Mercedes Beats Class Certification in Transmission Flaw Suit

Mercedes-Benz USA LLC won’t have to face a class suit over an alleged transmission defect, after a California federal court ruled that individual issues concerning which owners saw certain disclosure information doomed certification.

And named plaintiff Terry Hamm, who bought his vehicle used from a Toyota dealership and had no interaction with Mercedes-Benz, is subject to unique defenses and therefore wouldn’t be a typical class member, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California said April 2.

Hamm said his 2006 CLK 350 vehicle exhibited a flaw that caused it to enter “limp home mode,” in which it ...