Australia's consumer watchdog filed a court case on Wednesday against Mercedes-Benz for allegedly downplaying the severity of risks associated with using Takata airbags after deaths related to their usage prompted the country's biggest vehicle recall.
Australia has had voluntary recalls in place since 2009, but in 2018 made it compulsory to recall defective airbags and since then four million such airbags have been identified for replacement.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said that the staff at Mercedes-Benz told consumers the recall was precautionary and there had been no adverse incidents, adding that it was safe to drive vehicles that were over six years old.
The ACCC said the wording by Mercedes staff exposed consumers to chances of serious injury or death by minimizing the risks.
"These alleged representations used language which was inconsistent with the requirements of the compulsory recall notice," ACCC said.
Daimler, the parent of Mercedes-Benz, was not immediately available for a Reuters' request for comment.
Automakers including Ford Motor, Mazda and Honda have pulled millions of their models off the road since 2008, in what was also the largest automotive recall in U.S. history.
