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Mercedes-Benz GL Class Maintenance and Repair

tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
Got problems? Got solutions? Discuss them here!

Comments

  • acudoc1acudoc1 Member Posts: 1
    just bought a 2007 gl from the miami dealer with 7k miles. Had it for 12 days put 100 miles on it now the brakes squeek when ever I use them ...is this normal should I be concerned :confuse: I Dont expect this type of problem from a 2007 Gl with only 7k miles
  • joe_pjoe_p Member Posts: 1
    Does the GL have child proof safety door locks? If so, how do you activate them?
  • caromcarom Member Posts: 1
    In closing stages of deciding to buy GL450 - any views on track record (frequency, costs etc.) of maintaining a GL? Mot owned Merc before, but have hear some bad stories on reliability and costs...
  • jwscfajwscfa Member Posts: 4
    I have had my new GL for about 3000 miles. I love the car with no problems to report. One area of concern is the headlamp aim. On low beams it does not light up a significant portion of the road. I have the BiXenon headlamps. The dealer supposedly aimed them correctly but they still seem low even compared to my 2005 911. I know I can change the aim myself but was wondering if any other owners have noticed this.
  • gls69gls69 Member Posts: 24
    Has anyone out there put 20 or 22 inch rims/tires on their GL?
    If so, did it make the ride noticeably rougher or did it change the handling in the curves?
  • kinelartykinelarty Member Posts: 1
    My wife has a new GL, but we're having trouble getting the her bluetooth phone to work properly with the integrated phone services.

    We have the bluetooth adapter, and a phone that's listed as "fully compatible" on the website our dealer gave us. Although we can make calls using the number pad on the dashboard (and receive calls), the address book, last number called, last call received, and other integrated features are "greyed-out."

    Any ideas? Alternatively, if there's a better place to ask this question, I'll gladly receive the advise.

    Thanks
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You might get some tips in the Bluetooth Technology discussion too.
  • rickc1rickc1 Member Posts: 7
    Here is my recent repair bill, don't get too scared...

    While driving the wife's GL down a somewhat narrow street, I had an oncoming car that was too close to the center of the road. I moved over to the right as we passed and accidentally clipped the side mirror of a parked Ford F250 pickup truck. We exchanged numbers, and got our repairs completed, since we each had a broken side mirror. What's the scary part?

    The cost of repairing my neighbor's new 2007 F250? $48.65

    The cost of repairing the GL? $1,000. $860 in parts (yes, for the passenger side mirror) and $150 in labor.

    The GL is awesome, but man, it makes Porsches look economical to repair :)
  • gasman1gasman1 Member Posts: 321
    Wow! I've heard of $500 and $600 side mirror replacements, but this one is the tops.

    For future reference, I once attended a state trooper's defensive driving presentation at work. Something I learned was what to do should you ever come upon a situation such as you did (street to narrow for two cars to safely pass each other). His advice was to pull over as far as you can and STOP your vehicle. Let the other driver proceed. His reasoning was that should the vehicles have contact, the moving vehicle receives any citation and the responsibility.
  • lovemygllovemygl Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone know how the ipod integration works? We got one and all we can do is plug in the ipod in the glove box. Nothing on the display shows up and you can't operate the controls on the ipod while it is plugged in. All I seem to be able to do is control the volume. Am I missing something?
  • rkgoob19rkgoob19 Member Posts: 1
    Noticed someone else posted this problem earlier....We bought new GL last week...driven appx. 100 miles and brakes are making noise. Took back to MB dealer today, they said it needs new brake pads (?!) :mad: What's the deal??? Any feedback appreciated.
  • gsantiagogsantiago Member Posts: 1
    i have mine for almost two weeks now, excellent, quiet, stable, comfortable, but drinks like a suburban, but its ok, if you like luxury you have to live with it.
  • donedealdonedeal Member Posts: 1
    The best phone to use are Motorola phones and HP phone pair perfectly especially the HP 6945. The Samsung d900 and the u600 work good too but no signal strength display.
  • beachbunny911beachbunny911 Member Posts: 1
    I have had MB vehicles for 10 years now and the brakes ALWAYS squeak. I feel like any time after 10k miles, expect it. I live in west LA and there are hundreds of MBs here. They all squeak. Sad but true.
  • abhikuabhiku Member Posts: 124
    Sorry for novice qns..does MB comes with 4yr free maintenance program like X5?

    Thanks
  • templeton3templeton3 Member Posts: 69
    No it doesn't. I personally know alot of people that have switched over to BMW because of that. The only difference is that BMW doesn't make a SUV as large as the GL450.
  • gls69gls69 Member Posts: 24
    I don't like the size and standard rims that came with my GL 450. Can anyone recommend a set of 20" or 22" chrome rims and tires that don't interfere with the handling? I don't want to pay $6k to $7k that the dealer is asking for MHT rims and Nitto tires. However, I don't want cheap quality that may stress the front end bushings, etc.

    Thanks
  • lmkn1004lmkn1004 Member Posts: 1
    GL we bought was squeeking from day one, took it back to dealer. They replaced with new pads and rotors, but still squeeking. I am told by dealer that Mercedes is coming up with updated pads for GL...I don't know if I should believe them. It sucks to drive in a luxury car with squeeky brakes. Feedback is appreciated if anyone knows anything about this or advice.... :mad:
  • dkim1dkim1 Member Posts: 10
    My 2007 GL450 is making excessive prolonged vibratory sounds from the suspension(?) on the front and rear driver's side whenever the vehicle goes over a slight bump.
    If it happens to be a railroad track crossing, then I notice that the entire vehicle would momentarily dip and tilt to the right and feels quite unstable. I had the dealer check it and of course it is always "no problems found", although the passengers are noticing them as well.
    Anyone else with a similar problem?
    :confuse:
  • ssgsssgs Member Posts: 1
    yes,i have the same problem with my gl 450 but i noticed mine after the airmatic was changed,it rolls quite a lot,took it 2 the garage,,same thing said to you,,,ok
  • dkim1dkim1 Member Posts: 10
    I took my GL450 to an independent dealer in Northern Virginia and they were able to verify the problem and gave me a referral to a service advisor and a technician from a different dealer (since it is covered under the warranty). Will let you know in a couple of weeks what they can find.
  • bmwconvertbmwconvert Member Posts: 75
    My '08 GL with Macadamia MB-tex interior is experiencing severe discoloration on the seating surfaces. A friend who had the same interior on an '07 experienced the same problem, although I incorrectly assumed it was unique to his. Now another friend with an '08 model is having the same problem I am. In all cases, complaints to our dealers were met first with denial that there's any problem, then advice to use a dry cleaner strength solvent (which apparently is now difficult to obtain).

    My dealer told me the problem is blue jeans. The rubbery nature of the seating surface apparently picks up the dye in the jeans, darkening the material. It's only taken 3 weeks for mine to look awful. This isn't from new, unwashed jeans either. Just my and my wife's regular duds that have been through the wash plenty of times.

    I'm interested in hearing if any other owners are experiencing this problem. I think it should be considered a defect and repaired at Mercedes' expense.
  • benzrbenzr Member Posts: 2
    Got my GL 320 CDI in Jan. Drove it to Amelia Island, FL this Easter from Michigan and had 2500 miles at the time. 500 miles into the trip, 2 problems showed up.

    1. low oil level warning indicator went on a total of 6-7 times for the round trip. I suspect the dealer I got it from did not hand over the veh to me with a full tank of oil. I had to put in 2 quarts on the way to FL. Had it checked at a MB dealer in JAX and they said there was no leak. The low oil level warning came on again on our trip back to MI but the oil levels were full.

    2. The worst problem was that the shock absorber on my right rear wheel was defective. Noticed the problem on the way to FL when I stopped to check the oil level. Watch out for a metal-to-metal grinding noise. It is not the brakes! We had a fully loaded vehicle with 4 occupants and a Thule luggage carrier on top. I didn't know the shock absorber was the problem until I had the Jacksonville dealer take a look at it. Found out there are over 70+ SA's on backorder across the US. Tells me there may be a defective shock absorber problem. Since I needed a new one right away to make the return trip to MI, the dealer pulled a GL off their lot and transferred the SA to my vehicle. Thank God! Drove fine the rest of the way

    I'm having both these problems checked out at my local MB dealer this week. I'm surprised no one has reported the SA problem here yet.
  • cmthelancmthelan Member Posts: 1
    No posts here in a few months, so I hope folks are still out there.

    I have an 07 GL450 (leased in Dec '06) that currently has 21500 miles on the odo. 18" Conti tires are basically gone. Asked dealer on the previous service to check alignment, but they found nothing wrong. Noise is bad, performance on the decline. Would be different if it were one or two, but all four are in the same condition. I would not classify myself as overly aggressive with the throttle - speed limits around town, 80 on the freeway.

    Anyone else had similar issues with the tires over longer terms? Not that I consider 20+k miles to be long term. As an example, our BMW X3 has original tires at 25k miles (with the same treatment) that still gauge like new.

    Thanks
  • azmbazmb Member Posts: 3
    Bought my GL 17 months ago (Dealer demo, had 4500m)-great driver but...........................went in for my C check 10 days ago, no significant issues and cost was low, < $300.
    Had to buy new tires????? the original dunlops only had 26K and were worn out (Original equip) took them to MB to get load balanced ($110) as the normal balance still had a shimmy, even after trading the tires in for a new set (COSTCO-love their return policy). On the way home from the balance, the check brake pad light illuminated. MB service rep initially said probably a loose wire.....and also said 27K was way too early for pads. Until they got their hands on the car, now the car needs pads and rotors! $1200!!!!!
    I went ballistic-since they completely missed the brakes on the C check. Anyway, long story shorter....Agreed the labor for the rotors and pads as a concession since they missed it, but still set me back ~$700 for rotors and pads after 27K. I have the old rotors and pads, do not look that bad but illuminated the light. I will write a letter to MB USA and Germany and see what their position is. Another perspective was-its a heavy vehicle!
    I've driven MB in Germany on the autobahn at 100+mph and had heavy braking requirements and never needed a set of rotors before 70K-80K miles.

    So beware the maintenance costs of this great driving very comfortable SUV.
  • occarfanoccarfan Member Posts: 23
    I also have 2007 GL450 with 20,000 miles. Tread still looks new. It's hard to wear out SUV tires. Maybe take it to another dealer so same thing doesn't happen to your next set of tires.
  • chile96chile96 Member Posts: 330
    Or should I say lack thereof :( Like the above poster, all I can do is plug the ipod into the glove box connector and listen to one song at a time. While the ipod is connected, I can't operate the ipod at all - have to disconnect it to choose a different song. Anybody figured this out?
  • bhana1bhana1 Member Posts: 12
    Are there any larger exterior mirrors for the GL-450 available?
  • copilot550copilot550 Member Posts: 1
    I am having the same problem with my 08-gl450 MB Tex gray seats. I see your post was over a year ago what was the outcome did the dealership do anything to resolve the issues. Thanks in advance for your response.
  • spimaspima Member Posts: 2
    Hello I&#146;m from Crete Greece
    I have the MERCEDES GL 420 CDI SUV and I have a lot of problems. I bought the car
    September 2007 and now I have 18700 km.
    The problems are:
    At 2090 km. the mirror
    At 6100 km. the airmatic and the third row of seats
    At 6300 km. a broken gear-wheel
    At 8500 km. leaf spring
    At 8800 km. change of compressor of airmatic
    At 11924 km. service
    At 15255 km. front and down wishbones
    At 16500 km. front and upper wishbones of differential gear
    At 18750 km. wishbones and broken gear-wheel again
    The guarantee is till September. Does anybody has similar problems?
  • trevorlikestrevorlikes Member Posts: 1
    Any advice on where to go to get a replacement part for the front side of the side rail, drivers side? The dealer quoted some crazy price to replace the whole rail.

    In addition, is there a good, free resource site to identify part numbers with diagrams? I could contact my service advisor on this I suppose.
  • ejm767ejm767 Member Posts: 1
    On my 2007 GL 450 does anyone know how to clear the brake wear indicator on the message info center once pads have been replaced?
  • tcritchelltcritchell Member Posts: 1
    Anyone had engine compression problems where a cylinder is no longer fully working and has bent the cam rod?
  • nominivan4menominivan4me Member Posts: 7
    We bought our 07 GL450 (CPO with extended warranty) in mid Feb. There were issues with the car from the start. I meant even during the first time we saw the car in the lot the tailgate won't open. The dealer claimed someone had drained the battery. . . . so we bought it. Then we noticed the DVD doesn't work during the delivery and some other small things. Brought the car back the vary same wknd and left it there to have everything fixed. That's just say that was the beginning of many other problems. 7 months into the ownership, I have been to the dealership for at least 10 visits with two overnight repairs and I am taking the car back for another issue with the tailgate tomorrow. The rep at the dealership recognizes my number when I call that's how frequent problems appear. . . . Don't really have the time to deal with this piece of junk with work and two babies under 3 y.o. Can anyone guide me what to do next?! Thank you!!
  • beware1beware1 Member Posts: 1
    Anyone know the release date on this vehicle?
  • atlplayaxatlplayax Member Posts: 3
    Hello,

    I am considering buying a 2009 GL550. This will be my first Benz, been more of a BMW person but want the 3rd row capability of the GL. I have been reading a lot about the reliability issues of the GL. Main reason to buy this truck is for long trips for the family so would like to have a car that will not leave us stranded.

    Current owners, what has been your experiences so far with this vehicle ?, what would you suggest I look out for ?. Thanks in advance
  • pierre77pierre77 Member Posts: 1
    I am looking to buy a Mercedes GL 500, model 2009. One of checks a friend of mine does before buying a second hand car is to start the engine and then open the hood and remove the oil cap, according to him if oil bubble out then it is not a good sign. When we did that with the GL I was interested in, oil bubbled out. Is oil bubbling out any indicator of engine problems?
  • mlevinemlevine Member Posts: 581
    I am not sure of the oil bubble, but I would be careful with older models of the GL. Many problems noted on this forum especially with 2007 and earlier. I personally stay away from used/pre-owned vehicles. Despite the car fax information, one does not really know much about the vehicle including the dealer. The only pre-owned vehicle I would maybe consider would be a lease return or trade in that was bought and serviced at that MB dealership. There is still an issue that the vehicle may have had many problems requiring extensive srvice at the dealership. Look into a GL 2012 that may still be available.
  • mygl450isjunkmygl450isjunk Member Posts: 2
    GL450 is unreliable and has poor quality from my experience.

    I own a Mercedes Benz 2012 GL450, I bought it new. it is at 27000 miles now.

    My GL450 has so many problems. suspension noises for left and right sides, radios turns on by itself, excessive dust on front wheel, car suddenly level up when parked sometimes.. it has been in the shop back and forth at least 4 times, around 3 weeks time in the shop. Rental car guys know me personally because I have been there so many times. I finally got my car back today, suspension noises are gone finally (after at least 3 times trying), but new problem showed up, I can't start it with first try. For one time, I tried at least five times in my garage today. It is scary !!! especially for a one year old car and I am disappointed considering I bought it over $70k and it is a Mercedes !

    I tried to work with Mercedes Benz customer service and dealership. Here are their responses.

    Mercedes Benz customer service: Mercedes offers little help and very arrogant, manager told me "you car is still drivable", they don't care about customer satisfaction as they claimed.

    Dealership: they try to sell me a new GL450 2013 at MSRP. Good job dealership, take advantage of your customer who needs help and still thinking make money from your customer with a lemon car.
  • nobenzfannobenzfan Member Posts: 2

    My wife purchased a 2008 GL 450 in 2010. The vehicle was in the inventory of a local dealter as a lease return and only had 22K miles on it at the time. My wife was convinced this could be her "forever car" thus did not mind spending some extra dollars for this model. Things went fairly well for the remainder of the 50K warranty with the exception of a "roaring noise" which seems to come from the right front quarter of the car as one is driving. The dealership called it "tire noise" and refused to pursue the issue any further. Having spent over 30 years in the R&D side of the tire manufacturing business I knew for sure that answer was wrong. The warrantly ran out at 50K and things began happening. The roaring noise persisted. Air bags began to fail...three of the four within six months time. The dealership wanted $1300 for each one installed. I found rebuilt ones on line for less than half that price. The plastic radiator chamber has a small leak, and the power steering pump is now leaking with less than 60K on the car. What a bad decision we made in buying this vehicle. We are looking at replacing it now but with the experience we have had to date, there is little likelihood that it will be with another MB GL. This vehicle is literally the least reliable, most expensive to maintain vehicle that we have ever owned. Mercedes should be sending out letters of apology to all us suckers.

  • nobenzfannobenzfan Member Posts: 2

    Oh...I also failed to mention that the plastic coating is bubbling up and coming off all the black windown trim down each side of the 08 GL 450.

  • rainy247rainy247 Member Posts: 1
    We have (had) a 2012 Mercedes GL450. We previously had an older GL450 and loved it so needless to say we bought another one. This car has 46,500 miles on it and we have been having some major issues that we feel could be life threatening. The Command Center started shutting off while we were driving it. Didn't think much of it as it automatically would turn back on. However, one day my wife was on the freeway and it shut down and the vehicle clunked like hitting a pothole. She told me about it so we took it into the dealership and they claimed they couldn't find anything wrong. The had hooked it up to their diagnostic machine and nothing showed up. We were going to be driving to Florida from Minnesota and wanted to be safe. They guaranteed us it was roadworthy. Outside of Tallahassee it happened again. My wife was driving and I thought she hit a pothole. However the road we were on had new pavement on it. My wife noticed that all the icons on the dash lit up (like when you first turn on the car). We can only assume that the car had actually shut itself off. After reading this blog we are comforted to know that yes, Mercedes can actually have major problems. We went directly to the Lexus dealer and bought their new largest SUV. Have been hearing nothing but rave reviews from the people that have them. It's still on the ship coming over here but can't wait to begin driving it. We will never own a Mercedes again and I have owned numerous Mercedes vehicles. We were considering an Audi but our neighbor has been having numerous issues (electrical) with her vehicle and of course they can't find anything wrong. Besides the above problems we have had leveling problems, car starting problems, radio won't shut off when you have shut the car off and open the door, ect., ect., ect. In hindsight, I think it was a lemon from the get go.
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