2007 Mercedes Benz GL450

The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, he felt a sharp pinch coming from the driver’s side seat. Upon further inspection, the contact’s husband noticed an abnormal hole with smoke coming from the driver’s side seat. There was no visible fire present. No medical attention was sought. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH in the rain, there was an abnormal smoke odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle then started filling up with smoke. The contact checked and became aware that the back of the front driver's seat was on fire. The contact was able to pull over and extinguish the fire with his hand. The contact sustained a little burn to his hand, but medical attention was not sought. The Fire Department was not contacted. Neither a Police nor Fire report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 59,050.

ON NOVEMBER 17, 2020, I TURNED MY DRIVER SEAT HEATER AND SUDDENLY SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES DRIVING I DECIDED TO TURN OF THE HEATER, THE BURNING SENSATION ON MY BACK WAS INTENSE. ONCE I PARKED, I NOTICED A HOLE IN MY SEAT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER! I CHECKED MY CLOTHING AND NOTICED IT MELTED THE ELASTIC PART AT THE BOTTOM MY JACKET.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT AND HER COAT. AN ABNORMAL BURNING ODOR WAS DETECTED AND FLAMES APPEARED. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO EURO MOTORCARS BETHESDA (7020 ARLINGTON RD, BETHESDA, MD 20814, (301) 986-8800) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

TL-CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES GL 450. CONTACT LOOKED ONLINE FOR RECALL FOR VEHICLE.MILEAGE ON VEHICLE IS 99,801. CONTACT WAS GOING 66MPH AT TIME WHEN DRIVERS SEAT CAUGHT FIREAND CONTACT WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. MERCEDES HEATED SEATS RECALL FOR SEAT OVERHEATING AND HOLE BURNING IN DRIVERS SIDE SEAT. 0 RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VIN

WHILE DRIVING 2007 MERCEDES GL450 WITH MY WIFE, AFTER DRIVING FOR 1 MILES FROM OUR HOME WITH FRONT SEAT HEATING I FELT BURN AT MY BACK AND THEN MY WIFE SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE SEATS, WE STOPED THE CAR AND SAW DRIVE SEAT WAS BURNING AND MADE A QUARTER SIZE HOLE IN THE SEAT, I TALKED TO MERCEDES BENZ OF PLANO BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE. EVEN NOW IF I TURN IT ON IT WILL CATCH FIRE -

WE WERE DRIVING ON SAN VICENTE BLVD IN BEVERLY HILLS, MY HUSBAND IN THE DRIVER SEAT TURNED ON THE SEAT HEATERS IN OUR SUV AND ABOUT ONE MINUTE LATER WE STARTED SMELLING SOMETHING BURNING AND COULD NOT RIGHT AWAY DISTINGUISH WHERE THE PUTRID SMELL ORIGINATED FROM. MOMENTS LATER THE CABIN STARTED FILLING WITH SMOKE AND THE FUMES BECOME UNBEARABLE WHICH MADE US, MYSELF, HUSBAND AND OUR 1.5YR OLD COUGH. MY HUSBAND NOTICED HIS SEAT WAS HOTTER THAN USUAL, AND QUICKLY REALIZED IT WAS THE SEAT THE FUMES AND SMOKE WERE COMING FROM AND QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE HEATER. WE STOPPED THE CAR, JUMPED OUT, I GRABBED MY SON FROM THE BACK SEAT AND WE FOUND A BURNT HOLE IN THE DRIVER SEAT!!

2 COMPLAINTS -1 I WAS DRIVING W/OUT A COAT ON & TURNED THE DRIVERS SEAT HEATER ON. THEN I STARTED FEELING A SHARP, STINGING PAIN ON MY BACK AND STARTED SMELLING THE BURNING OF WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE THE SEAT. I ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT TRYING TO GET WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A STINGING OR BITING INSECT OFF MY BACK. ONCE I REALIZED IT WAS THE SEAT HEATER, I TURNED THE SEAT HEATER OFF, ONLY TO FIND I NOW HAVE A HOLE IN MY SEAT. IF MERCEDES KNOWS THEY HAVE THIS PROBLEM, AS I HAVE COME TO READ HERE, THEY SHOULD WARN PEOPLE NOT TO USE THE HEATERS TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AND AVOID HAVING A HOLE IN THE SEAT OR REPLACE THE SEAT AND HEATER. #2 THE FRONT AIR SUSPENSION SHOCK CRASHED ON THE FRONT OF MY CAR. MY CAR SAT IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR OVER A MONTH WAITING FOR MERCEDES TO REENGINEER THE AIR SHOCK. FINALLY, THEY TOLD US TO BUY AN AFTERMARKET AND THEY WOULD INSTALL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER REAR OF THE CAR WOULDN'T LEVEL AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE COMPRESSOR SO THAT WAS REPLACED. BUT STILL THE REAR WAS UNEVEN SO THEY REPLACED BOTH REAR SHOCKS AND STILL THE CAR WOULDN'T LEVEL. THEN THEY HAD THE NERVE TO TELL ME IT WAS THE FRONT AFTERMARKET AND THEY NOW NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THE CAR WAS A 2007 SO WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT. I STOPPED GOING TO THE DEALER AND INSTEAD TOOK IT TO A PRIVATE SHOP. THEY REPLACED A SENSOR FOR A MINIMAL CHARGE AND THE CAR HAS BEEN FINE SINCE.

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING, I TURNED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT WARMER. LESS THAN THREE MINUTES LATER, I NOTICED A STRONG ODOR FOLLOWED BY A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF SMOKE AND HEAT COMING FROM THE SIDE OF THE SEAT NEAREST THE DOOR. I FELT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SOMETHING POKING ME IN THE LEFT REAR POCKET OF MY PANTS, AND BURNED THE BACK OF MY KNUCKLE CHECKING FOR THE SOURCE OF THE HEAT. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE HEATER AND PULLED OFF AT THE FIRST SAFE LOCATION. I EXITED THE VEHICLE (A PALL OF SMOKE FOLLOWED ME) AND KNOCKED THE SMOKING EMBERS OUT OF THE VEHICLE (A HOLE LARGER THAN A QUARTER IS BURNED IN THE SEAT). I ALSO NOTICED A HOLE WAS BURNED THROUGH MY PANTS. APPARENTLY, I CAME VERY CLOSE TO SIGNIFICANT PERSONAL INJURY, NOT TO MENTION THE FACT OF POSSIBLE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WE CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SCHEDULED THE CAR FOR NEXT MONDAY. RESEARCHING INTO THE ISSUE, MINE IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE AS THERE ARE MULTIPLE CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS AND COMPLAINTS WITH THE NHTSA. OBVIOUSLY, THESE SEATS ARE DEFECTIVE, MERCEDES IS AWARE, THE PASSENGER SEAT IS NEXT AND IS NOT SAFE.