2007 Mercedes Benz GL450

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ GL450. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE SEAT WHILE THE HEATED SEAT FEATURE WAS ENGAGED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE HEATED SEAT FEATURE OFF AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 83,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ GL450. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT STARTED TO SMOKE AND BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT AND THE CONTACT'S CLOTHING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A SHORTAGE IN THE HEATED SEAT ELEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

WE HAD LEFT THE HOME - DROVE APPROXIMATELY 3 MINUTES AT 20 MILES AN HOUR WITH THE SEAT HEATER ON. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE SEAT STARTED TO SMOKE - IT HAD CAUGHT FIRE. WE HAD A BABY IN THE CAR, WERE TRAVELING DOWN A MOUNTAIN ROAD IN ASPEN. WE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THANKFULLY WERE ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH SNOW FROM A SNOW BANK (WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF IT WAS IN THE SUMMER?). THERE IS A BIG HOLE IN OUR CAR SEAT NOW AND OBVIOUSLY - WE ARE NOT ABLE TO USE THE SEAT HEATERS. I SEE FROM THE REPORTS HERE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES WITH THE SAME VEHICLE -- THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL DONE FOR THIS ISSUE ON THIS VEHICLE AS SOMEONE MAY BE INJURED SEVERELY IN THE FUTURE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY FAMILY TO AN AFTERNOON LUNCH ON THE 5TH OF DECEMBER, 2014, THE DAY WAS CHILLY AND IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO HAVE THE HEATED SEATS ON... AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AND THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING IN THE AREA (IT WAS ACTUALLY MY SEAT LIGHTING ME ON FIRE), NEEDLESS TO SAY THE SMELL CONTINUED TO GET WORSE AND I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I LOOKED FOR A SAFE AREA TO PULL OVER AND IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL, BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD MY SIDE STARTED SMOKING AND LIT ON FIRE. I FRANTICALLY PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND JUMPED OUT. I THEN PROCEEDED TO RIP OF MY JACKET AND PUT OUT THE SMOLDERING SECTION OF IT. AFTER THAT I NOTICED THE CAR WAS STILL SMOKING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT ABOUT TO GO UP IN FLAMES, AT THIS TIME MY WIFE WAS PULLING OUR 2 YEAR OLD TWINS OUT OF THE VEHICLE I GOT BACK TO THE CAR TO TURN IT OFF AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE SCENE I FOUND THE HEATED SEAT HAD MALFUNCTIONED IN SOME MANNER AND BURNED A NICE HOLE IN THE SEAT WHICH IN RETURN LIT MY JACKET ON FIRE. I WILL GET IT INTO THE SHOP TO HAVE THE FUSE TAKEN OUT AND MAKE THE HEATED SEATS INOPERABLE NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ GL450. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE SEAT HEATER WAS ACTIVATED AND THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE LOWER BACK AND HIP WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. PAM UPDATED 4/30/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER AGREED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE IF THE CONSUMER DID NOT FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. UPDATED 10/23/2015 *JS

I WAS IN MY 2007 MERCEDES GL450 AND HAD DRIVEN APPROX. 2 MILES WITH MY FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER ON. I STARTED TO NOTICE A STRANGE SMELL AND SUDDENLY THE CABIN WAS STARTING TO FILL UP WITH SMOKE. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BACK OF MY FRONT DRIVERS SEAT WAS ON FIRE. SNOW WAS ON THE GROUND SO I SCOOPED UP SNOW TO PACK IN THE FIRE/HOT SPOT WHICH HAD BURNED A LARGE HOLE THROUGH THE VINYL AND INSIDE PADDING MATERIAL. I LATER NOTICED THAT MY JACKET HAD BURN MARKS AND A HOLE IN THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE POINT OF THE FIRE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ GL450. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE SEAT HEATERS OVER HEATED CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO CATCH ON FIRE. THE CONTACT SUFFERED FROM BURNS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,690.

DRIVING IN NEW JERSEY ON ROUTE 80 WEST FOR 1-2 MILES THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF BURNT WIRES THAT SMELL SO BAD AND HAVE NOTICED THAT THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SEAT. IT WENT ON FOR FEW MINUTES WHERE THE WIRES ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MELTED TOGETHER. STOPPED THE CAR, SHOT THE ENGINE OFF, WITH WINDOWS OPEN AND TRIED TO PULL THE WIRES APART TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE.... BUT COULD NOT SEPARATE THE WIRES FROM EACH OTHER. CALLED THE MB DEALER NEAR OUR LOCATION AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN AFTER THE MBUSA SUGGESTED TOWING IT IN AND LATER WE WERE TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER. THE LOCAL MB DEALER MANAGER I TALKED TO WAS VERY HELPFUL AND UNDERSTANDABLE AND HE TRIES TO SUPPORT ME THE BEST WAY HE COULD WHERE HE AGREED TO LOOK AT THE CAR AT REDUCED RATE TO HELP OUT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE. THE CAR IS AT THE MB DEALER NOW. MBUSA SENT AN EXPERT TO INSPECT THE CAR AT THE MB DEALER AND AFTER A WEEK I WAS TOLD THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED. MBUSA RULED OUT ANY CONNECTIONS TO A PREVIOUS WORK DONE MB DEALER ON THE DRIVER SEAT HEATER. I WAS ALSO TOLD, BY MBUSA, THAT THE ISSUE IS AN INTERNAL AND THEY CAN??T DISCUSS THAT WITH ME AND I SHOULD GO THRU MY CAR INSURANCE SINCE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT??S APPROX. $12,000 JOB TO REPLACE THE MAIN HARNESS WHICH WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DAMAGE. I HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY TO PURCHASE THIS SUV WHICH SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE AND RELIABLE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY AND NEVER EXPECT THIS TO EVER HAPPEN. PERHAPS WE BROUGHT A LEMON. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD I PUT ON THE SEAT WARMER. APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE LATER AS I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE FREEWAY I NOTICED AN ODOR THAT SMELLED LIKE SMOKE. I THOUGHT IT WAS FROM THE ROAD BEING PAVED NEARBY, BUT THEN NOTICED THAT MY SEAT WAS GETTING VERY HOT BY MY LOWER LEFT BACK. I GLANCED DOWN AND SAW SMOKE, LEANED FORWARD AND NOTICED A BLACK HOLE IN THE SEAT THAT WAS GLOWING TOO. I PUSHED THE SEAT WARMER BUTTON OFF AND STARTED HITTING THE SEAT TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. I PULLED OVER AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS STILL SMOKING THE FIRE APPEARED TO HAVE STOPPED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT BURNED TOO BADLY. *TR