2015 Mercedes-Benz GL450

My 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 experienced an unexpected vehicle fire on Feb 13th 2026. The vehicle was just parked when I noticed smoke from the engine. The vehicle caught fire within a short period of time, and 911 was called. There was no known external cause for the fire. The incident appeared to originate from the engine compartment. This created a serious safety hazard and posed a risk of injury and property damage. The fire required immediate response from the fire department, and the vehicle was declared a total loss. The vehicle is currently in the possession of the insurance company. This incident raises concerns about a potential mechanical or electrical defect. A vehicle should not catch fire under normal operating or parked conditions. I am requesting that this incident be reviewed as a potential safety defect.

NHTSA ID

11728375

Incident

Feb 13, 2026

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to formally request the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s assistance regarding a critical safety defect in my 2015 Mercedes‑Benz GL 450 (M278 engine). I purchased this vehicle in October 2024 with 76,000 miles, and it now has about 87,000 miles. Alarmingly, I recently received a quote for $13,000 to repair a camshaft failure and extensive electrical damage. I was unaware of these issues when I purchased this car. I bought it under the illusion that it would be a safe vehicle for me and my children. As a single parent and teacher I invested in this vehicle what I could afford and felt I had purchased a safe, reliable vehicle. I am devasted to have a proposal for repairs in excess of $13,000 from a Mercedes dealership who diagnosed the car. This caused me to do some research and I found the GL450 has a known and widespread defect. I also found, that this causes the cam shaft to need to be repaired and that this is not normal wear-and-tear—it is a systemic design vulnerability common across GL450 models. This can result in the engine seizing from what I was told and that directly poses a substantial risk when driving. From what I found this is a common issue with this car and I did not know that when I purchased it. This is a design flaw, not a misuse of the vehicle. Finally, a $13,000 repair to make this car safe and road ready is astronomical and is not aligned with a normal maintenance cost- manufacturer accountability is warranted here. I respectfully request that the NHTSA: Investigate whether a safety recall or extended warranty program is appropriate for this known defect in the GL450. Require Mercedes‑Benz to provide a comprehensive repair solution for me and repair this defect in my car's engine under the manufacturer's expense. And finally, for Mercedes to make customers affected by this aware of this engine defect and long term risks associated with this issue. Respectfully, Alyssa Begin

NHTSA ID

11679345

Incident

Aug 8, 2025

The contact owns 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where DTC code: P060A00 was retrieved. The dealer determined that the solenoid valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 37 13 17 2029027/8. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

NHTSA ID

11626901

Incident

Apr 22, 2024

Mileage

119,000 mi

The contact owned a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated that the vehicle was in the dealer for 12 days for an oil change. The contact's son drove the vehicle 2 days later, at an undisclosed speed when the vehicle started smoking from the engine. The contact's son pulled over when the vehicle caught fire completely. The fire marshals came out to extinguish the fire, there were no injuries. No police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. The consumer stated the vehicle was taken for routine maintenance and twelve days later returned without an oil change. Oil was added to the vehicle and it started smoking.

NHTSA ID

11500804

Incident

Apr 28, 2022

Mileage

110,000 mi

The rubber sealing around the lift gate failed on the vehicle and water seeped inside the vehicle and entire bottom of the vehicle underneath the floor board thereby damaging the electronic components, engine wire harness and headliner thereby rendering the vehicle was beyond repair. This issue led to mold to grow on the roof liner inside and on the seats which caused breathing issues for me and my family. This put our safety at risk! After talking the vehicle to authorized Mercedes Benz dealer in San Jose CA I was told that this is a known defect with the vehicle about which Mercedes Benz Inc is well aware for years and has not fixed it or recalled vehicles having this safety issue. I had purchased this vehicle from Mercedes Benz of Pleasanton on 6/10/2015 as Certified Pre Owned (CPO) but I was not informed that this safety issue existed. I was informed by Mercedes Benz of San Jose that the vehicle could not be repaired as mold would pose a health hazard for the occupants and the vehicle was deemed to be beyond repair and totaled. I had also purchased extended warranty at the time of purchase in 2015 but the dealership did not honor it for repairs.

NHTSA ID

11457171

Incident

Dec 24, 2021

Steering wheel will not go up and down. It will go in and out. This needs a recall! This is a HUGE problem with many Mercedes.

NHTSA ID

11451058

Incident

Feb 8, 2022

The airmatic system in this vehicle fails continuously, causing the vehicle to bump up and down while driving. Unsafe to drive

NHTSA ID

11448309

Incident

Oct 1, 2021

The fixed portion of the Panorama Sunroof exploded while driving on the highway at 65mph in light traffic and temperatures were in the mid 40's. Glass shards fell on the passengers, including three young children under the age of 5. Repairs are being arranged by customer pay and insurance. Manufacture denies fault.

NHTSA ID

11442843

Incident

Nov 27, 2021

Complaint During part of the steering movement, it feels heavier or more difficult to steer in the same spot every time. OR Rattling, humming, dry sliding/gravel noise from the electric steering system when steering (see attachment). Complaint does not impact the ability to safely steer or control the vehicle. Cause Ball screw drive (KGT) of electric steering damaged by: 1. External force due to: ‑ Hitting the curb/posts with the front wheels. ‑ Driving over obstacles (e.g. pothole/ threshold/ speed bump/ gully) at an inappropriate speed. 2. Corrosion/ water ingress through a damaged boot (see attachment). ‑ Cracks (1) ‑ High pressure cleaner (2) ‑ Animal bite (3) See various examples listed in the attachments for examples of outside influence. Remedy Remove boot clamps closest to steering gear housing on both left and right (as seen in "Steering Rack Boot Clamp Location"). Pull back boot and inspect for rust, broken end stops, water, or any other anomalies. Replace electric steering. Note: Steering gears replaced due to outside influence or damage must not be claimed under warranty!

Dear Mercedes-Benz Owner: In our continuing efforts to ensure the proper performance of Mercedes-Benz products and to enhance the satisfaction of our customers, Mercedes-Benz USA is extending the warranty coverage for the Diagnostic Module for Tank Leakage Detection ("DMTL") on your vehicle from the original New Vehicle Limited Warranty of 4 years / 50,000 miles to 15 years/150,000 miles (whichever occurs first). This applies to the vehicle regardless of ownership. Why the Warranty extension? On certain Model Year 2018 - 2024 A / C / CLA / CLS / E / G / GLA / GLB / GLC / GLE / GLS / GT / S / SL Mercedes-Benz vehicles, under certain circumstances, the DMTL may trigger erroneous Diagnostic Trouble Code ("DTC") entries that may result in the illumination of the Check Engine Malfunction Indicator Lamp ("MIL"). Any repairs under this warranty extension must be performed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership. • If your preferred authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership performs a diagnosis and confirms that your vehicle has the issue, the repair will be covered under this extended warranty and performed at no cost to you. • This extended warranty does not apply to any other components or conditions beyond the ones mentioned above, and standard warranty terms apply, including the exclusions with respect to extra expenses, as identified in the Service and Warranty Information booklet.

Complaint A popup is seen on the HU with the message "data connection temporarily not available". Potentially affected functionalities in NTG4.5, NTG5 1.Weather 2.Local Search 3.IP Radio 4.Send2Car 5.Speech Detection Service 6.Navigation 7.iHeartRadio 8.Traffic Cams Cause MB Apps is sundowned for all vehicles with NTG4.5 and NTG5 Head Unit Variant. Remedy No support available for NTG4.5 and NTG5 Head Unit Variants for MB App related topics. Note: Please do not create TIPS. Please do not replace any components. HU/Hermes SW update / SCN coding will not fix the issue.

Complaint Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors. Cause Under analysis. Remedy To narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • If the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and if necessary, create a TIPS case with an informative video as an attachment. Information: Please refer to this document in the warranty claim and, after completing diagnosis, select the damage code corresponding to the component part that caused the problem. • If the noise stops when the door trim is removed, please proceed in accordance with LI72.10-P-067691. Information: In this case, do not use a damage code for the speakers in the warranty claim!

Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The noise is heard once in each instance when changing direction of travel. Note: Sound file in attachment Cause If the complaint is eliminated by experimentally loosening the outboard collar nut (by 1 turn), the problem is due to cracking of the microweld between the wheel bearing inner race and the joint housing of the side shaft. Note: The collar nut must always be replaced after being loosened. See also LI33.20-P-078406 Remedy Coat contact surface of side shaft with wheel bearing with Molykote paint. To do this, proceed as follows: 1. Remove side shafts 2. Clean contact surface A (see image file in attachment "Outer joint housing before") before coating with Molykote, using "spirit" (free of dust and grease) 3. Coat contact surface A (see image file in attachment "Outer joint housing after") with Molykote and leave to dry for "one hour" in removed condition 4. Reinstall side shafts Note: Before using the antifriction coating (Molykote), stir it or shake it thoroughly for (at least 1 minute).

Complaint Creaking noise, in irregular sequence when driving slowly in combination with slight steering movements and/or Creaking/crackling noises from the area of the wheel bearing on the front axle when cornering/ maneuvering. Sound file attached for comparison. MUST match noise for proper diagnosis. NOTE: Steering functionality is not affected. Cause Contact area between wheel bearing and steering knuckle. See also: LI35.30-P-058566 (Throttle Lift-Off Noise - Rear) LI33.30-P-056665 (Throttle Lift-Off Noise - Front) LI40.10-P-059248 (Wheel cracking noise when cornering) Remedy 1. Perform Operation A and evaluate by testing vehicle. 2. If noise is still present after re-testing: • If 192/232 chassis, verify FIN is in the listed range below in "Operation B" and perform. • If not 192/232 chassis or vehicle is a 192/232 not in the listed FIN range, additional verifications of where the noise is coming from are needed. Use multiple channel NVH method to narrow down location. Verify the LI's listed above were completed or if there are other similar noises associated with the chassis (Example: 192/232 also has under panel noises and an associated LI). Operation A: 1. Clean contact surfaces of wheel bearing and steering knuckle with brake cleaner as seen in the attached pictures. NOTE: The front area of the wheel bearing and the seals must not come into contact with the cleaner, otherwise, the sealing rings will be damaged. 2. Clean threads of wheel bearing mounting. 3. Thinly coat contact surfaces of wheel bearing, steering knuckle, and axle mating face with Molykote (annular joint grease). See the attached steering knuckle and wheel hub pictures for reference. NOTE: Axle mating face greasing is also covered in LI35.30-P-058566 and LI33.30-P-056665. Operation B (Only applies to 192 and 232 in listed FIN range): Only affects vehicles up to FIN end number: • Model series 192: xxx xxx xx 002 876 • Model series 232: xxx xxx xx 022 312 1. Replace steering knuckle. 2. Wheel bearings do not need to be replaced.