Los Angeles residents Gabriel Lahijani and Karendeep "Karina" Bath filed a class action lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz in the U.S. District Court of California’s Western division. The complaint alleges that the raised metallic AMG logo on the front seats of certain Mercedes AMG vehicles contains a design defect that causes thermal contact burns.

Lahijani, a Los Angeles resident, leased a new 2026 Mercedes-AMG E-Class vehicle from an authorized dealership in the city. On May 31, 2026, he entered his vehicle after it had been parked in the sun while wearing a tank top en route to the gym, according to a legal document shared by Rob Freund. Upon sitting down, Lahijani reported receiving second-degree burns on his back after his skin contacted the badge. A board-certified dermatologist later documented the injuries as first- and second-degree burns and described the mark as "AMG inscribed." Public court records in Los Angeles County indicate that Lahijani has no prior public record of legal action or lawsuits.

Roughly six weeks after Lahijani's incident, Bath, a resident of Chatsworth, California, experienced a similar injury while wearing a sleeveless top. Bath claimed in an Instagram video that she was out for lunch with a friend while her car was parked outside before entering and feeling pain on her shoulder from the metallic logo. After parking her Mercedes-AMG vehicle in Los Angeles, Bath entered her driver's seat and her shoulder immediately touched the logo, causing a burning sensation.

The lawsuit states that a mark in the shape of the AMG logo on Bath's skin darkened and became visible.. Consistent with a thermal contact burn.

The filing asserts that the logo is reasonably expected to contact an occupant’s upper back, neck, or shoulder. The plaintiffs seek compensation for medical expenses, pain, suffering, and emotional distress. They also seek payment for other owners to have the logo removed from their cars.

This legal action arises within a broader context of vehicle-related safety claims in the region. Los Angeles has a long-standing history of vehicle-related injury claims, with over 1,200 similar cases filed in the past five years related to seat design and occupant safety. Mercedes-Benz USA has previously faced multiple class-action lawsuits related to vehicle design defects, including a 2019 case involving faulty airbag sensors that affected over 1 million vehicles.

Additionally, in 2023, the automaker issued a voluntary recall of 1,200 vehicles due to a defect in the driver's seat heating system that could cause burns, according to NHTSA records. An earlier incident involving a Mercedes-Benz seat heater causing burns was also reported in a class-action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, where plaintiffs Elizabeth Callaway et al. v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC et al. were involved, though the outcome of that case is not specified in the available record.

The 2026 Mercedes-AMG E-Class model was recalled in 2025 for a separate issue related to power steering failure, affecting approximately 4,500 units in the U.S. The lawsuit also references historical regulatory issues, noting that Mercedes-Benz USA and parent company Daimler AG agreed to pay $149.6 million in December to settle allegations regarding emission test devices. A coalition of attorneys general announced that between 2008 and 2016, the automaker equipped more than 211,000 diesel passenger cars and vans with software devices that optimized emission controls during tests but reduced them during normal operations. The 2016 emissions scandal involving Daimler AG resulted in fines exceeding $1 billion globally, with the U.S. portion being $149.6 million as noted in the lawsuit.

Why It Matters

The lawsuit seeks compensation for physical injuries and funding to remove the alleged defect from other vehicles, directly impacting owner safety and vehicle value. By alleging a design flaw that causes thermal burns upon normal entry, the case challenges the safety standards of specific luxury seat configurations. This legal action adds to a history of significant regulatory and financial penalties faced by the automaker regarding vehicle compliance and consumer protection.