COMPUTER boffins have been drafted in to help improve the reliability of Mercedes-Benz cars.

Experts from Microsoft and IBM are working alongside a team of engineers set up to solve a series of glitches plaguing electronic systems.

Member of the board responsible for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, Professor Jurgen Hubbert, said: 'We are not where we want to be with quality and we have a problem. Customers who have bought a Mercedes expect more and I totally agree with that.

'The industry is fighting to solve problems that are coming from electronics, and companies that introduce new technologies face additional risks. We have experienced blackouts on our cockpit management and navigation command system and there have been problems with telephone connections and seat heating.'

He added: 'We are working with Microsoft and IBM to understand these problems. Resolving them is one of our main targets. Part of our heritage is quality as well as innovation, and I have put our best engineers to work on finding the solutions.'