2024 MERCEDES-BENZ Eqs 450+

At vehicle mileage 11,308 with original tires and traveling at highway speed of approximately 70 miles per hour on an interstate highway, the right rear tire suffered a catastrophic, sudden blowout. The loss of control placed the vehicle and its occupants in immediate danger of collision with surrounding highway traffic. The vehicle was towed to Mercedes-Benz of Hilton Head where both rear tires were found to have worn excessively on the inside of the tire due to excessive negative camber built into the factory suspension geometry. Ten days after the blowout, we presented the vehicle to Mercedes-Benz of Asheville for follow-up inspection. The service department informed us that the replacement tires installed at Hilton Head, while of the correct size, were “non-matching of front stock tire” in that they were not run-flat or noise-canceling and we purchased a second set of replacement tires at the factory-specified grade. The underlying cause of the original failure—the rear suspension geometry—was not examined, corrected, or documented at this visit. At vehicle mileage 16,502 and prior to a long-distance road trip, we specifically presented the vehicle to Mercedes-Benz of Asheville to request a dedicated safety inspection of the tires, wheel alignment, and brakes. The service department examined the vehicle and explicitly informed us that the alignment was good and the tires were safe for travel. Approximately 2,864 miles into travel following that clearance, the right rear passenger tire again suffered a catastrophic blowout. Both rear tires again were found to be excessively worn on the inside edge. The evidence is no longer circumstantial. The 2024 EQS 450+ is manufactured with rear wheels carrying a significant degree of intentional negative camber—the tops of the rear wheels are angled measurably inward at the factory.