2009 Mercedes-Benz GL320 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL320, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags350.0%
- Electrical116.7%
- Engine116.7%
- Other / unspecified116.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
MERCEDES BENZ OF SANTA MONICA CALIFORNIA SENT ME A RECALL NOTICE OVER A YEAR AGO, WHEN I MADE A APPOINTMENT TO COME IN THEY CALLED ME AND SAID THEY WEREN'T GOING TO FIX IT AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, THEN THEY SAID THEY SEND ME ANOTHER NOTICE WHICH THEY NEVER DID. MY PHONE NUMBER IS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TAKATA RECALL
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
MERCEDES BENZ GL320CDI BLUETEC> SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT THE SPEED OF 40 MPH. LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES AND WAS NEARLY STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. AN EARLIER VERSION THE 2008 MODEL HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE ON THREE OCCASIONS. SUBSEQUENTLY TRADED VEHICLE IN FOR A 2009 MODEL. TOLD BY DEALER PART "CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR" IS THE CAUSE. PART IS BEING ORDERED FROM GERMANY AND WOULD TAKE AT LEAST A WEEK. I SUSPECT THE PART IS IN SHORT SUPPLY DUE TO FREQUENT OCCURRENCES OF THIS ISSUE. A DANGEROUS SITUATION IS LURKING WITH THIS FAULTY SENSOR. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ GL320. SHORTLY AFTER REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, WHITE SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OBSERVED FIRE FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 183,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
HITCHED AN AIRSTREAM TRAILER WEIGHING 7400 LBS (PER CAT SCALE) TO NEW MERCEDES BENZ GL320 (TOW RATING 7500 LBS). WITHIN 40 MILES, WELDS ON THE FACTORY-SUPPLIED TRAILER HITCH BROKE AND THE HITCH BENT SIDEWAYS. ONE WELD STAYED IN PLACE UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, AT WHICH POINT THE HITCH FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .