2015 Mercedes-Benz GL550: complaints, problems and recalls

MY CAR HAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE HVAC SYSTEM. IT GENERATES A MOLD AND MILDEW SMELL WHILE USING THE AC AND HEAT. MERCEDES SAYS THEY NO OF THIS ISSUE BUT HAVE NO PERMANENT FIX. THE SMELL IS SO BAD THAT IT IS ALMOST UN-DRIVABLE. MERCEDES DEALERSHIPS HAVE BULLETINS THAT DENOTE THE ISSUE IS KNOWN, BUT THEIR WORK AROUND ONLY TEMPORARILY IMPROVES THE SMELL. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS ENGINEERING ISSUE WITH THE HVAC SYSTEM THAT IS UNHEALTHY. THERE IS APPARENTLY THAT FORMS AROUND THE MOLD AROUND THE AC EVAPORATOR. MERCEDES HAS AN INTERNAL ALERT # TSB L…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10933757 at NHTSA ↗

As I was driving down the freeway the whole vehicle caught on fire and we got out of the car and within 2-3 minutes while car was burned to ashes.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11470389 at NHTSA ↗

There are many models of the gl550 ranging from 2012-2015, where the second row driver side seats get stuck in a downward position. Recently it happened to me and another gl550 was in the shop at Mercedes North Houston for repair for the same issue. These are very common in this make and model and something needs to be addressed concerning the matter.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11488454 at NHTSA ↗

Upon receipt of vehicle, when the weather was nice, a rattle in the engine compartment appeared to take place intermittently. Upon diagnosis by a dealership, intermittent was confirmed to take place on a cold start, and not intermittently. Upon further research, it was found the rattle is related to a manufacturer's defect with the timing chain tensioner(s) and their interaction with the valves. My safety was put at risk substantially. I live in the cold upper midwest. Every start of the vehicle is a cold start, and if I risk damaging my engi…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11508624 at NHTSA ↗

My 2015 GL550 has 90k miles on it and is city driven, on 09/11/2023 when I was trying to pull out onto a main rd my suv hesitated and the check engine light came on, luckily traffic wasn’t heavy at the time so I wasn’t in any accidents. I called and was able to get my suv into my local Mercedes dealership for an inspection. When the suv was dropped off the check engine light had gone off but when the service center pulled up the codes it showed both turbos were bad and have to be replaced. This isn’t something that should happen to a vehicle th…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11546616 at NHTSA ↗

See attached document for complaint

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11583052 at NHTSA ↗

See attached document for complaint.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11730215 at NHTSA ↗

On 8/5/2026, the power boost on the vehicle was lost while at a nearby shopping center. Braking became very difficult and it was dangerous to drive even a little distance. There were no warning lights from the vehicle. We had it towed to an independent repair shop where they determined the brake booster had failed. They did a recall check and saw that it didn't apply to our specific vehicle. They repaired it which cost $2500. Later, we did research and found that there is an expanded recall, 22V315000, which includes our year, make, and model! …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11762852 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2016-12-14 (December 14, 2016)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015 GL350 4Matic Blutec, GL450 4Matic, GL550 4Matic, ML250 Blutec, ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML400 4Matic and 2015-2016 GL63 AMG 4Matic vehicles manufactured September 29, 2014 through March 27, 2015. The affected vehicles have axle bolts on the front and/or rear drive axle carriers that may not have been assembled correctly. As a result, the remaining bolts may fracture.

Consequence: If any of the remaining front or rear axle bolts fracture, the vehicle may be unstable, reducing the handling capability and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the axle carrier bolts, free of charge. The recall is began February 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Reported: 2018-04-27 (April 27, 2018)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2012-2014 ML350 Bluetec 4Matic and ML550 4Matic, 2012-2015 ML63 AMG 4Matic and ML350 4Matic, 2013-2016 GL350 Bluetec 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and GL63 AMG 4Matic, 2017 GLS350d 4Matic, GLS450 4Matic, GLS550 4Matic and GLS63 AMG 4Matic, 2015 ML400 4Matic, 2016 GLE400 4Matic, GLE350 4Matic, GLE63 AMG 4Matic, GLE63S AMG 4Matic, GLE450 4Matic Coupe and GLE63S AMG 4Matic Coupe, 2015-2016 GL450 4Matic and 2013-2014 GL450 4Matic vehicles equipped with the Active Curve System (ACS). In certain driving conditions, if the oil level in the ACS reservoir is below the minimum level, the oil may foam and leak out of the vent holes in the reservoir cap.

Consequence: The leaking oil in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will correct the oil level as necessary and replace the reservoir sealing cap to prevent oil foam from leaking out, free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2018070015.

Reported: 2019-11-01 (November 1, 2019)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2017 vehicles due to a software fault that may cause the date and time for the emergency call system (eCall) to differ from the actual date and time, potentially relaying an inaccurate vehicle location. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V787-4620.pdf

Consequence: An inaccurate vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: MBUSA has initiated an Over the Air (OTA) remote update. MBUSA will also notify owners, and dealers will check software for a successful OTA or update the communication module software as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2019120008.