Daimler agrees to $30 million penalty for delayed truck recalls in US

Daimler Trucks North America agreed to a $30 million penalty slapped by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for failing to resolve an investigation of delayed recalls.

Daimler AG’s North American truck unit must pay $10 million upfront and spend $5 million on safety-enhancement projects. A $15 million deferred penalty can become payable if Daimler does not comply with the consent order.

Daimler Trucks also agreed to develop and implement an advanced data analytics program to enhance its ability to detect and to investigate potential safety defects. It would also meet with NHTSA monthly.

The NHTSA said that Daimler Trucks failed to timely recall vehicles and comply with reporting requirements after it opened a probe in April 2018 of about 464,000 vehicles.

Daimler Trucks noted that there were no known accidents or injuries associated with the voluntary recalls.

It was the second time since December 2019 that Daimler AG agreed to settle a probe by US auto safety regulators.

Back then Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz USA unit agreed to a $20 million civil penalty over its handling of US vehicle recalls.

The NHTSA said that Mercedes-Benz USA failed to timely notify owners in some recalls, did not launch at least two recalls in a timely fashion, and did not submit all reports.