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Reliability of G55

22339 Views 20 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  peter4271
I have read numerous posts about the problems of the 2002 and early 2003's G500's ... but the G55 didn't hit the market until 2003, and I haven't seen one post from a G55 owner complaining.

Is that my imagination, or were the bugs fixed by the time the G55 came out[?]
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
The G55 was available from the same time like the G500.
I think, some had bad luck with G500, but not in general, anyway, mine works like a Rolex.[:p]
I keep forgetting about our International members ... [:I]

In the U.S. the first model year for the G55 was 2003, while the G500 was 2002. The members doing the complaining all seem to be in the U.S., and all seem to have MBUSA G500 from 2002 or early 2003.

I notice no one with a G55 responded that their's sucks, so I guess I will continue with my observation. [8D]
TheDogsCar - 2/23/2005 1:36 PM
I notice no one with a G55 responded that their's sucks, so I guess I will continue with my observation. [8D]
Do we even have that many G55 owners?? Maybe the sample size is too small??
The only complaint I have is that my left headlight is out! And that's just because I don't have time to take it into the shop to get the lamp replaced : )

Other than a little normal creaking, it's fine - I love it!
I now have about 3800 miles on my 2005 G-55K. I have been to the dealer one time for scheduled service. Other than that, I have appied white grease to the latch mechanism of the rear door to stop a minor rattle. With respect to the first (and only) service experience, the service rep was completely unaware of the fact that the fluid in both the front and rear differentials was supposed to be replaced, so I did get to hang around the dealership while they completed that task.
Compared to my last car, which was a 2001 BMW M5, the reliability of the G-55k has been superior.
dplumlee - 2/23/2005 10:04 PM

Compared to my last car, which was a 2001 BMW M5, the reliability of the G-55k has been superior.
funny... my dad drives a 2002 m5, and he wants a g55k. he hasnt had any problems with the m5... but he really likes my g500. [:)]

but just wondering, do you miss the feel of the m5, or does the g55 do the job?
G-unit, dude the picture of your G that comes with your posts... i can't tell what is in the background, but you should put a taco bell in the background... that would be sweet! ... sorry man... i gotta tease you because your picture makes me feel like i'm in the "subwoofer" section of a car stereo forum. NOthing against subwoofers ofrourse.
I did enjoy my 4 years with the M5. However, I do not miss the awkward clutch take-up, which really made it difficult to drive the car smoothly. In my opinion, the G-55k is more fun to drive quickly in every situation except on the open road. The G-55k's exhaust note is certainly more entertaining!
I have a 2003 g55 with 23k on the odo. Besides an annoying clunk coming from what I assume is a misaligned rear door that no dealer has ever been able to fix, but have tried every stupid pet trick in the book, including giving me a new set of rear shocks (thanks) and the obvious rattles..this thing has not given me any problems.

The clunk does drive me nuts, though, as it is almost embarassing that a vehicle at this price point makes a noise like this.

I believe mine was put in to service in December of 2002 as a 2003 model. I purchased it with 7k on it in August 2003.
There's really no reason you should be getting any clunks... well i forget your suspension is super tight so maybe it's possible... at any rate...i got a clunk from the rear door for a while on mine and it was actually the spare tire mounting bracket that was a little loose. Try pulling the spare off and tightening the allen head screws that hold it in place.
I took the tire off and drove it around and got the same clunk. will try that though. The suspension could be a culprit...no other structural problem is evident. The light guards were at one time thought to be a culprit, but they too proved to not be the problem.
IGLOO - 2/26/2005 6:01 PM

I took the tire off and drove it around and got the same clunk. will try that though. The suspension could be a culprit...no other structural problem is evident. The light guards were at one time thought to be a culprit, but they too proved to not be the problem.
Well, when this clunk is not really from the back, it can be, that the screw from the stabilizer is not tight enough. It is done in a minute.
TH - 2/25/2005 12:24 PM

IGLOO - 2/26/2005 6:01 PM

I
Well, when this clunk is not really from the back, it can be, that the screw from the stabilizer is not tight enough. It is done in a minute.
Which stabilizer?
TH, sway bar?

when you say stabilizer are you referring to the sway bar's being loose? I've heard they'll make noise if they're too loose also.
RE: TH, sway bar?

ewalberg - 2/26/2005 10:57 PM

when you say stabilizer are you referring to the sway bar's being loose? I've heard they'll make noise if they're too loose also.
Thanks.
That's it and you got it right. When it is loose, you hear that "clonk".
In my experience, that clunk that you hear comes from the tail gate, and more specifically it is caused by wear or bad adjustment of the plastic and metal pieces that you will find in both the back door and the "frame", holding one to the other. If they are worn, you could adjust them and you will get rid of the noise for a while, but it will come back. In this case the only solution is to spend a few $$$ replacing both of them. If they are not worn the following procedure should work:

To adjust fit the one to the back door tightly and the other one loosely and then shut the door, Then open the door slowly making sure than you hold the piece that attaches to the frame in position. Then secure this piece tightly.

I did this to my truck and the noise disappeared!

These are the bits I am referring to:



Good luck,
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mortinson - 2/26/2005 12:44 PM

In my experience, that clunk that you hear comes from the tail gate, and more specifically it is caused by wear or bad adjustment of the plastic and metal pieces that you will find in both the back door and the "frame", holding one to the other. If they are worn, you could adjust them and you will get rid of the noise for a while, but it will come back. In this case the only solution is to spend a few $$$ replacing both of them. If they are not worn the following procedure should work:

To adjust fit the one to the back door tightly and the other one loosely and then shut the door, Then open the door slowly making sure than you hold the piece that attaches to the frame in position. Then secure this piece tightly.

I did this to my truck and the noise disappeared!

These are the bits I am referring to:



Good luck,

That sounds like the culprit. Thank you very much!
Resurrecting this post from the dead to see if anyone has any info on G55 or G55K reliability. I sold my 280GE a couple years ago and am looking to make the move into a G55. I don't think I want to shell out G55K money just yet but I'm really missing my G and I think an '03 or '04 G55 will make me happy for a while at least.
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