US government: Mercedes owners got recall notices too late

DETROIT – The U.S. government is investigating German automaker Mercedes-Benz, alleging that is has been slow to mail safety recall notices and file required reports involving recalls of over 1.4 million vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents that a review shows Mercedes exceeded time limits for mailing letters to owners. The agency also says it has questions about the company’s process and cadence for making recall decisions and notifying the government about them.

Mercedes says in a statement issued Saturday that it makes every effort to ensure recall campaigns and customer notifications are done in a timely manner. The company says it will work closely with the government on the investigation.