Photo by Victor Sutty on UnsplashTwo California drivers are suing Mercedes-Benz USA after claiming that metal AMG emblems embedded in their seats became hot enough to burn them. Their proposed class action alleges that the raised badges can contact a driver's exposed back, neck or shoulder during ordinary use.According to The Associated Press, plaintiffs Gabriel Lahijani and Karendeep "Karina" Bath both reported suffering logo-shaped injuries. They claim the badges absorbed heat while their vehicles were parked in the California sun.The drivers filed their complaint on Aug. 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The case concerns certain Mercedes-AMG vehicles equipped with raised metallic badges on the front seats.AdvertisementAdvertisementMercedes-Benz had not publicly responded to the allegations when the AP published its report. The claims have not been proven in court, and the proposed class has not been certified.One Driver Reportedly Suffered Second-Degree BurnsEmbedded media follows. Please allow a moment for it to load.The official Associated Press Facebook post shared the unusual allegations at the center of the lawsuit.According to the federal complaint, Lahijani leased a new 2026 Mercedes-AMG E-Class earlier this year. On May 31, he allegedly entered the sun-heated vehicle while wearing a tank top and briefly touched the metal emblem with his upper back.The lawsuit states that Lahijani sought urgent care and was diagnosed with a second-degree burn. A dermatologist later documented first- and second-degree burns and described the injury as "AMG inscribed."A Second Driver Found an AMG-Shaped MarkBath claims she experienced a similar incident on July 14 after leaving her Mercedes-AMG parked on Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles. She was wearing a sleeveless top when her shoulder touched the emblem and immediately felt a burning sensation.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe complaint states that Bath initially believed she had touched ordinary hot leather. However, the mark reportedly darkened over the following days until she recognized the shape of the AMG logo. At the time the lawsuit was filed, Bath was still seeking a formal medical diagnosis documenting the severity of the alleged burn.The Lawsuit Seeks Compensation and a Free RepairThe plaintiffs argue that Mercedes could have used a heat-resistant polymer emblem, covered the badge with fabric or moved it away from areas likely to contact exposed skin. They also claim their vehicles did not include warnings that the metal could become hot enough to cause burns.The lawsuit seeks compensation for medical expenses, pain, emotional distress and possible scarring. It also asks Mercedes to provide affected California owners with a free repair or replacement that eliminates the alleged hazard.The complaint does not identify every Mercedes-AMG model that may contain the badge. No recall or repair program connected to the allegations had been announced when the lawsuit was filed.
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