'What Should I Do If My Engine Blew Up?:' Man Says Mercedes Have a Secret Feature. What Is It For?

A Mercedes-Benz sales associate shared a “secret feature” he says many drivers aren’t cognizant of. TikTok user Julian (@amgjulian2) uploaded a demonstration of this feature in question on social media.

Commenters had differing opinions on the usefulness of this function, however. Some said they use it often, while others thought it was a cheap trick that glosses over reliability issues.

“A lot of you guys drive a Benz, but don’t really know what it does. I bet your luxury car doesn’t have personality like this,” he says. Then he shows off the dash of the ride he’s sitting in.

Off camera, he can be heard saying, “Hey Mercedes,” to which the car’s voice assistant asks, “How can I help?” The salesman then queries, “What sound does a lion make?” After a few seconds, the car responds with an audio clip of a lion’s roar.

Before his video ends, he reveals that he’s in the drive-thru of a Starbucks.

MBUX Voice Assistant: Cool Feature, Or Just a Gimmick?

The salesman’s clip sparked varied replies from other TikTok users. Many think that Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX Voice Assistant is a case of the automaker prioritizing cheap tricks over manufacturing reliable vehicles.

One jokingly quipped, “Hey Mercedes, what should I do if my engine blew up?”

“I still have my first car C300 221,000 miles, no check engine light,” another countered.

“Good thing that’s not a Benz problem,” a third agreed.

Others took issue with the consistency of the “Hey Mercedes” vocal command prompt operating correctly. “Ok but tbh a lot of the time ‘hey Mercedes’ doesn’t work properly. Actually I think only certain classes work properly. The others be having bugs,” one said.

Another said that they think it’s just a slick way for Benz to not offer drivers competitive warranty plans on its vehicles. “I guarantee you Mercedes-Benz don’t have extended warranty for five. After one year everything is out of your pocket,” they speculated.

Others seemed to enjoy the feature. “She tells jokes as well,” one wrote. Another said that their kid loves playing around with it in their Benz, “My daughter’s favorite feature. She be like, ‘Daddy, what sound does a dog make?’”

Another suggested the feature is sometimes annoying. “I’m constantly screaming ‘Cancel!’ when I’m not asking her anything,” they wrote.

MBUX Voice Assistant and AI Integration

According to a 2024 press release issued by Mercedes-Benz, the German car manufacturer has extended its in-cabin voice assistance with a “general knowledge” function. A press release from the brand reads: “Using AI, the MBUX Voice Assistant can now provide up-to-date answers to knowledge-based questions by initiating a Microsoft Bing search.” Furthermore, Benz indicates that it’s incorporated “ChatGPT through Microsoft Azure OpenAI” to “create natural language responses.”

For folks who are perturbed at the possibility of data collection, Mercedes-Benz indicates that the brand “retains complete control over the IT processes in the background.” Benz adds, “AI voice command data collected is stored in the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud, where it is anonymized and analyzed.”

Motor1 has reached out to Julian via TikTok comment for further information. We'll update this if he responds.