If you have Honda or Toyota mentality buy one not the Mercedes,
I bought Mercedes GL for the safety for my family,

 

If you have Honda or Toyota mentality buy one not the Mercedes,
I bought Mercedes GL for the safety for my family,

You should have saved your money and bought a Dodge decoda because that's what we are driving.

 

Sorry to hear about your experience. GL is the first full size SUV produced by MB and the 2007 and 2008 years had lots and lots of issues. Things got better in 2009/10 models, and even better on 2011/12 (they seem to have acceptable reliability;they are no Toyota of course). What I recommend is, next time you are buying a used car, look it up in Consumer Reports. They have extensive info on reliability of the all models. they have charts for reliability of different model years and you can see the GL's reliability went from poor in 2007 to average in 2012. This way you will not have a big surprise. Consumer reports is a reliable source and does not give BS feedback like some other sites (say US News auto)

 

First of all, I DO have the safety of my family in mind. So you are saying if I prefer a Honda or Toyota that I don't? Side point though, I don't see how doing 80mph down I-15 towards Las Vegas when all of a sudden my front driver side air shock goes out with my 2 year old in the back during my vacation! It only had 60k miles and was 2 years old!

...Maybe I just didn't have the safety of my bank account in mind when I bought the Mercedes as you didn't...

Consumer Reports reply: Sir, I do appreciate your reply in regards to this for the following reasons...

1. I have been a Consumer Reports subscriber for years now.
2. Consumer Reports was consulted when I bought this automobile a few years ago. As matter of fact, at the time it had the 3rd highest rating in it's class (Toyota Highlander was number 1). I don't remember who was number two. Here is something to remember about being a Consumer Reports follower though. Most of their historical information is compiled by owners sending in their little cards every year with their gripes or praises of various items. So, if I bought a 2008 GL450 in the year 2009, then the problem areas of this vehicle would not be colored black. Now, if you look at a 2008 GL450 in a 2013 Consumer Reports, then of course it has had years to amass a greater amount of feedback cards for this vehicle. This applies to ALL vehicles. Every newer vehicle fairs better than the older model according to their columns unless something just terrible happened or something.

With that being said, even though the GL450 was Motor Trend SUV of the year, and I'm sure Consumer Reports rated it way high for 2013 (again, no cards turned in hardly!), give it a few years and see if they still believe it is. I guarantee it will also have it's fair share of black dots in those rating columns!

 

I agree that the CR ranking are more accurate for older models, as more data has been gathered. But I also think they do not rank new cars (may be this is new and was not the case when you bought the car).

How about getting an extended warranty? (that is if you want to keep the car).

 

I checked into an extended warranty. They wanted $4300 to take it to 130k miles. And with putting 24k to 30k miles a year on it, that basically buys me one year...which brings up 1 other complaint...

I took it to Toyota down around L.A. (the biggest Toyota dealer in the world I was told) to try and trade it in on a new Highlander Hybrid. Want to know how much they offered me? $16000.

This GL has the entertainment package and towing package. Never an accident, and ALL service done by MB. I still owe more than that on it. So, a barely 5 year old, $70k vehicle (as new), well taken care of, and just over 100k mile vehicle only nets 22% of its new retail for a trade in 5 years later? That's just terrible. I was honestly insulted...

So, if anyone wants a the biggest mercedes that they make with barely over 100k and 5 years old, all it takes is just less than $20k. Crazy. If I would have known that, I would have never bought her...

 

Yes, unfortunately luxury cars depreciate really fast. I had heard that GL take the biggest hit in the first year (around 15k) and after that around 10k each year (The Toyota dealer must have used similar numbers). Believe it or not MB is not the worst when it comes to price depreciation (e.g. Land Rover and Audi depreciate faster).

One good thing is that MB has at least fixed some of the issues (The 2010/11 GL owners do not have as much complaints as 2007/08 owners, even as a first year owners). Others, say VW Touareg, seems to have issues eternally; from 2004 up to now they have consistently been at the bottom of the reliability rankings.

 

Yep. Our '08 GL320 has had the steering rack replaced, battery replaced, peeling trim, stuck manifold flaps, leaking oil cooler and it's not even 50k miles yet. Got less than 2 years left on the warranty and I'm not keeping it out of warranty.

 

What the heck is your problem, you bought a Mercedes and can't handle the normal issues that are associated with it. Your problems are minor compared to others. Reliabilty, Toyota beats it hands down. Resale value, Toyota beats that. Safety? Toyota is equal however because Toyota isn't as flashy, less chance of car jacking or being robbed. You have to admit that when the car is operating flawless, it's an amazing car, otherwise you wouldn't of bought it. You mentioned several times the price of the car, but it doesn't mateer because they're heavily discounted. Mercedes are for people with deep pockets, loves the product and doesn't mind the inconvience of visiting the repair center. We always lease our Mercedes, keep no more than two years and lease another. As for Toyota, we just purchase it outright.

 

i so agree with you, the dude is crying over nothing, come on his car has over 100K, thank you for bringing it up "Mercedes are for people with deep pockets," i just learned that most of this people want to be, when you read some people saying that maintenance of the vehicle cleared entire bank account or couldn't go on the vacation that was planed, come on people you shouldn't bought the Mercedes in the first please, you still should be driving the car you traded for the Mercedes,
about the repeatability of Mercedes compare to Toyota, Mercedes always the pioneer in the options and technology here is my point my 2002 e320 4matic has more options and technology then any 2013 fully loaded Camry, so Toyota had some time to learn and see how to improve some of the things to make it batter,

 

the battery they want almost $500 for because as they put it (there is a chia pet of corrosion in there). I went to replace it myself, but can't even get the negative lead off without breaking something (and I'm an aviation mechanic!).

you're an aviation mechanic and you can't change your own battery. please tell me what airline you work for so i can avoid it..

 

I just love, what derection this post is heading,

 

Me too! I think I'll find a no-fly zone and get into the middle of it.

 

You all are so right. I shouldn't have bought it. I spent more money on that vehicle in repairs than any other one I have owned. Now affording it, well I make well enough money to buy another one. BUT with all of the hassles that I had with it, not a chance. I learned the hard way for sure. And yep, aviation mechanic and couldn't get the leads off the battery. When it was taken in, do you realize that the benz dealer had to CUT them off because they couldn't get them off themselves either? And guess who had to pay for the leads? You guessed it....me.

Is it a great vehicle when it is all running correctly? Very nice. Unfortunately, that has not been very often. Am I crying over nothing? Well, after the years of going through these forums, I am one of many who have had tons of issues with the earlier GLs. Does it lead in technology advancements? Some I think. However, my father's Avalon offered more. I have noticed that there are companies that specifically specialized in BETTER mercedes parts that are cheaper (Arnott industries LIVES off of the replacement air suspension part market for Mercedes now).

I once watched a documentary on the owner of Amazon, Jeff Bezos. The interviewer and Jeff left Jeff's office to go to an Amazon distribution center. Know what they drove in? Jeff's Honda. The interviewer asked him "with all this money, and you drive a Honda Accord?" His response...."well, you can't buy a better automobile".


Mercedes/Honda mentalities? Eh, I'll stick with the reliable, high trade in value, low cost of maintenance, keeping more money in my pocket mentality from this point on.

Enjoy your rides!

 

billis has some valid points. For the life of me, I can't understand the lack of empathy for his struggles. When you buy a $70k plus vehicle it should be more reliable and not less reliable than the cheaper alternative. Granted, I have owned my GL for over 6 years and in my opinion it has been great. Sure, it's not as reliable as a Honda or Toyota but it is much more fun to drive and looks a hell of a lot better.

Yes, the window trim is absolute crap and the replacements are crap too. The MB air struts and cam seals all fail at least once every 100k miles. There are some issues with the power steering. Mine was a leaking reservoir and was caught before any damage was done. Yes, the stock 19" tires are expensive and don't last. I switched to 22" wheels and tires. They look great, last a long time, and are cheap to replace. Mileage took a hit but it is nice to have a tire that last 60,000 miles instead of 20,000.

Don't for a second believe that your 2012 will be any more reliable than the 2008. Your 2012 just doesn't have the age or mileage. It will suffer the same issues as the 2007 or 2008 models. It's got the same parts. MB is very consistent through a production run both good or bad. A 2012 will have the same issues as the 2007 but it will happen 5 years later.

Sorry you had so many issues and I don't blame you for jumping ship. I almost did the same after my CL600 but decided to give the GL a shot. My E55 had been such a wonderful car and the three other MB's prior to the CL so I couldn't just give up on the brand. Maybe my point of reference for reliability is a bit flawed coming from a car with ABC suspension so, in comparison, the GL has been great. I will buy another but I am going to run this one up to 300k or more and eventually go with a GL63. I look forward to owning my GL for a very long time.

 

Read these. They will literally scare the b-jesus out of ya...


Mercedes-Benz GL450 Reliable? - Edmunds.com Car Forums

 

It's so frustrating to have car issues. There used to be a time that paying more meant a better engineered, durable product. Now it seems like it's an accoutrement to certain lifestyle...

My wife's 07 GL450 hasn't been too bad. 135k miles. Had to replace all the air shocks around 70k. Nav/radio system cuts out every so often. Steering pump was replaced past 100k, twice w/in a year, so the concern is the steering rack might be going bad. I would characterize the maintenance as a little above normal...more than my 07 Land Rover LR3, but still not horrendous.

However, I'm looking at replacing the LR3 with a Sprinter, a van known for it's reliability and I'm reading on the Sprinter forums various issues with diesel emission systems (infamous limp home mode) and lately, timing chain issues with the 4 cylinder engines (which are coming stateside to the Sprinters in 2014). Certainly doesn't make life simple, especially when the systems are layered with electronics that it's difficult to perform some of the simplest work yourself.

Frustrating to be sure...

 

Unlike others the reported problems do not seem that bad to me. I wonder how much of the gloom and doom is due to the dealers rather than the vehicle. I went through very similar concerns with the ML430. The vehicle had a pretty bad reputation but many of the problems actually had very inexpensive repairs when anyone but the dealer did it and most of the problems were a one time occurrence.

Examples: Broken weld on muffler - Dealer = replace entire exhaust system, muffler shop = $100 reweld and the system has been fine for 70k miles. ESP/ABS error - Dealer = replace computers and sensors, Actual Repair = Replace $25 brake switch. Power steering leak - Dealer = replace pump and other parts, Shop = cut hose and use a better clamp which has also gone for 70k miles with no other problems.

From what I've seen the horrible quality of the repair work done by the USA dealers is more of a problem than the vehicle itself. So many of them take a "guess and replace" attitude rather than diagnosing to find out the actual cause of the problem. They also tend to recommend replacing everything rather than the actual failed part. There are some good dealers (luckily the nearest one to me is one of those from my experience) but there do seem to be an exceptionally large number of bad ones.

Keep in mind that for most MB owners a small oil leak even on a 150k mile vehicle is a problem that means putting it in the shop right away. Your average Japanese or Domestic car owners would just gripe about the oil stain on the driveway.

The only true material issues I've read about is the transmission and the suspension, though having to replace an air suspension before 100k miles is more normal maintenance. Replacing it at 20k miles is obviously a problem.

Regarding the assumption that any of this has to do with the country of origin one should note that these are all the German spec'd parts that are giving the problems. With the ML class with the exception of the muffler weld all of the problems were with German built parts. I don't recall any issues that were related to the USA plant other than the above mentioned weld.

But, hey, according to that Edmunds site the vehicle Will Burst Into Flames At Any Time And Kill Your Dog!

 

Unlike others the reported problems do not seem that bad to me. I wonder how much of the gloom and doom is due to the dealers rather than the vehicle. I went through very similar concerns with the ML430. The vehicle had a pretty bad reputation but many of the problems actually had very inexpensive repairs when anyone but the dealer did it and most of the problems were a one time occurrence.

Examples: Broken weld on muffler - Dealer = replace entire exhaust system, muffler shop = $100 reweld and the system has been fine for 70k miles. ESP/ABS error - Dealer = replace computers and sensors, Actual Repair = Replace $25 brake switch. Power steering leak - Dealer = replace pump and other parts, Shop = cut hose and use a better clamp which has also gone for 70k miles with no other problems.

!

100% true. I had a fuel leak. Dealer wanted to replace the high-pressure fuel pump. $1,200 pump and a few hours labor. It was a fraying hose. I trimmed the hose and got a better clamp on it. 49 cents and no more leak. Not only did I save the money, but this sort of thing creates a funny emotional bond with your vehicle. "I did that!"

 

I have to admit that I also had lots of issues with my 07 GL450. I purchased it with 55K miles on it and two airbags were dead already and dealer claimed that corroded air distributor needed to be changed as well. Within three months the other two airbags went as well. All work was done at MB Dealer for about $7600 with two year warranty on repairs, but my third party warranty didn't cover expense for new air suspension as it is considered to be a luxury upgrade... Instead I managed to share the cost with the dealer who sold me the vehicle. Lucky me

Within 10k I also had to change the whole steering assembly due to the noise as well as some front suspension parts. Had to reset the passenger A/C temperature controller, as it got stuck in one position. The transmission valve failed and was replaced - it's about $3000 for part only. No engine issues so far.

The sunroof doesn't close well due to worn out cable. I don't know if I want to spend $2500 to fix it. I replaced most of the exterior door trim (belt line) due to peeling plastic layer ($75-$100 a piece).

All together the repairs on this vehicle costed over $22,000. I only paid about $3500 out of my pocket to that amount, as the most of it got covered by the extended warranty, which costed me under $2000. The best investment I ever made! In my opinion you need to have an extended warranty on these vehicles to keep up with the repair expenses.

Nonetheless, me and my wife love our GL very much and will keep it for a long time. I already managed to avoid a couple of bad high speed situations under the rain on the highway that GL managed to handle exceptionally well. Love the way it drives! For that reason bought a second older Mercedes C-Class for commuting that was neglected in maintenance and now became my DIY project. Love to get my hands dirty

 

I started to read this thinking it would be a disgruntled person nitpicking at silly things. But as I went through it, I was saying, "Yup. Did that too. Yup. Same here." I haven't had seat heater issues, steering rack or window seals, but there are some come-backs:

1. Don't be beholden to direct replacement tires. I have a set of Yokohama tires that are slightly bigger (wider) that the OEMs and they were almost 1/2 the price. And they're better.

2. The bulbs do go bad a lot. I can replacement in about 60 seconds. No biggie.

3. Look up Arnott for air shock replacement. I just put in a rear air spring and it was ridiculously easy. The front strut will be harder to do, but no worse than landing gear on an aircraft!

4. Battery is a wrestling job. But I've done that too. I'm an English major. I think an aircraft mechanic can do it.

I'm waiting to fix an oil leak. It's the oil cooler right at the top of the block. 20 hours of labor for a $100 part. It looks too complex to DIY, but $2,000 of labor is scary. I'll just keep topping up the oil for now. IF YOU DO ONE THING DO THIS: FIND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. The dealers cater to folks that don't care about cost, or that do not have the energy to find an independent technician. I'll never bring my GL to a dealer for service.

All that said, the car is lovely to drive, roomy, safe and efficient. It's no Toyota or Honda. But probably as reliable as the bigger American SUVs.

 

...3. Look up Arnott for air shock replacement. I just put in a rear air spring and it was ridiculously easy. The front strut will be harder to do, but no worse than landing gear on an aircraft!

+1 on the Arnott shocks - both front ones have been replaced with Arnott's. The first ones went out around 70k-80k miles. We're at 135k miles now, so we'll see if they last as long as the originals, but at least they were less expensive.

For reference, we have a 2007 LR3 and the independent we go to says he's seen vehicles with 200k+ miles on original air shocks...

 

2009 GL450

Here we go. Every person I talk to who owns this vehicle has at least 3 if not more of these problems with this vehicle. Fyi to anyone considering purchasing this vehicle get the warranty it will pay for itself. Unfortunately not all issues can be fixed and you will need to contact a few repair shops till you find someone who can fix others. Here is a list of issues I have had on my 09 GL450 with 95k Miles. Power Steering pump, oil pan, pealing side panels under windows, black plastic inside door panels turn white, back side windows stop automatically rolling up( you must hold button and time it right or window will roll back down automatically), Front shocks, transmission module (will need to be replaced and reflashed, this causes the tranny to slam between shifts), Tire sensors, alignment, when car gets wet i.e rain or car wash the blinkers and break lights will stop working until the car drys out( going to be a slam dunk lawsuit one day), when its hot the parking sensor goes out, Fuel leak. Lol mix that in with 250 oil changes, 250 break fluid replacements, 500 transmission flushes, 1500 break replacements you might as well buy a Ferrari. I have owned the BMW X5 and Audi A4 and I thought those cars had a lot of issues until I went Mercedes. I just thought I was unlucky and maybe got the one dud of the group until I started talking to other people and reading the reviews. Turns out this particular model was just engineered poorly.

 

We were new to the MB world when we bought our 2008 GL450 from friends in 2011 (still under original warranty). We paid the money to have the warranty extended which was great because the rack ($2,000+ fix) and rear hatch ($500+ fix) needed replacing within one year.

Since then we've had a left front air shock ($1,000) and a right rear air bag ($800) go bad. Now we need a power steering pump ($1,200).

I admit that I was naive about MBs, but my expectations were built on the fact that it's a European automobile (albeit assembled in Alabama) with a hefty original price tag. It HAS to be worth it, right? I grew up in a "GM family" where, like most American autos in the 70s and 80s, you got rid of them before they reached 100,000 miles. You wouldn't expect a $75,000 European vehicle made in 2008 to have so many major repairs before 100,000.

Two things are keeping my wife and I interested in a new, but different, model: 1) knowing/believing that the 2008 GL450, in retrospect, is a flop and not representative of the brand overall and 2) the relationship we have with the local dealer as they have been wonderful.

 

Hey all!
I am new to the forum and will be purchasing a 2008 GL 450 with 45,000 mi on it in the near future. It is a little concerning reading all of the negative comments on this forum about the GL's. Seems to me like most of the issues come with the higher mile vehicle, but should I worry even though mine will have under 50K mi on it?

 

@RogerRoger

"when car gets wet i.e rain or car wash the blinkers and break lights will stop working until the car drys out( going to be a slam dunk lawsuit one day"

Look for water intrusion in the d-pillar area. Every time i washed my gl320 water would get in there and drip onto the fuse bars and subwoofer in the right rear pillar, clearly accessible through the carpeted access panel. This is a recipe for disaster in the long run. I think the culprit was the rear sunroof or the rear lights.

 

Water intrusion in the D pillar is a known issue with a poor seal around the right hand taillights that allows water to enter and drip on the rear SAM and cause all sorts of random electrical issues...

 

I have owned several MB vehicles since the 1980's. There is no doubt that the W123s had significantly better engineered components. My experience with the X164 hasn't been very good, but it hasn't been awful. I won't buy another MB though, they are scrimping too much on the quality of the components and that just doesn't make them 250,000 mile cars like they used to be. Here are the issues I've had from 29,000 to 109,000 miles.

Air suspension - all four corners, one corner twice Arnott replacements are good value and excellent warranty.
Cam shaft adjusters - all four, one is a complete pain to get too - requiring removal of PS reservoir and draining coolant.
Inlet manifold swirl controls - never replaced, but these are broken and sometimes cause a MIL in cold weather
Steering rack - dealer replaced under warranty - wrong rack, no more speed sensitive steering.!!
Wiring - electrical wiring is made out of such cheap wiring that when changing the headlight bulbs you can strip the insulator.
Exterior trim - anodized aluminum roof rails are faded and stained, window trim plastic peeling
Seatbelt - receptical chips easy, with the chip getting into the mechanism, so that the buckle won't latch ( 1 replacement $75)
Brakes - replaced all pads and sensors one time
Power steering reservoir - leak at o ring.
multi function display - weird LCD type errors with the red color bleeding thru onto the white.
Illuminated entry sills - stopped working after 2 months, never could find the root cause.
Front head restraints , collision tension system breaks when you hold onto the headrest to get into back seat.

Here are the good things;

The 4Matic 4WD is awesome in snow and ice. One of the best.
This is the MOST comfortable cross country vehicle ever - we have driven CA-TX-CA many times averaging nearly 80MPH
The interior (MB-TEX) wears extremely well, still looks like new.
Tires wear 100% even.. and get good life.
You can get 20MPG if drive 60 on the Highway... I average 16

 

Very familiar and almost similar experience for me.

 

What are the best brake pads to use? MB original parts or is the a better value aftermarket pad? Thanks.

 

total junk at price tag of $60K

It's not about brand mentality, it's about Mercedes maintaining its reputation, living up to its standard. It's building shitty cars and charging higher price to consumers. I agree with lot of people complaint on poorly built GL450. I own one and now i'm feeling the same pain. I have never run to dealer so often for repairs with other cars.

 

here is video not only what the common problems are but also how much to fix them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSq_jtRY6ww&t=34s&frags=pl,wn