Mercedes-Benz is recalling 1,899 examples of the 2024–2025 Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 SUV in the United States for an unexpected reason: in certain operating modes, the electric SUV doesn’t sound sufficiently “correct” under safety requirements. The issue isn’t power or brakes, but the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System—the mandatory low-speed warning audio designed to help pedestrians, including people with visual impairments, hear a quiet EV approaching.

According to the company, the vehicles meet the minimum sound level at the specified speeds, but there’s a risk of noncompliance in how the volume changes with speed: the alert should rise continuously and in proper proportion as velocity increases. If that build is uneven or too faint, pedestrians may get a poorer read on the car’s movement. Calibrating that gradient can be trickier than it seems, and the nuance matters in real traffic.