2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS Complaints

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 06/22/2026

While traveling at highway speeds, the digital instrument cluster suffered a sudden, complete power loss and went entirely black for approximately 5 seconds before rebooting. Component failed: Digital instrument cluster / dashboard display. It is available for inspection. Safety risk: Complete loss of critical data (speedometer, vehicle status) at high speed. It caused immediate driver confusion over whether the vehicle had stalled or lost propulsion, creating an acute risk of a high-speed collision in traffic. Reproduced by dealer: [UNKNOWN] Inspected by others: [NO] Prior symptoms: UNKNOWN. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the sudden blackout.

SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 06/09/2026

[XXX] girl went in back passenger door (rear facing car seat present), crouched under seat area to climb to middle seat when [XXX] brother push button and seat moved forward without stopping crushing [XXX] old head between back of seat and back of Car seat. There was no safety stop, was stuck mother has to press button to move seat back to release head. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 08/09/2023

I am submitting a complaint regarding the air conditioning system in my vehicle. The vehicle has a refrigerant (Freon) leak that causes the air conditioning system to stop cooling properly. In addition, there is a loud abnormal noise coming from the AC system while operating. The issue has progressively become worse. The air conditioner either blows warm air or loses cooling performance completely, especially during normal driving conditions. The abnormal noise appears when the AC compressor engages. This defect affects driving comfort and may indicate a failure of the air conditioning components, refrigerant lines, or compressor system. The refrigerant leak also raises concerns about long-term vehicle reliability and safety. The vehicle has been inspected/repaired, but the problem continues to occur.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 04/23/2026

The panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered. I was driving on highway under open sky and the sun roof just imploded and all the glass came shattering inside all over. There were no extreme weather or any construction or chances of any debris from anything around. No impact object could be identified upon inspection after the car was stopped.

TIRES — Filed 02/22/2026

On November 30, 2024, I purchased a new 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 4MATIC equipped with factory-installed Pirelli tires (size: P 275/45HR21 front; 315/40HR21 rear). At the time of the accident on February 22, 2026, the vehicle had only 15,257 miles. While driving on the interstate in wet conditions, the tires failed to provide adequate traction, causing the vehicle to hydroplane. The loss of traction felt as though the vehicle was driving on ice and was inconsistent with over a year of prior operation in similar weather conditions without issue. The suspected components involved include the Pirelli tires, as well as the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), traction control system, and 4MATIC all-wheel drive system, which did not appear to effectively intervene. The vehicle spun and was involved in a crash, placing myself, my wife, and my child—who has Autism—at significant risk, along with surrounding motorists traveling at interstate speeds. Despite visible tread remaining, the tires did not perform as expected. Based on warranty expectations of approximately 50,000 miles, the apparent performance failure at only 15,257 miles raises serious safety concerns. The vehicle is currently at a collision repair facility and is available for inspection. The issue has not been reproduced, and a manufacturer inspection is pending. The vehicle has been inspected by law enforcement and insurance representatives. There were no warning lights or alerts related to traction, stability, or tire performance prior to the incident. As a result, the vehicle was rendered undrivable, required towing, and has been under repair for over a month, causing significant inconvenience and financial impact. I am requesting a formal investigation and review for appropriate resolution.

POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 02/22/2026

During interstate travel in rainy conditions, the vehicle appeared to lose traction and hydroplane. The tires appeared to have adequate remaining tread; however, they did not provide expected traction and the vehicle felt as though it was driving on ice. This was inconsistent with my prior experience operating the vehicle for over a year in various weather conditions without encountering similar issues. The Electronic Stability Program (ESP), traction control system, and 4MATIC all-wheel drive system did not appear to intervene to stabilize the vehicle. The vehicle spun and was involved in a crash. Despite the impact, no airbags deployed. The vehicle was rendered undrivable and towed from the scene. It is currently located at a collision repair facility and is available for inspection upon request. The suspected systems involved include the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), traction control system (TCS), 4MATIC all-wheel drive system, and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS/airbags). The vehicle has not yet undergone a full manufacturer engineering inspection, but such a review has been requested. The loss of traction at interstate speed in wet conditions created a serious safety risk to the occupants of the vehicle and surrounding motorists. The apparent lack of stability control intervention and the absence of airbag deployment increased the potential risk of injury. The vehicle was inspected by law enforcement at the scene, towed, and has been reviewed by insurance representatives as part of a claim. A manufacturer inspection is pending based on a defective claim that was filed. There were no warning lights, alerts, or messages related to traction control, stability control, or airbags prior to the incident.

VISIBILITY/WIPER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 09/27/2025

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 exhibits a critical "Spatial Mapping Offset" defect within the MBUX 360-degree camera interface and the Active Brake Assist (ABA) logic. Specifically, the digital rendering of physical obstacles on the dashboard display is offset by approximately 0.5 feet (6 inches). This creates a "false clear" condition where the driver is visually signaled that an obstacle has been cleared while the vehicle’s chassis is still in a strike position. On September 27, 2025, this defect resulted in a collision with a stationary post. Despite the system’s Parking Control Module identifying the object (recorded as "Orange/Indented" in dealer Repair Order #731706), the system failed to escalate to a Red Triangle alert or initiate autonomous braking. Furthermore, the vehicle’s sensing suite is demonstrably unstable, exhibiting "Phantom Alerts" (detecting non-existent obstacles) and total Augmented Reality (AR) camera blackouts in direct sunlight—a failure the manufacturer’s representative attributed to solar interference. The manufacturer (MBUSA) has formally denied a defect exists, claiming the system is not designed to detect stationary objects or operate below 4 mph. However, I have documented video/photographic evidence of the vehicle successfully intervening for stationary objects at these speeds in other scenarios (e.g., concrete garage posts). This proves the system's safety protocols are intermittent and unreliable. This lack of synchronization between real-time spatial data and the driver interface makes a collision mathematically inevitable and constitutes a significant public safety hazard.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 07/03/2025

i've purchased brand new 2024 gls 450 mercedes benz and this is the 3rd times i have to bring my car to the mercedes facility to add a quarter of oil and jerky shifting so i dont feel safety and comfortable to drive this car anymore. i need help or my money back, what do i need to do?.

WHEELS — Filed 06/29/2025

On [XXX], my wife and I were driving our 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 when I pulled over after sensing vibration on the highway. Upon inspection, all four tires were found to be severely worn, with the right rear tire completely bald and showing exposed steel belts. I have attached photos of the tires. The vehicle had been serviced at Mercedes-Benz of Wesley Chapel, FL at 10,000 miles in January 2025, and the dealer noted the rear tires were at 3–4/32" tread depth. Despite this, we were not warned that the tires were unsafe. The dealership did not contact us, did not send photos, and did not recommend immediate replacement — even though they did follow that protocol on our other vehicle (a GLE 350) serviced the same day. This inconsistency in communication led us to unknowingly drive 4,000 miles — including 60 miles at highway speed — on dangerously unsafe tires. The dealership has admitted the tread depth was low at the time of service but is attempting to shift responsibility despite not alerting us to the risk. This is a serious safety oversight. If we had experienced a tire failure at highway speeds, we could have been injured or killed. This type of service-related negligence should be tracked, as it may indicate broader issues in service safety practices at this and other dealerships. The Dealer refuses to take responsibility for their negligence. I have had other issues with the quality of their service, including a recent engine failure on my GLE 350 while crossing a 4 lane highway. Wesley Chapel Mercedes Benz had serviced the GLE 350 two months earlier, including the ignition system. My wife was driving at the time and could have been hit by on-coming traffic. So I have has two dangerous driving incidents because of Mercedes Benz Wesley Chapel Florida’s Service Department. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 05/31/2025

Over the past 14 months, the emergency breaking system has gone off approximately 25 times during non-emergency situations. Most of the incidents have been when no other vehicles or impediments are anywhere close by. This has created a very significantly unsafe and ongoing situation for my family which so far are being ignored by Mercedes Benz.