2007 Mercedes Benz GL450

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. ADDITIONALLY, THE ENGINE REMAINED FUNCTIONAL DURING TWO OF THE FAILURES, BUT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT SHIFT INTO THE CORRECT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,561.

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING, I TURNED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT WARMER. LESS THAN THREE MINUTES LATER, I NOTICED A STRONG ODOR FOLLOWED BY A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF SMOKE AND HEAT COMING FROM THE SIDE OF THE SEAT NEAREST THE DOOR. I FELT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SOMETHING POKING ME IN THE LEFT REAR POCKET OF MY PANTS, AND BURNED THE BACK OF MY KNUCKLE CHECKING FOR THE SOURCE OF THE HEAT. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE HEATER AND PULLED OFF AT THE FIRST SAFE LOCATION. I EXITED THE VEHICLE (A PALL OF SMOKE FOLLOWED ME) AND KNOCKED THE SMOKING EMBERS OUT OF THE VEHICLE (A HOLE LARGER THAN A QUARTER IS BURNED IN THE SEAT). I ALSO NOTICED A HOLE WAS BURNED THROUGH MY PANTS. APPARENTLY, I CAME VERY CLOSE TO SIGNIFICANT PERSONAL INJURY, NOT TO MENTION THE FACT OF POSSIBLE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WE CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SCHEDULED THE CAR FOR NEXT MONDAY. RESEARCHING INTO THE ISSUE, MINE IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE AS THERE ARE MULTIPLE CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS AND COMPLAINTS WITH THE NHTSA. OBVIOUSLY, THESE SEATS ARE DEFECTIVE, MERCEDES IS AWARE, THE PASSENGER SEAT IS NEXT AND IS NOT SAFE.

HEAD LIGHTS WENT OFF IN THE WHILE TRAVELING DUE TO DEFECTING WIRING SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO EXPERTS MB USED AN INFERIOR AND UNSUITABLE MATERIAL FOR THE INSULATION ON THE ELECTRICAL WIRES OF SOME OF THE GL450 MODELS. THIS INSULATION PREMATURELY DISINTEGRATES UNDER NORMAL USE CAUSING THE WIRES IT IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT AND INSULATE, TO SHORT CAUSING MANY PROBLEMS.

WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE HORN INTERMITTENTLY GOES OFF AND WILL NOT STOP. MUST TURN OFF THE CAR TO GET THE HORN TO STOP SOUNDING. THEN, MUST TURN ON THE CAR AND TURN OFF THE CAR A FEW TIMES TO MAKE IT STOP UNTIL IT ALL STARTS HAPPENING, RANDOMLY, AGAIN. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASE AND HAS BEEN ROUTINELY SERVICED AND THEY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY STEERING WHEEL SWITCH. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE ISSUE IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL ITSELF. THE COST FOR AN IDENTICAL FACTORY WOOD STEERING WHEEL (WHICH IS WHAT THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW WITH) IS $3,000; IF WE OPTED FOR A LEATHER WRAPPED STEERING WHEEL INSTEAD THE COST WOULD BE $1500. THE OTHER WORKAROUND IS TO PULL THE FUSE AND NOT HAVE A HORN AT ALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD NOT COST THIS MUCH TO HAVE A STEERING WHEEL SWITCH REPLACED! THIS IS ESSENTIAL, BASIC EQUIPMENT, AND STARTING HAPPENING ON A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES. HAVE CONTINUED TO FOLLOW-UP WITH DEALER TO SEE IF THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL OR IF THEY WILL FIX, BUT MERCEDES IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY FAMILY TO AN AFTERNOON LUNCH ON THE 5TH OF DECEMBER, 2014, THE DAY WAS CHILLY AND IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO HAVE THE HEATED SEATS ON... AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AND THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING IN THE AREA (IT WAS ACTUALLY MY SEAT LIGHTING ME ON FIRE), NEEDLESS TO SAY THE SMELL CONTINUED TO GET WORSE AND I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I LOOKED FOR A SAFE AREA TO PULL OVER AND IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL, BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD MY SIDE STARTED SMOKING AND LIT ON FIRE. I FRANTICALLY PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND JUMPED OUT. I THEN PROCEEDED TO RIP OF MY JACKET AND PUT OUT THE SMOLDERING SECTION OF IT. AFTER THAT I NOTICED THE CAR WAS STILL SMOKING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT ABOUT TO GO UP IN FLAMES, AT THIS TIME MY WIFE WAS PULLING OUR 2 YEAR OLD TWINS OUT OF THE VEHICLE I GOT BACK TO THE CAR TO TURN IT OFF AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE SCENE I FOUND THE HEATED SEAT HAD MALFUNCTIONED IN SOME MANNER AND BURNED A NICE HOLE IN THE SEAT WHICH IN RETURN LIT MY JACKET ON FIRE. I WILL GET IT INTO THE SHOP TO HAVE THE FUSE TAKEN OUT AND MAKE THE HEATED SEATS INOPERABLE NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES. *TR

I WAS IN MY 2007 MERCEDES GL450 AND HAD DRIVEN APPROX. 2 MILES WITH MY FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER ON. I STARTED TO NOTICE A STRANGE SMELL AND SUDDENLY THE CABIN WAS STARTING TO FILL UP WITH SMOKE. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BACK OF MY FRONT DRIVERS SEAT WAS ON FIRE. SNOW WAS ON THE GROUND SO I SCOOPED UP SNOW TO PACK IN THE FIRE/HOT SPOT WHICH HAD BURNED A LARGE HOLE THROUGH THE VINYL AND INSIDE PADDING MATERIAL. I LATER NOTICED THAT MY JACKET HAD BURN MARKS AND A HOLE IN THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE POINT OF THE FIRE. *TR

DRIVING IN NEW JERSEY ON ROUTE 80 WEST FOR 1-2 MILES THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF BURNT WIRES THAT SMELL SO BAD AND HAVE NOTICED THAT THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SEAT. IT WENT ON FOR FEW MINUTES WHERE THE WIRES ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MELTED TOGETHER. STOPPED THE CAR, SHOT THE ENGINE OFF, WITH WINDOWS OPEN AND TRIED TO PULL THE WIRES APART TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE.... BUT COULD NOT SEPARATE THE WIRES FROM EACH OTHER. CALLED THE MB DEALER NEAR OUR LOCATION AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN AFTER THE MBUSA SUGGESTED TOWING IT IN AND LATER WE WERE TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER. THE LOCAL MB DEALER MANAGER I TALKED TO WAS VERY HELPFUL AND UNDERSTANDABLE AND HE TRIES TO SUPPORT ME THE BEST WAY HE COULD WHERE HE AGREED TO LOOK AT THE CAR AT REDUCED RATE TO HELP OUT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE. THE CAR IS AT THE MB DEALER NOW. MBUSA SENT AN EXPERT TO INSPECT THE CAR AT THE MB DEALER AND AFTER A WEEK I WAS TOLD THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED. MBUSA RULED OUT ANY CONNECTIONS TO A PREVIOUS WORK DONE MB DEALER ON THE DRIVER SEAT HEATER. I WAS ALSO TOLD, BY MBUSA, THAT THE ISSUE IS AN INTERNAL AND THEY CAN??T DISCUSS THAT WITH ME AND I SHOULD GO THRU MY CAR INSURANCE SINCE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT??S APPROX. $12,000 JOB TO REPLACE THE MAIN HARNESS WHICH WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DAMAGE. I HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY TO PURCHASE THIS SUV WHICH SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE AND RELIABLE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY AND NEVER EXPECT THIS TO EVER HAPPEN. PERHAPS WE BROUGHT A LEMON. *TR

I WAS DRIVING IN MY SON [XXX] TO HIS SCHOOL IN WAYNE NEW JERSEY WITH MY GL 450 SEATS WARMER TURNED ON IN BOTH THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SEATS. I STARTED SMELLING SMOKE & THOUGHT IT WAS FROM OUTSIDE. I OPENED MY WINDOW, AND SMOKE STARTED SWIRLING INSIDE MY CAR AND STARTED GETTING THICKER WITHIN MINUTES. I TRY TO SEARCH FOR THE SOURCE OF THE STRANGE SMELL - BUT NO OBVIOUS CLUE OBSERVED. WHEN I REACHED MY DESTINATION I NOTICED THAT THE SEAT HAS BURNED A HOLE IN MY SUIT JACKET BACK LEFT SIDE. THE HOLE IN THE CAR IS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO IF POSSIBLE. I WOULD APPRECIATE DIRECTING ME TO THE APPROPRIATE LINE TO FIX MY SEAT AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF MY JEEP AND GET COMPENSATED FOR MY SUIT DAMAGE ASAP. *TR

I TURNED ON MY 2007 MERCEDES GL450 IN MY DRIVEWAY TO WARM IT UP AND 1 MINUTE LATER THE HORN CONTINUALLY WENT OFF. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THE HORN CONTINUED. SMOKE BEGAN FROM THE PASSENGER REAR TAIL LIGHT, THEN A FLAME. 911 WAS CALLED THE MOMENT WE SAW SMOKE. WITHIN SECONDS THE BACK SEAT WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND THEN THE ENTIRE CAR. THE FLAMES WERE AS HIGH AS MY 2 STORY HOME. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF THIS CAR. THE AMOUNT OF BROKEN GLASS FROM ALL THE WINDOWS BLOWING OUT DOWN MY DRIVEWAY IS UNBELIEVABLE. *TR