Mercedes recalls 4,871 cars, SUVs in U.S. for possible oil leak

DETROIT (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz is recalling 4,871 sedans and SUVs in the United States because of a potential oil leak, according to documents filed with U.S. safety regulators. Daimler AG's Mercedes is recalling certain E-Class cars and M-Class and GLK-Class SUVs from model years 2014 and 2015 because oil may leak from around the chain tensioner gasket in the four-cylinder diesel engine, increasing the risk of a fire or a stalling engine, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The leaking oil may also be a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash, the documents said. A Mercedes spokesman said the company was not aware of any incidents in the United States relating to the issue. Dealers will replace the chain tensioner gasket at no cost and the company will begin mailing letters to customers on Friday, the spokesman said. The affected vehicles include certain model-year 2014-2015 E250 BlueTec and E250 BlueTec 4Matic cars and GLK250 4Matic BlueTec SUVs, and 2015 ML250 4Matic BlueTec SUVs, according to the NHTSA documents. (Reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Bernadette Baum)