The Mercedes-Benz EQB is one of the company’s most inoffensive, 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.
The EQB was retired from the company’s U.S. lineup after the 2025 model year. Source: Mercedes-Benz
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.
This feels like a pretty nice place to spend time for around $20,000. Source: Mercedes-Benz
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.
Source: TrueCar
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.
Source: Cars.com
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.
Source: Cars.com
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 California for $25,970.
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
