2007 Mercedes Benz GL450

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. ADDITIONALLY, THE ENGINE REMAINED FUNCTIONAL DURING TWO OF THE FAILURES, BUT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT SHIFT INTO THE CORRECT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,561.

I WAS DRIVING 70 MPH ON I-80 HIGHWAY WHEN MY CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THE SPEEDOMETER WENT FROM 70 DOWN TO 10 MPH IN ABOUT 2 SECONDS. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO LIGHTS, BELLS, OR SIGNALS TO WARN ME THAT MY FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD TO CUT ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC WITH NO POWER, AND ALMOST GOT HIT BY A TRACTOR TRAILER WHO HAD TO IMMEDIATELY SWERVE OFF THE ROAD. I COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR, AND HAD TO BE PUSHED BY A NJ STATE OFFICER TO GET TO THE SHOULDER. I WAS ON A VERY BUSY MAJOR HIGHWAY, AND HAD IT OF BEEN RUSH HOUR I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE MADE IT WITHOUT CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I SERVICE MY CAR REGULARLY, AND NEVER AT ANY POINT HAD THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP EVER ADVISED ME THAT I NEED A NEW FUEL PUMP. OF COURSE THEY HAVE WARNING SIGNALS TO TELL ME MY WINDSHIELD FLUID IS LOW, BUT NOTHING TO SIGNAL THIS TYPE OF MALFUNCTION. I THEN HAD TO REMAIN ON THE SIDE OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY FOR OVER 90 MINUTES WHILE I WAITED TO THE MERCEDES ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE TO PICK UP MY VEHICLE. I ADVISED THEM FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES THAT MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER WITH CARS FLYING BY ME AT TOP SPEED. MY FUEL PUMP WAS EVENTUALLY SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY HAD NO ANSWER FOR WHY THIS HAPPENED. I AM FILING THIS REPORT NOT ONLY BECAUSE I AM EXTREMELY UPSET, BUT POSSIBLE TO SAVE THE LIVES OF OTHER TRAVELERS. AS I STATED, THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO SIGNS OR MY CAR IN DISTRESS, OR ANYTHING THAT I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING INTO THIS MATTER, AND IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION I WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING TO SUPPLY YOU WITH THAT.

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.

2007 MERCEDES GL450 AIR SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR ALL THE SUDDEN BECAME NOISY POPPED THE HOOD TO CONFIRM NOISE AND IT WAS THE AIR SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR CAR WAS DRIVING FINE HAD TO GET TO MY DESTINATION ONLY 2 MILES AWAY THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN BOOM I THOUGHT MY TIRE BLEW OUT CAR STARTED BOUNCING IN THE REAR BADLY PULLED OVER TO CHECK AND THE REAR OF THE CAR WAS ALL THE WAY DOWN SCAIRED THE HECK OUT OF ME GOT HOME CRAWLED UNDER CAR AND THE LEFT REAR AIR SUSPENSION BAG BLEW APART COMPLETELY NO WARNING AT ALL EXCEPT THE DISPLAY ON DASH STATED COMPRESSOR COOLING DOWN HOPE MERCEDES WILL SOMEHOW HELP WITH REPAIR AND LOOK INTO THIS FOR A SAFETY ISSUE AND POSSIBLY HELP WITH THE REPAIR SOMEHOW AS I SEE THE AIRPUMP WAS JUST CHANGED IN 2013 THANKS FOR LISTENING.

HEAD LIGHTS WENT OFF IN THE WHILE TRAVELING DUE TO DEFECTING WIRING SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO EXPERTS MB USED AN INFERIOR AND UNSUITABLE MATERIAL FOR THE INSULATION ON THE ELECTRICAL WIRES OF SOME OF THE GL450 MODELS. THIS INSULATION PREMATURELY DISINTEGRATES UNDER NORMAL USE CAUSING THE WIRES IT IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT AND INSULATE, TO SHORT CAUSING MANY PROBLEMS.

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.

WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE HORN INTERMITTENTLY GOES OFF AND WILL NOT STOP. MUST TURN OFF THE CAR TO GET THE HORN TO STOP SOUNDING. THEN, MUST TURN ON THE CAR AND TURN OFF THE CAR A FEW TIMES TO MAKE IT STOP UNTIL IT ALL STARTS HAPPENING, RANDOMLY, AGAIN. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASE AND HAS BEEN ROUTINELY SERVICED AND THEY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY STEERING WHEEL SWITCH. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE ISSUE IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL ITSELF. THE COST FOR AN IDENTICAL FACTORY WOOD STEERING WHEEL (WHICH IS WHAT THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW WITH) IS $3,000; IF WE OPTED FOR A LEATHER WRAPPED STEERING WHEEL INSTEAD THE COST WOULD BE $1500. THE OTHER WORKAROUND IS TO PULL THE FUSE AND NOT HAVE A HORN AT ALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD NOT COST THIS MUCH TO HAVE A STEERING WHEEL SWITCH REPLACED! THIS IS ESSENTIAL, BASIC EQUIPMENT, AND STARTING HAPPENING ON A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES. HAVE CONTINUED TO FOLLOW-UP WITH DEALER TO SEE IF THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL OR IF THEY WILL FIX, BUT MERCEDES IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. *TR