2008 Mercedes Benz GL450

I HAVE A 2008 GL450 WHEN YOU MAKE A TURN YOU'LL HEAR A SOUND AND IT IS SO HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I TOOK IT TO A MERCEDES BENZ MECHANIC AND THEY FLUSHED AND REPLACED THE POWER STEERING FLUID, THE WHEEL WORKED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND THE NOISE IS NOT AS LOUD BUT 2 WEEKS LATER THE STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN AGAIN AND THE NOISE IS LOUD AGAIN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450. BEFORE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SRS AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND CLAIMED TO HAVE REMEDIED THE ISSUE. AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS SCHEDULED FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000.

AIRMATIC SUSPENSION COMPONENTS CONTINUE TO FAIL ON THIS VEHICLE. AIRMATIC AIR PUMP WAS FIRST REPLACED DEC 2013 AT 71,000MI. FRONT SUSPENSION AIR SPRINGS FAILED AND SUSPENSION STRUTS HAVE BOTH BEEN REPLACED, OCT 2014 AT 85,000 MI. REAR SUSPENSION AIR SPRINGS FAILED AND HAVE WERE REPLACED, JULY 2015 AT 101,600MI. AIRMATIC AIR PUMP WAS REPLACED AGAIN ALONG WITH THE SUSPENSION VALVE BLOCK WAS REPLACED , NOV 2015 AT 107,300MI. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH DEALERSHIP THEY ONLY WARRANT REPAIR FOR 12 MOS AND INFORMED US THAT MERCEDES DOES NOT HAVE RECALL OR PROVIDE CUSTOMER SUPPORT TO REPLACE THESE ITEMS UNLESS PAID FOR BY CUSTOMERS. FRONT AIR SPRINGS DEFLATED DURING TRIP DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED , SUSPENSION DROPPED DOWN AND HAD TO PULL OVER. HAD TO DRIVE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP WITH SUSPENSION DROPPED DOWN ON FRAME STOPS. BECAUSE OF HIGH COST GETTING REPAIR AT MERCEDES DEALERSHIP, REPAIRS WERE MADE BY OTHER SHOPS AS THEY CHARGE HIGHER PRICES FOR REPAIRS.

POWER STEERING FLUID IS LEAKING AT TOP SEAL AT INPUT SHAFT ON POWER STEERING GEAR. IT LEAKS ONTO BOTTOM OF CHASSIS FRAME AND CONCERNED ABOUT CATCHING FIRE DUE TO EXHAUST PIPE NEARBY. THIS IS NOTICEABLE WHEN VEHICLE IS PARKED OVERNIGHT AS IT LEAVES PUDDLE OF FLUID UNDERNEATH. POWER STEERING RESERVOIR WAS ALSO LEAKING AND WAS REPLACED AT 74,000 MI.

I NOTICED A STRONG GAS SMELL AFTER A FULL TANK OF GAS WITH MY MERCEDES BENZ GL450 AFTER I RECEIVED IT BACK FROM THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALER TO REPLACE THE DRIVER SIDE FUEL SENDING UNIT TO FIX THE BROKEN FUEL GAUGE. THE STRONG GAS ODOR WAS NON-EXISTENT BEFORE THE REPAIR. INITIALLY, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A RESIDUAL SMELL DUE TO THE REPAIR BUT AFTER A WEEK WHEN I FILLED AGAIN, THE GAS SMELL WAS STILL THERE. THE SMELL IS SO BAD ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNING WHEN I GET INSIDE THE GARAGE. THE SMELL IS EVIDENT ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE CLOSE TO THE GAS TANK. ON JANUARY 11, 2016, I BROUGHT BACK THE VEHICLE TO THE SAME MERCEDES BENZ DEALER WITH A QUARTER OF A TANK TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS, THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THE TECHNICIAN/MECHANIC DID THE INSPECTION AND DIAGNOSIS BUT DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I WAS ASKED IF I OVERFILL WHEN I PUT GAS AND I SAID NO. IF MERCEDES BENZ COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG TO AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE VEHICLE. AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, THIS PROBLEM WAS NON-EXISTENT BEFORE THEY DROPPED THE TANK TO FIX THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. I FIND IT WRONG THAT I HAVE TO SHOULDER THE BURDEN OF WORRIES AND UNCERTAINTY TO A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT MERCEDES BENZ COULD NOT ACCURATELY DIAGNOSE. AT THIS TIME, I DO NOT REALLY HAVE A PEACE OF MIND SAFETY WISE WHENEVER I DRIVE THIS VEHICLE WITH MY FAMILY.

WAS NOTIFIED BY MERCEDES DEALERSHIP THAT THE CAR HAD "POSSIBLE STEERING RACK CONTROL HEAD LEAKING. FLUID COULD BE SPATTER FROM RESERVOIR LEAKING." I WAS TOLD TO "REPLACE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR AND SEAL RING," WHICH I DID. LESS THAN 20,000 MILES LATER, THE CAR BECAME INTERMITTENTLY HARD TO STEER. WITHIN A SHORT TIME PERIOD, THE CAR BECAME WORSE AND, BECAUSE IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO THE UNEXPECTED INABILITY TO STEER, I DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT. I WAS TOLD THAT NOW I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING RACK, AND REPLACE POWER STEERING PUMP AND RESERVOIR. AN ONLINE SEARCH BRINGS UP HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WITH THE 2008 (AND SIMILAR YEARS) GL450 POWER STEERING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ GL450. WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER A POTHOLE AND BECAME INOPERABLE. THE COMPRESSOR OVERHEATING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT AXLE, HUBS, AND SUSPENSION WERE CORRODED AND THE ENGINE WAS LEAKING. ALL THE PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,876. UPDATED 09/10/15*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ GL450. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO TURN RIGHT OR LEFT. THE FAILURE RECURRED EVERYTIME WHEN DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V682000 (STEERING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

I BELIEVE THIS IS A FAULTY PART. I HAD 31,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE WHEN THE FRONT AIRMATIC WENT OUT. NOW THE BACK IS GOING OUT AT 50,000 MILES. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT IN THEY SAID IT'S NOT IF IT WILL GO OUT IT'S WHEN. SO I BELIEVE MERCEDES BENZ KNOWS THEY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS AND WE ARE PAYING FOR BAD PARTS. I BELIEVE THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEIR IS A PROBLEM.