2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450

Do not drive

Owners filed 42 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. It has been recalled 3 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags20
000
Service Brakes5
101
Suspension4
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic3
000
Electrical System3
000
Visibility1
000
Steering1
000
Service Brakes, Air › Antilock › Abs Warning Light1
000
Power Train1
000
Exterior Lighting1
000

3 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist › Vacuum24V298000Do not drive
Filed Apr 26, 202415,604 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Llc

Defect. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML, GL, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.

Risk. Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MMUSA's number for this recall is 2024050001/2. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-315.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist › Vacuum22V315000Do not drive
Filed May 9, 2022350,294 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Llc

Defect. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML-Class, GL-Class, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.

Risk. Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2022050014, 2022050015 2022090006, & 2022090007.

Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module16V081000
Filed Feb 11, 2016711,159 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Llc.

Defect. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 ML320 BlueTec 4Matic, GL320 BlueTec 4Matic and R320 CDI 4Matic, 2011 E350 Cabriolet and E550 Cabriolet, 2009-2011 ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML550 4Matic, ML63 AMG, and C63 AMG, 2010-2011 ML450 4Matic Hybrid, E350 Coupe, E350 4Matic, E550 Coupe, E550 4Matic, and E63 AMG, 2011-2012 GL350 BlueTec 4Matic and R350 BlueTec 4Matic, 2009-2012 GL450 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and R350 4Matic, 2007-2008 SLK280, SLK350, and SLK55 AMG, 2011-2014 SLS AMG Coupe, 2012 SLS AMG Cabriolet, 2013-2014 SLS AMG GT and SLS AMG GT Cabriolet, 2005 C230 Kompressor and C320, 2006-2007 C230, 2006-2011 C350, 2008-2011 C300 and C300 4Matic, 2010-2012 GLK350 and GLK350 4Matic and 2007-2008 Chrysler Crossfire vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. MBUSA will their notify owners, and Fiat Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Mercedes-Benz owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372 and Chrysler owners may contact Fiat Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Mar 27, 202690,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact depressed the brake pedal harder, and the vehicle responded as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer determined that the brake booster had failed; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Jul 21, 2025140,000 milesNY

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH and attempting to bring the vehicle of a complete stop, the vehicle slowed but failed to stop as expected. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard but was able to bring the vehicle to a stop by using the parking brake. The low brake fluid warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the front driver’s side brake line, observing that the brake line was heavily corroded causing the line to rupture. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed an identical failure with the front passenger’s side brake line. The contact was informed that excessive corrosion was observed throughout the entire braking system. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 140,000.

Electrical System
Filed Jan 9, 2025TX

The EIS module we have found has an issue with the part from Japan that does not have enough Sauder on a part of it, so when the temp drops below 50 degrees or less the ignition starts but all the safety features go off and the computer shuts down the vehicle. Reason is the metal contracts in cold weather causing the connections to not fully meet. We have figured this out after many times of replacing the main battery, aux battery thinking this is the issue. After much research on the web and MB forums this seems to be an issue especially in the colder climates with some of the older models. Some others have had have their autos stop in the middle of driving them in cold weather. Not sure why this has not been reported. We are having the issue now with a 2010 MB GL 450 we just purchased in November and every time it gets cold, the auto goes haywire when the temp drops. Warm weather zero issues. Wanted to relay since we do not see a recall and we are working out the bug on this on our own time and money.

Visibility
Filed Dec 9, 2024160,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the contact heard a loud noise and opened the sunroof and became aware that the sunroof panel had detached, and the glass fell inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V874000 (VISIBILITY); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and suggested that the failure was reported to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 160,000.

Service Brakes
Filed Dec 1, 2024NY

Brake line corrison and leak, results in no braking.

Service Brakes
Filed Jul 17, 2024FL

Brake booster got do not drive letter and contacted June 27,2024 and first week of july and said they would contact me and nothing yet.

Air Bags
Filed Feb 9, 2023110,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated while the vehicle started, the contact became aware that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted because the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V081000 (Air Bags) however, the dealer stated that the seat belt was malfunctioning. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 110,000.

Service Brakes, Air › Antilock › Abs Warning Light
Filed Dec 2, 2022150,000 milesGA

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. Additionally, the ABS warning light remained activated. The contact stated there was also a grinding sound while depressing the brake pedal. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Oct 26, 2022122,042 milesMI

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated upon parking the vehicle in the garage, the brake pedal was depressed and felt soft. The contact stated that the brake pedal went to floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was associated with a recall. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times and informed the contact that the manufacturer had not been providing parts for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to obtain a rental for possible reimbursement. The failure mileage was 122,042. Parts distribution disconnect.

Service Brakes
Filed Jul 20, 2022NJ

I received an Stop Drive Order form Mercedes Benz USA more that a week ago and I stopped driving my vehicle. I contacted the closest authorized MB dealer Union, NJ and they have not provided a loaner car and have not yet fixed the issue. They say they have so many calls and cannot do anything for me despite the fact I waited so long. I need this car on a daily basis and cannot do my work without this car. I have been calling them over and over and they disconnect the phone. This has been really frustrating. They are also saying that they are not willing to pay for any cab fee, Uber or any rental car fee. I need my car urgently and am really scared to drive this car after they sent me the STOP DRIVE Order

Service Brakes
Filed May 20, 2022NY

As the recall states for the brakes the car failed while at high speed on the highway luckily I had distance from other cars for the car to slow down on its own. Brakes failed 90%, pressure completely gone.

Suspension
Filed Mar 7, 2022TX

The vehicle has begun to "dance" and sway, abnormally on common highway bumps. It can be scary.

Air Bags
Filed May 22, 2019TN

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V081000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ OF SUGAR LAND (15625 SOUTHWEST FWY, SUGAR LAND, TX 77478, (281) 207-1500) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE ON BACKORDER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

Service BrakesCrash1 injured
Filed Jan 28, 2019135,000 milesGA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2010 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450. WHILE THE CONTACT'S BROTHER WAS DRIVING DOWN A HILL, THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE DROVE UPHILL AND BECAME AIRBORNE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF A NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT'S BROTHER WAS INJURED AND RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE OCCUPANTS OF THE HOUSE WERE NOT INJURED. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TOTALED BY THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND PERFORMED AN INVESTIGATION. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FINE AND SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED IN THAT MANNER. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

Steering
Filed Jan 23, 201969,000 milesCA

THE STEERING ON THE SUV FREEZES AND DOESN'T TURN PROPERLY COULD CAUSE OVER STEERING AND A DEADLY ACCIDENT. ALSO THE SHOCKS ARE BAD.

Air Bags
Filed Jul 9, 2018FL

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V081000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE DEALER (LOKEY MERCEDES-BENZ, 19820 US HWY 19 N, CLEARWATER, FL 33764, 727-362-6657) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under DashFire
Filed Jun 25, 2018105,000 milesNC

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2010 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, A BURNT RUBBER ODOR WAS DETECTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED FLAMES UNDERNEATH THE GLOVEBOX COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A TOW LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DETERMINATION OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Air Bags
Filed May 24, 2018UT

I RECEIVED CORRESPONDENCE OF THE SAFETY RECALL IN DECEMBER OF 2017. THE LETTER STATES OF DEATH AND AND SERIOUS INJURY AND AS OF TODAY MAY 25 2018. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED CORRESPONDENCE OF REPAIR OR DIRECTION.

Air Bags
Filed Feb 13, 2018CO

TAKATA RECALL IT HAS BEEN COUPLE YEARS SINCE THIS RECALL NOTIFIED. BUT THERE IS NO SIGN OF REPAIR COMING IN ANYTIME SOON. NOT COMFORTABLE WITH DRIVING THIS CAR. HOW DO I EXPEDITED THE REPAIR PROCESS? THANKS TUGA

Electrical System
Filed Feb 1, 201877,000 milesFL

ON 8/27/17 I GOT A COMPLAINT NUMBER: 11019610 I GOT NEVER FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT MY COMPLAINT. SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO DO NEXT. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

20 of 42 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2007
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20171210Routine
201613510Routine
201518320Routine
201421300Routine
201337310Routine
201246300Do not drive
201155320Do not drive
2010 — this page42310Do not drive
200915300Do not drive
200854210Do not drive
20071152330Do not drive

Compare every GL450 year →

Reading this record

NHTSA has issued a do-not-drive warning for a recall on this vehicle.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Apr 26, 2024. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.