thing has become a simple metal sign on the seat?

• Also See: Mercedes Is Using 108 Pounds Of Recycled Plastic To Build The Electric C-Class