The Mercedes-Benz EQB is one of the company’s least offensive, perfectly plain vehicles. There is nothing incredibly notable about it, good or bad. It looks just fine, drives just fine, and has a totally acceptable 66.5-kWh battery with up to 250 miles of range.
Thanks to a recent recall, though, the EQB is about to get a whole lot more interesting for shoppers looking to purchase a like-new EV on a budget. Mercedes has pledged to replace the batteries of over 12,000 EQBs, ranging from model years 2022 to 2024, completely free of charge. That means you can buy a cheap, used model and receive a shiny, new battery pack for no extra cost.
While it’s not the same as getting a new engine, it’s pretty close. Sure, the interior won’t smell like a new car, but you’re getting a good chunk of the powertrain replaced with a new, better unit, all while spending a fraction of what the car costs new.
Here’s Why The EQB Is Getting A New Battery
Earlier this month, Mercedes-Benz issued a recall for 12,236 EQBs built between 2021 and 2024 over an issue with the car’s high-voltage battery pack, which was supplied by Farasis Energy, a parts maker based in Ganzhou, China. Specifically, the high-voltage battery in affected models “may fail internally and lead to a vehicle fire while parked or driving,” According to the recall documents.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first recall Mercedes has issued related to this problem. The dilemma was first discovered back in 2023, when the company started receiving reports of fire incidents outside the U.S. It issued a couple of recalls in 2025 to update the car’s software, but those proved ineffective, as the company received four more reports of EQB fires in 2025—two in the U.S., and two in Europe—the latter of which came from cars that already had the recall completed. That’s when Mercedes conducted further investigation. From the latest recall notice:
In December 2025 and January 2026, MBAG conducted an additional investigation, together with its supplier. This included experiments, cell and battery teardown analysis, as well as on-site inspection of the production facilities. As a result of this additional investigation and consideration of field cases occurring outside the US market after the software update, MBAG concluded that the effectiveness of the current software update to sufficiently reduce the risk of thermal incidents cannot be fully confirmed for all affected vehicles.
As a consequence, and based on MBAG’s newly acquired information and understanding, MBAG decided on January 30, 2026, to conduct a recall campaign and to replace the high-voltage batteries containing battery cells from a certain production date range.
The recall spans the entire EQB lineup, from the base, front-wheel drive EQB250+, to the mid-range EQB300 4Matic, to the top-range EQB350 4Matic. So if you’re in the market, you have some variety to choose from.
These Cars Are Not Expensive Right Now
Remember back in 2021 when Chevy had to recall 110,000 Bolt EVs because their batteries were prone to bursting into flames? The resulting press drove down used Bolt prices to the point where smart buyers snapped them up for huge discounts, knowing they’d get a brand-new, perfectly functioning LG-supplied battery swapped in totally free of charge.
Because there hasn’t been much negative press towards the EQB’s battery fire troubles, prices for used examples aren’t totally in the hole. But the same logic applies here. Used EQBs are tantalizingly cheap, considering you’re guaranteed to get a new battery with your purchase.
The most affordable example I could find online is this top-range EQB350 with 61,000 miles on the clock, listed on TrueCar in Brooklyn, New York, for just $19,999. For some context, a new 2022 EQB350 costs nearly 60 grand. Obviously, you’re not getting a totally new car for under $20,000, but you are getting a Mercedes-Benz with a mostly-new powertrain for less than the price of the cheapest brand-new car. As a day-to-day commuter car, that sounds like an impeccable value for money.
There are plenty of other examples listed for sale online. Here’s a 2023 model-year EQB250 in New Jersey with just 31,000 miles for $20,495. And another, for just $5 more and with fewer miles, in Georgia. If you absolutely need all-wheel drive, I’ve got you covered. Here’s a black EQB300 4Matic with just 21,000 miles on the clock for $20,990. If you want a bit of color, you’ll have to spend a bit more; the cheapest EQB that isn’t black, grey, white, or silver is this blue example listed in Dallas for $23,980.
If you’re considering taking advantage of this situation, I have one piece of extra advice: Make sure to remember to run the car’s VIN against the NHTSA’s database to make sure it’s among the EQBs eligible for the battery recall. Mercedes sold a whole lot more than 12,000 of these cars from 2021 to 2024, so not every example you see is getting the service. Good hunting.
Top graphic images: XQ Toys; Mercedes-Benz
Is that interior trying to sell me an X-Box? It’s it an ad for Razer mice and keyboards? What the heck is with all the green glow?
I laughed out loud at the main title graphic. Good job, designer!
Aw thanks man
I’ve said for years, that how electric car batteries should actually work. Just have a huge hatch under the car, and the batteries are large cylinders you can swap out as needed while it’s up on a lift.
The EQB300 for $26k at an area dealer doesn’t show up in NHTSA’s recall. Also, it can’t tow for squat.
Are the super-cheap examples shown on the battery replacement list? I would expect the 12,000 that are getting new batteries command a price premium over the ones that aren’t.
I’m not a fan of all the excess mood lighting in the first place, but man they did themselves a disservice setting them to green for that interior pic. It wouldn’t look nearly as bad if they’d made them blue or a soft white, but that green makes it look like something Xzibit got his hands on.
I’ve seen gaming PC’s with more tasteful interiors. No thanks.
That’s the perfect analogy for that dashboard.
I looked it up and this only accepts 100kw fast charging. Not Bolt-slow but super not-good. Combine that with my feelings about German car electrics and I’m out.
Good grief that’s slow! We are in such a weird space, where freaking Hyundai/Kia and GM are producing incredible and innovative electric drivetrains, while the Germans can’t figure out how to put in a frunk or make the cars fast charge at acceptable rates.
Right, my likely next car is a used Ioniq 5 which can accept up to 350kw. That is nuts.
Small correction – it can accept up to 262 kW at a 350+ kW fast charger.
Journalists make this error all the time, so I understand why you’d think it can accept more.
The super fast charging curve is not really because it can accept so many kW of energy; Tesla Models 3 and Y actually accept 250 kW peak, so basically the same.
The difference is that Hyundai’s 800 volt architecture allows it to keep accepting very high rates of energy for longer. It can accept that peak charging rate up to 70%, whereas Teslas start to throttle back around 30%.
Ah ok. Wouldn’t buy a Tesla with a gun to my head so it’s still the fastest I’m going to find on the affordable used market.
Absolutely. The Hyundai’s 10%-80% charging time is much, much faster than any Tesla on the market.
I have to say in practice, it doesn’t matter much! I have used DC fast chargers precisely twice in almost 3,000 miles of driving, so waiting an extra few minutes with a slower charging EV wouldn’t have been a big deal.
However maxing out at 100 kW is absolutely unacceptable. That wouldn’t add an extra few minutes. It would take an 18 minute stop to a 36 minute stop while adding much less overall range.
Yeah I have rarely used DCFC either, but it’s mostly because we have a Bolt and a Volt, and I use the hybrid for long trips. When the Volt goes I’m going to need something capable of charging fast enough to replace a gas car and not make me crazy!
My gawd, that’s a chintzy interior. This premium Benz of superior German engineering looks like a thumping dance club before self-igniting from its Chinese battery. $21K lightly used seems like its finally priced appropriately.
The Lexus RZ550e we spent half the day slagging yesterday? Same MSRP (in the US) as a new EQB while being far more powerful, providing more rated EV range, a non-discoteque interior, and batteries that so far don’t need to be replaced to keep it from burning your neighborhood to the ground. Just saying, since Thomas didn’t mention that in his review.
Mercedes has totally lost the plot when it comes to interiors. It’s such a shame. They used to do some of the best interiors in the business. I have no clue what they’re thinking nowadays.
They’ve run out of ideas for differentiating themselves. Mainstream brands have become so good at providing all the previously lux-only features, and Genesis has been slaying them in the traditional realm of upscale materials (soft-touch panels, complex stitching, rich-looking metallic accents). Maximum LCD real estate is now considered the benchmark, I guess, but it’ll take someone else 2 minutes to match them on it and then they’re back to square one.
I completely agree with you! I’ve driven German cars almost exclusively for the last 10+ years, but my Hyundai is on par in so many areas that I can’t imagine spending tens of thousands of dollars more when anymore, it genuinely only buys you a badge and maybe slightly better sound insulation.