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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
19,400 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS450 engine problems

engine problem

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2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS450 Owner Comments

problem #5

Mar 192023

GLS450 6-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car destroyed by fire on March 19, 2023 while at a quick stop near Chickasaw, OK. Car was last serviced by Mercedes-Benz of Oklahoma City in December 2022. No personal injuries just a total loss of the vehicle. Cause of the fire at present is unknown. Pictures are available.

- Enid, OK, USA

problem #4

May 202021

GLS450

  • miles
Our car, Mercedes GLS 450, caught on fire after pulled into the garage from a short drive on local streets, which resulted a total loss on our house. After pulling into the garage, the home link didn't work when tried to use it to close the garage door. Upon coming out of the car, smoke came out from under the hood and soon after it became flame. We attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher as it appeared with hood still closed and fire immediately came back. By the time the firefighters came, there was a full fledged fire. The fire has burned the car beyond recognition and the garage was burned too. The fire and smoke has caused a total loss on our house. There were NO warning lights or warning messages at all before smoke or fire started. Investigators hired by Mercedes Benz inspected the burnt car and concluded the fire was due to a missing oil cap. While questionable the oil cap was the source of the fire, it seems the GLS 450 didn't have a sensor for missing oil cap to trigger a warning light or warning message, which is what some less sophisticated cars have because modern engines have positive crankcase ventilation. If indeed missing oil cap could cause full fledged fire, shouldn't Mercedes put a sensor to warn the customers" There is a recall, see link below, on almost all Mercedes model cars in Jan. 2022 for the reason that the car could catch on fire. Our GLS was built just two months before the starting timeline on the recall and it caught on fire and burned our house. Could it be coincidence or did our car catch on fire due to the exact same reason on this recall" (https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharysmith/2022/01/04/800000-mercedes-benz-owners-warned-their-cars-could-catch-fire/)

- Bellevue, WA, USA

problem #3

Oct 282019

GLS450

  • 56,000 miles
I drove up and down the western United States on highways and city streets. I drove 16 hours a day for about 1 week. I received a check engine light with a warning that there was a small evap leak. After being serviced this warning did not appear again. I believe the thresholds were updated to ignore small evap leaks. Around October 28, 2019, I noticed the floor board of my vehicle overheating. I also detected more exhaust fumes entering the cabin. I believe the catalytic converters are less effective and a blockage is causing more exhaust to leak from the emissions system. However no check engine light warning so the manufacturer will not repair under warranty. I was initially getting headaches and experiencing pain in my spinal cord. Now I am experiencing chest pains while driving.

- Palo Alto, CA, USA

problem #2

Mar 032019

GLS450 6-cyl

  • 40,000 miles
The contact owned a 2017 Mercedes-Benz Gls450. After the vehicle was parked for approximately 30 seconds, it caught fire. Prior to the failure, the contact noticed that the cup holder and armrest console were hot. The contact noticed an odor of burning rubber in the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed, towed, and quarantined at the insurance company's impound lot. Valley imports (located at 402 40th St S, fargo, nd 58103, (888) 929-9843) and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The cause of the fire was not determined. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000. The consumer stated the fire dept determined it to be a leaky hot liquid.

- Fargo, ND, USA

problem #1

Dec 032016

GLS450

  • 1,000 miles
Vehicle is only 3 weeks old. A faulty engine wire harness caused the vehicle to cease operating in traffic and put my family in a potentially life threatening situation. Mercedes did not replace but only "repaired" the wire, which we were told was not assembled correctly and was pinched in a bracket and subsequently chafed, which can potentially still cause a life threatening engine malfunction during normal operation. Mercedes is not willing to replace the engine harness wire, nor replace the vehicle. I fear for the safety of my family.

- Sands Point, NY, USA

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