Mercedes-Benz Japan fined 1.2 billion yen for misleading catalogs

Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency on Tuesday ordered Mercedes-Benz Japan to pay about 8.3 million dollars for misleading consumers.

The agency said it is a record fine for violating the country's law against unjustifiable premiums and misleading representations. According to the agency, the Japanese arm of German automaker Mercedes-Benz made it appear in catalogs that some GLA and GLB models are equipped with certain driving support systems, when they were actually optional.

These include a system that automatically moves a stopped vehicle forward when traffic resumes motion, and one that allows the driver to change lanes simply by activating a turn signal.