Frontier Law Center Helps Secure $48M Mercedes Settlement

A California Judge Approves a $48 Million Mercedes-Benz Emissions Warranty Settlement

July 10, 2026

A federal judge in California gives final approval to a settlement worth more than $48 million. The case accused Mercedes-Benz USA of placing several high-priced emissions parts under the wrong warranty for years. As a result, drivers across 14 states are now entitled to relief they never had to file a separate lawsuit to receive. Frontier Law Center, alongside co-counsel Pomerantz LLP, represents the plaintiff class and worked to secure relief for drivers who paid out of pocket for repairs that should have been covered.

U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg granted final approval to a deal on the deal in the Northern District of California, as reported by Law360. The case started in state court in December 2020 and reached its conclusion nearly six years later. The result covers eligible Mercedes-Benz owners and lessees across 14 states.

Quick Answer

What is the Mercedes-Benz emissions warranty settlement?

A California federal court approved a settlement worth more than $48 million between Mercedes-Benz USA and a class of drivers in 14 states. The case resolved claims that the company limited several high-priced emissions parts to a shorter warranty than California law allows. Frontier Law Center represents the plaintiff class alongside Pomerantz LLP.

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What Frontier Law Center Found Wrong with Mercedes-Benz Warranty Coverage

The case centers on how Mercedes-Benz classified 14 specific vehicle parts tied to the emissions system. Under California Health and Safety Code Section 43104, the state requires extended warranty coverage for certain high-priced emissions-related components. However, the lawsuit claimed Mercedes-Benz limited coverage on these parts to a standard four-year or 50,000-mile warranty. That is shorter than the protection the law calls for.

What the Lawsuit Claimed

For example, one affected driver paid $1,300 out of pocket for repairs to a coolant thermostat, vacuum pump, and coolant pump. Those were exactly the kinds of costs the lawsuit argued should never have fallen on the driver. The complaint said Mercedes-Benz classified these parts to limit its own warranty exposure. The company did not follow the standard California law sets for emissions-related repairs. Frontier Law Center, alongside co-counsel Pomerantz LLP, built and pursued those claims on behalf of the full class.

Why It Reaches Drivers in 14 States

The settlement class covers anyone who purchased or leased an eligible Mercedes-Benz from model year 2015 through the present. That includes drivers in 14 states, such as California, New York, and New Jersey. In other words, a wide range of drivers may qualify for relief without ever having filed a complaint themselves.

How Frontier Law Center Helped Reach a $48 Million Settlement

Cases like this one rarely move in a straight line. Still, this one reached a $48 million resolution in just under six years. Here is how it unfolded.

Filed in California State Court

The case, filed as Hazdovac v. Mercedes-Benz USA LLC in California state court in December 2020, originated with a driver who had already paid out of pocket for repairs that should have been covered under a longer warranty. The case moves forward to represent other drivers who faced the same problem.

Transferred to Federal Court

The case then moves to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where it proceeds under federal class action rules. From that point, the settlement class grows to cover drivers across 14 states.

Settlement Negotiated

After years of litigation, Frontier Law Center, alongside co-counsel Pomerantz LLP, reaches an agreement with Mercedes-Benz. The deal extends warranty coverage on the 14 disputed parts and reimburses drivers for costs they already paid.

Final Approval Granted

Finally, U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg signs off on the settlement. He finds the settlement gives the class real relief. A longer court battle would have cost more and carried greater risk.

What the Settlement Requires Mercedes-Benz to Do

Frontier Law Center, alongside co-counsel Pomerantz LLP, negotiated the following class action terms on behalf of the settlement class. Court approval makes each of them binding and enforceable going forward.

Term	What It Requires
Extended warranty coverage	Diagnosis, repair, and replacement of the 14 named parts are now covered for seven years or 70,000 miles, up from the original four years or 50,000 miles.
Coverage transfers with resale	The extended coverage follows the vehicle rather than the original owner, so it protects the next buyer after a sale.
Diagnostic cost reimbursement	Mercedes-Benz fully reimburses drivers who already paid out of pocket for diagnostic work on the covered parts.
Repair cost reimbursement	Mercedes-Benz covers half the cost of repairs or replacements drivers already paid for before the settlement.
Attorney fees approved	The court approved $2.81 million in attorney fees, costs, and expenses for class counsel.
Lead plaintiff incentive award	The lead plaintiff receives a $10,000 incentive award for representing the class throughout the litigation.

Kirsten Starr

Controller

Nicole Clancy

Senior Litigation Attorney

Mike Rachmann

Litigation Attorney

Robert Starr

Attorney, Founding Partner

Francine Barlavi

Client Onboarding Team

Danny Barlavi

Client Onboarding Team Lead

Kaylie Urango

Pre-Litigation Support Specialist

Amber Shelgren

Case Evaluation Assistant

Taylor McCarthy

Litigation Support Specialist

Gabriela Dominguez

Litigation Support Specialist

Cynthia Rodriguez

Case Manager

Collette Navasartian

Paralegal

Rebecca Harteker

Litigation Attorney

Manny Starr

Attorney, Managing Partner

Colin Rickard

Director of Growth & Operations

Mark Tieman

Attorney, Managing Partner

Frontier Law Center’s Role in the Case

$48M Settlement

Frontier Law Center, alongside co-counsel Jordan L. Lurie and Ari Y. Basser of Pomerantz LLP, represents the plaintiff class in this matter. Manny Starr, Managing Partner at Frontier Law Center, leads the firm’s role in the case. The case took nearly six years to reach this point. Throughout that time, it moved from state court to federal court. The parties eventually settled, and the court granted final approval.

Why Frontier Law Center Takes Cases Like This

Frontier Law Center built its name representing California employees against their employers. This case, however, shows the same standard applied to a different kind of imbalance. When a company shifts a cost onto the people who trusted it, those people deserve a clear path to make it right.

That principle holds whether the cost involves wages, working conditions, or a warranty a driver was promised. The outcome here reflects what happens when sustained legal pressure meets a company that has more resources than any individual driver but fewer arguments than a well-prepared class.

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What This Means If You Own an Affected Mercedes-Benz

If you own or previously owned an eligible Mercedes-Benz from model year 2015 forward, this settlement may already apply to you. All you need is a paid repair on one of the covered emissions parts. The extended seven-year or 70,000-mile coverage now goes into effect automatically. In addition, repayment for past diagnostic and repair costs follows the terms the court approved. No separate claim is required on your end.

Settlements like this one move slowly by design. Courts require notice periods, objection windows, and fairness hearings before granting final approval. All of that process exists to confirm the relief genuinely serves the people it claims to help. In fact, nearly six years of litigation led to this outcome. It shows what Frontier Law Center can accomplish against a company with far more resources than any individual driver.

You do not need to file anything to benefit from this settlement.

If you still have records from a past repair and want to understand how the new coverage applies, reach out and we can help you check.

Who Qualifies for This Mercedes-Benz Settlement

You purchased or leased an eligible Mercedes-Benz from model year 2015 or later
You paid out of pocket to diagnose, repair, or replace one of the 14 named emissions parts
The repair happened after your original four-year or 50,000-mile warranty ran out
You still own the vehicle, or you bought it from someone who originally qualified
You live in California, New York, New Jersey, or one of the other 11 covered states

Talk to Frontier Law Center About Your Situation

This settlement is one example of what Frontier Law Center has accomplished for California employees and consumers who refused to absorb costs that were never theirs to pay. Frontier Law Center takes cases like this seriously because the people on the other side of these disputes deserve real representation.

If you have a question about your rights as a California employee, contact us today for a free consultation and let us help you figure out your next step.