2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 4MATIC

While driving at 60 mph on the highway around 7pm, with no cars infront or next to us, vehicle top glass exploded. No construction. As per other complaints, this has happen to other people. My kidds were in the car and thankfully screen was open otherwise all glass would fall on thdm. As per dealer installer, they already had this part in stock and new eaxctly how to handle it as per his known experiences on such style. But refused to warranty while vehicle under 41000 miles. 2024 GLS450

NHTSA ID

11759672

Incident

Aug 25, 2026

While traveling at highway speeds, the digital instrument cluster suffered a sudden, complete power loss and went entirely black for approximately 5 seconds before rebooting. Component failed: Digital instrument cluster / dashboard display. It is available for inspection. Safety risk: Complete loss of critical data (speedometer, vehicle status) at high speed. It caused immediate driver confusion over whether the vehicle had stalled or lost propulsion, creating an acute risk of a high-speed collision in traffic. Reproduced by dealer: [UNKNOWN] Inspected by others: [NO] Prior symptoms: UNKNOWN. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the sudden blackout.

NHTSA ID

11748661

Incident

Jun 22, 2026

[XXX] girl went in back passenger door (rear facing car seat present), crouched under seat area to climb to middle seat when [XXX] brother push button and seat moved forward without stopping crushing [XXX] old head between back of seat and back of Car seat. There was no safety stop, was stuck mother has to press button to move seat back to release head. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11743087

Incident

Jun 9, 2026

I am submitting a complaint regarding the air conditioning system in my vehicle. The vehicle has a refrigerant (Freon) leak that causes the air conditioning system to stop cooling properly. In addition, there is a loud abnormal noise coming from the AC system while operating. The issue has progressively become worse. The air conditioner either blows warm air or loses cooling performance completely, especially during normal driving conditions. The abnormal noise appears when the AC compressor engages. This defect affects driving comfort and may indicate a failure of the air conditioning components, refrigerant lines, or compressor system. The refrigerant leak also raises concerns about long-term vehicle reliability and safety. The vehicle has been inspected/repaired, but the problem continues to occur.

NHTSA ID

11736838

Incident

Aug 9, 2023

The panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered. I was driving on highway under open sky and the sun roof just imploded and all the glass came shattering inside all over. There were no extreme weather or any construction or chances of any debris from anything around. No impact object could be identified upon inspection after the car was stopped.

NHTSA ID

11733613

Incident

Apr 23, 2026

On November 30, 2024, I purchased a new 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 4MATIC equipped with factory-installed Pirelli tires (size: P 275/45HR21 front; 315/40HR21 rear). At the time of the accident on February 22, 2026, the vehicle had only 15,257 miles. While driving on the interstate in wet conditions, the tires failed to provide adequate traction, causing the vehicle to hydroplane. The loss of traction felt as though the vehicle was driving on ice and was inconsistent with over a year of prior operation in similar weather conditions without issue. The suspected components involved include the Pirelli tires, as well as the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), traction control system, and 4MATIC all-wheel drive system, which did not appear to effectively intervene. The vehicle spun and was involved in a crash, placing myself, my wife, and my child—who has Autism—at significant risk, along with surrounding motorists traveling at interstate speeds. Despite visible tread remaining, the tires did not perform as expected. Based on warranty expectations of approximately 50,000 miles, the apparent performance failure at only 15,257 miles raises serious safety concerns. The vehicle is currently at a collision repair facility and is available for inspection. The issue has not been reproduced, and a manufacturer inspection is pending. The vehicle has been inspected by law enforcement and insurance representatives. There were no warning lights or alerts related to traction, stability, or tire performance prior to the incident. As a result, the vehicle was rendered undrivable, required towing, and has been under repair for over a month, causing significant inconvenience and financial impact. I am requesting a formal investigation and review for appropriate resolution.

NHTSA ID

11728541

Incident

Feb 22, 2026

During interstate travel in rainy conditions, the vehicle appeared to lose traction and hydroplane. The tires appeared to have adequate remaining tread; however, they did not provide expected traction and the vehicle felt as though it was driving on ice. This was inconsistent with my prior experience operating the vehicle for over a year in various weather conditions without encountering similar issues. The Electronic Stability Program (ESP), traction control system, and 4MATIC all-wheel drive system did not appear to intervene to stabilize the vehicle. The vehicle spun and was involved in a crash. Despite the impact, no airbags deployed. The vehicle was rendered undrivable and towed from the scene. It is currently located at a collision repair facility and is available for inspection upon request. The suspected systems involved include the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), traction control system (TCS), 4MATIC all-wheel drive system, and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS/airbags). The vehicle has not yet undergone a full manufacturer engineering inspection, but such a review has been requested. The loss of traction at interstate speed in wet conditions created a serious safety risk to the occupants of the vehicle and surrounding motorists. The apparent lack of stability control intervention and the absence of airbag deployment increased the potential risk of injury. The vehicle was inspected by law enforcement at the scene, towed, and has been reviewed by insurance representatives as part of a claim. A manufacturer inspection is pending based on a defective claim that was filed. There were no warning lights, alerts, or messages related to traction control, stability control, or airbags prior to the incident.

NHTSA ID

11721041

Incident

Feb 22, 2026

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 exhibits a critical "Spatial Mapping Offset" defect within the MBUX 360-degree camera interface and the Active Brake Assist (ABA) logic. Specifically, the digital rendering of physical obstacles on the dashboard display is offset by approximately 0.5 feet (6 inches). This creates a "false clear" condition where the driver is visually signaled that an obstacle has been cleared while the vehicle’s chassis is still in a strike position. On September 27, 2025, this defect resulted in a collision with a stationary post. Despite the system’s Parking Control Module identifying the object (recorded as "Orange/Indented" in dealer Repair Order #731706), the system failed to escalate to a Red Triangle alert or initiate autonomous braking. Furthermore, the vehicle’s sensing suite is demonstrably unstable, exhibiting "Phantom Alerts" (detecting non-existent obstacles) and total Augmented Reality (AR) camera blackouts in direct sunlight—a failure the manufacturer’s representative attributed to solar interference. The manufacturer (MBUSA) has formally denied a defect exists, claiming the system is not designed to detect stationary objects or operate below 4 mph. However, I have documented video/photographic evidence of the vehicle successfully intervening for stationary objects at these speeds in other scenarios (e.g., concrete garage posts). This proves the system's safety protocols are intermittent and unreliable. This lack of synchronization between real-time spatial data and the driver interface makes a collision mathematically inevitable and constitutes a significant public safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11717545

Incident

Sep 27, 2025

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!

Complaint Noise from front end thought to be from steering gear. Cause During diagnostics of a front end noise, workshop is under the impression the noise is coming from the steering gear. Remedy If the root cause of the noise cannot be found and is seemingly from the steering rack, perform the below LI's and diagnostics. If they have been performed and the root cause still cannot be determined, a TIPS case must be opened to the Body/Chassis/Entertainment team prior to replacing the steering rack. • LI46.35‑P‑067339 ‑ "Rattling, Humming, Dry Sliding/Gravel Noise When Steering" • LI46.35‑P‑071461 ‑ "Check Tie Rod Outer Joint of Steering Gear" • LI46.10‑P‑077391 ‑ "Knocking Noise In The Area Of The Steering Gear or Steering Column Tube When Braking Or Moving Off; The Steering Wheel Can Also Be Felt To "Crack"" • 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. Keep the boot clamps in case the rack is returned. • If the noise is described as "clacking" or "knocking" when moving the wheel back and forth in quick oscillations and the thrust element in the steering rack has NOT been checked yet, please perform a check and subsequent adjustment, if necessary, as detailed in AR46.20‑P‑0601ME. • Remove sway bar links and see if noise persists. • Perform NVH time‑domain noise diagnosis pointing to the steering rack as the root cause. The TIPS case must contain the following: • Video underneath the vehicle with clearly audible noise while engine is running. • Video inside the vehicle with clearly audible noise while engine is running. • Vehicle checked for history of collisions. • Vehicle history checked for other noise complaints in the area. • List of other checked components (suspension, drive line components, wheel bearings, etc...). • Along with the audible noise, does the feel/noise change through only a certain part of the steering arc sweep? • Provide the thrust element before and after readings.

Complaint Tailgate opens unintentionally. Cause Accidental or unnoticed activation of the button to open the tailgate on the vehicle key. EXAMPLE: when stored in trouser pocket, handbag etc. Remedy As of the 6th generation, the vehicle key can be recoded so that the tailgate no longer opens as a result of a long press on the button, but by double‑clicking on the button instead. This reduces the likelihood of the button being activated accidentally or unintentionally. The recoding can be carried out as follows: 1. Add SA Code O19 into VeDoc (O for Oscar, not "zero") • an XSS ticket may be necessary to add the SA code 2. Perform SCN coding of EIS N73 control unit 3. Deactivate the vehicle key (a successful deactivation is indicated by the LED lighting up 2x briefly and then 1x for a long period). 4. Place the vehicle key in the storage compartment on the key symbol and turn on the ignition. IMPORTANT: all other vehicle keys must be outside the recognition range of the vehicle when doing this! Perform steps 3 and 4 successively for all vehicle keys. Notes: 6th, 7th and 8th generation keys can be deactivated as follows: Up to modification year 22/1 by double clicking the "Lock button" As of modification year 22/1, by press and holding the “Lock button", then double‑click the “Unlock button" at the same time. On model series 167, the storage compartment with the key symbol is located in the armrest. The SCN coding from the EZS is only transferred correctly to the vehicle key under the following conditions: Only one vehicle key is located in the vehicle, this key has been deactivated and it is positioned on the marking in the storage compartment for the data transfer. The costs for this adaptation are to be borne by the customer. For the newer BR 174, 178, 244, 248, 520, and 540, a software update must be initiated, as there is no way to perform SCN coding.

Complaint Traffic sign symbol for "Traffic Sign Assist" is blinking in instrument cluster without obvious cause usually with one of the following scenarios: • Flashing without a speed limit ("‑ ‑"). • Flashing when current vehicle speed is under speed limit. • Flashing between US speed limit symbol and European speed limit symbol. NOTE: • Verify that the concern falls under one of the attachment videos. If not, then it is outside of the scope of this LI. • This also does not cover "Traffic Sign Inoperative" messages on the instrument cluster. Cause There are two identified reasons for this concern: 1. Country code information stored incorrectly at a particular geographic latitude range. 2. Incorrect reference data when the vehicle is started and a GPS signal is not immediately available. Remedy Update head unit software to latest version and the re‑check function in the same location. If vehicle is still exhibiting one of the symptoms as described exactly as in the complaint section or as shown in the video attachments, open a TIPS case to the Body/Chassis/Entertainment inbox with the following: • Video of the concern. • Exact location (latitude and longitude is best)

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 1. General Diagnostic Tips 2. One or More PARK Sensor Activations 3. Red Ring Around Vehicle 4. "Active Parking and Parking Assist Inoperative" on Instrument Cluster 5. Cameras 6. Other Park Topics. Cause Various root causes Remedy See attached diagnostic guide.