2007 Mercedes Benz GL450

The GL450 has the balance shaft problem .It skipped timing and caused major engine failure.. This problem is prevalent for the M273 engine. The parts wear prematurely. The timing is affected and the 4 cam power train misaligns. The engine quits and the repair is usually over 4000.00. It produces 1208 1200 codes along with misfire codes. I feel Mercedes Benz Corp is responsible and has liability for the loss. Thank You. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

THE FOLLOWING CONDITION APPEARED WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. (I PUT A DATE OF 1/1/18, IN THE BOX BELOW, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES SINCE THEN, AND I FIND IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY MORE). AT HIGHER SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION WILL DOWNSHIFT TO BY ITSELF INTO 1ST GEAR SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. EVEN AT FREEWAY SPEEDS RPMS WILL SUDDENLY JUMP UP TO "RED-LINE" LIMITS AS THE DOWNSHIFT OCCURS FROM 7TH GEAR TO 1ST GEAR. THE VEHICLE MUST BE BROUGHT TO A COMPLETE STOP AND ENGINE MUST BE TURN OFF AND RESTARTED FOR TRANSMISSION TO ENGAGE PROPERLY. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS WHEN OTHER VEHICLES ARE FOLLOWING OR IN ADJACENT LANES TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS. ALSO, AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS, VEHICLE RPMS DROP SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. TRANSMISSION BASICALLY DISENGAGES AND WILL NOT RE-ENGAGE EVEN WHEN GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED. ENGINE MUST BE TURNED OFF COMPLETELY AND RESTARTED FOR TRANSMISSION TO ENGAGE. EQUALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION - ESPECIALLY WHEN DECELERATING ON FREEWAY OFF-RAMPS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED (ALL SERVICE RECORDS ARE AVAILABLE), AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER (BOUGHT NEW IN LATE 2006). THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 117,500 MILES AS OF FEBRUARY 2018. WHAT ALARMS ME THE MOST IS THAT I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE REPORT EXACTLY THE SAME DANGEROUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. EVEN MY INDEPENDENT MECHANICS SAYS ITS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM. I SAY IT'S A DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I SHOULD KNOW, IN PART BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN REGISTERED TRAFFIC ENGINEER FOR OVER 39 YEARS, AND WAS A PAST RECIPIENT OF A NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION FELLOWSHIP IN HIGHWAY SAFETY.

I HAD JUST STARTED DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD 2 MILES AND GOING AROUND 25-30 MPH AND THE CAR SHUT OFF AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THERE WAS CARS BEHIND ME AND I WAS ABLE TO PUT MY HAZARDS ON. THANKFULLY CARS WERE COMING UP TO STOP SIGN SO I WAS ABLE TO STEER OFF ROAD. STARTED CAR UP AND DROVE A LITTLE FURTHER AND CAR SHUT DOWN AGAIN AND LOCKED STEERING REPEATED 4 MORE TIMES TIL WAS ABLE TO GET HOME. I WAS GETTING READY TO GET ON FREEWAY WITH MY YOUNG KIDS IN THE CAR COULD HAVE BEEN SO DANGEROUS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO NOT SHIFT OUT OF THIRD GEAR GOING UP A HILL.. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AFTER THIS HAPPENED ANOTHER 10 TIMES AND THEY SAID IS A INTAKE FLAP NOT CLOSING PROPERLY AND THAT THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. NOW ITS HAPPENING SO OFTEN IM AFRAID TO PUT MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR ON ACCOUNT THAT EVERY TIME IT STOPS SHIFTING WHEN I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND LOSE ALL POWER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ GL450. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START HOWEVER, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY A WARNING CHIME. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED A FLUID FLUSH AND REPLACING THE POWER STEERING SEAL, STEERING COLUMN MODULE, WIRING HARNESS, AUXILIARY BATTERY AND TRANSMISSION. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT AN OIL CHANGE WAS NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,000. KMJ