What 38 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Mercedes-benz Gl-class

There were numerous Engine Oil Leak Recalls by Mercedes-Benz. There was a recent recalls announced in 2023, however, my vehicle 2014 GL450 with now about 50K miles, was not included in the list. Since there have been engine oil leaks problem reported and recalls, I'd like to report my car engine oil leaks problem too. It seems that the engine oil leaks problem is a "design" issue and across many car models and years made by Mercedes-Benz. With that said, it make safety sense to have the recalls extended to those cars with engine oil leaks problem reported. Below is information from dealer diagnostic report on engine oil leaks problem, "Valve Cover Re-seal: FRONT TIMING COVERS RECOMMENDED RESEAL SIPING OIL BOTH SIDES Item Description During a vale cover reseal, the valve cover is scraped and cleaned of any old residue, before a layer of silicone sealant is applied to the cover and then reattached to the head of the engine. Reason If not resealed or replaced, the valve cover will leak oil resulting in a burning smell coming from the vehicle’s engine. A loss of oil over time can result in harmful damage of the engine's internal components."

NHTSA ODI 11654331

On this Engine 166 model, I experience noise when Idling and when driving, coming from Engine with no code to indicate what is the problem of the car. This create the heat of the Engine to go up than normal and make the fan to run at high speed. When I call dealer, they told me its common problem on these Engine 166, and I need new Engine. I wanted to get second opinion from different Dealership and I got same answer, its common problems and I need new Engine or to Rebuild. I went online and I ask few people with same car Make, model and year, and the have same problems. My concern is only Dealer knows what is the issue but they don't want to inform Consumer what is the problem, instead they tell Consumer to replace the Engine, We don't how bad it is for safety. The problems it cannot be diagnosed because it doesn't produce any codes to indicate the problem. The noise continue until you turn off the Engine

NHTSA ODI 11634146

There is a recall on some of the make & models of my truck with different years but, my truck has been having the same issue & I believe that myself & my family may be at risk. The recall states that if the oil level in the ACS reservoir is below the minimum level, the oil may foam & leak out of the vent holes in the reservoir cap. The leaking of oil in the presence of ignition source can increase the risk of fire. I have been having to add two quarts of oil to my car every month for almost a year & there has been no oil in my driveway at all. The oil is going somewhere & I would like for my truck to be put on the recall list & have this issue addressed. My brakes also seem to have an unexplainable issue. Most times they're perfect but, sometimes they vibrate very hard when stopping no matter how fast or slow I'm going at the time. When I get them checked, I'm told that they're fine. I read a recall about the brakes as well.

NHTSA ODI 11628855

Leaky exhaust valves

NHTSA ODI 11610291

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to be driven to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, who also determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

NHTSA ODI 11590445

It has makes sound noise and timing chain tension is made very poor not safety , also warming blibd spot frozen not working, display electric poor damage byself tomve fix timing dealer wants 15,000$ to be fix more then value of the suv

NHTSA ODI 11572841

Car got a check engine for failed turbochargers at 71000 miles. Mercedes refused to acknowledge and get the problem addressed.

NHTSA ODI 11561039

Tapping noise developed in the engine, after dealership inspection using borescope, scored cylinder walls were found, resulting to engine replacement. Please see: Lena Jamil, et al. v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (Case No: 2:22-cv-08130-FLA-AFM)

NHTSA ODI 11537166

1. The power steering wheel is stuck at the top position once in a while. 2. Active curve system pump will fail and leak fluids in 30000-40000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11496474

Oil leaking and wicking into camshaft position sensors, camshaft magnets, O2 sensors, engine wiring harness and ultimately, the ECU is destroying all electronic components connected to the engine causing misfiring and seizing. The issue is quite prevalent via internet research as potentially thousands of owners all experience the same issue. Our local Mercedes Benz dealer indicated this issue "just popped up" immediately outside the warranty period (1 yr) for our used purchase, and would require a replacement of the camshaft, sensors, magnets, and wiring harness to the tune of $14,000. This is a design flaw of the engine that placed these components in locations predisposed to contact with engine oil. The root cause of the oil leak is unknown and even Mercedes Benz can not tell why the oil is leaking on these components. If this issue is so prevalent with thousands of owners with the GL450's, as evidenced by internet searches via Mercedes Benz fan sites, why has no service bulletin or recall been instituted? The overall issue is starting to cause issues with the safety features of the vehicle as well, with alerts (driveline assist, etc) either misfiring or not going off at all.

NHTSA ODI 11457964

HAVE A MERCEDES GL 350 WITH ONLY 63000 MILES, HAS MADE A SMALL RATTLE SOUND WHEN FIRST PURCHASED THAT I RELATED TO BEING DIESEL, RATTLE HAS GOTTEN WORSE, TOOK IN TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED TIMING CHAIN, I CALLED MY MERCEDES LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND SERVICE MANAGER STATED HE SPOKE WITH AUTO TECHNICIAN WHO "LAUGHED" WHEN HE HAD TOLD HIM MY CONCERN FOR THE TIMING CHAIN AS THE TECH SAID THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN UNTIL VEHICLES ARE VERY HIGH IN MILES LIKE 200000. THEY EXAMINED MY VEHICLE AND THEN STATED IN FACT IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN AND QUOTED ME 75000. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH THERE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH OTHERS ON THE INTERNET WITH THE GL 350 2014 SPECIFICALLY NEEDING TIMING CHAIN REPLACEMENT WHEN UNDER LOW MILES. CAR RATTLES WHEN STARTED, WORSE WHEN COLD, CONFIRMED TIMING CHAIN BY LOCAL MERCEDES DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ODI 11102791