2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 45 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (45% of complaints); the 2014 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Apr 2024
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 45 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had stated that while depressing the brake pedal there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Apr 2023
“Breaks became unusable due to lost power break fluid caused by corrosion on the lines. Fluid was completely gone and breaks were not effective at all. Dashboard showed RED light with break error. Dealer confirmed that rust build up caused the failure.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jan 2023
“I have been issued a stop drive order under recall id# 22v315. I have contacted mercedes benz twice and been ignored twice. First call was around july 5th-2022 and second call was on july 12th. They apparently do not care about your stop drive notice as no one has gotten back to me on this issue.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jul 2022
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact was notified that her vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics). The dealer had been notified about the recall and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · May 2022
“The rear suspension became soft after the dealer did an intial check after I complained about the vehicle feeling unstable after speeds of 70mph. I had both air shocks changed in the rear. After two (2) months the front suspension on the passenger also started to leak causing the vehicle to suspension to automatically adjust in the front while driving or parked. This occured whether the vehicle was parked or in motion, highway or city streets.”Owner report · Steering · Nov 2019
“Upon acceleration a clunking sound comes from within the transfer case. This vehicle has @ 148,000 mainly highway miles on it. This transfer case problem is a premature failure and is reminiscent of a similar problem mercedes had @ 12 years ago”Owner report · Power Train · Mar 2019
“There is a strong odor of gas coming from the back drivers side wheel when parked and when driving. We haven't found any gas on the floor of our garage but definitely a strong gas smell and fumes. We have tried to fill the tank 1/2 way but it doesn't seem to help the smell/fumes are throughout our entire house including the 3rd floor when the car is parked in the garage. I am worried about it exploding or catching on fire. I have read online of other mercedes leaking gas and wonder if this is happening to anyone else who owns a gl 450?”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Oct 2018
“4-5 miles into driving airmatic malfunction appears on my dashboard ( picture of an straight up arrow in the middle of car picture) when I increase the speed to 50 miles the tachometer goes crazy and I hear loud sound. Car has less than 50 000 miles.”Owner report · Suspension · Sep 2018
“At around 60k miles, I had to replace the automatic suspension on both of the front tires (around $3,000). Now I'm having issues with the back and will probably have to replace them as well at 69k miles.”Owner report · Suspension · Aug 2018
“Car just reached 90k miles with limited driving. The airmatic suspension has been acting oddly for the past month - I would find it low in the rear in the morning after being parked in a flat garage. The next day the entire car would be lowered. Whe is turn off the car, you would hear air being released. Today, when parked, there was a loud explosion, the car shook for a few minutes and then the entire thing sank to the wheel wells. Assume the compressor has exploded and after reading various posts, this is a common problem with all mercedes that have airmatic suspensions and should be fixed/recalled by mercedes.”Owner report · Suspension · Jul 2018
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML-Class, GL-Class, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2022050014, 2022050015 2022090006, & 2022090007.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 ML320 BlueTec 4Matic, GL320 BlueTec 4Matic and R320 CDI 4Matic, 2011 E350 Cabriolet and E550 Cabriolet, 2009-2011 ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML550 4Matic, ML63 AMG, and C63 AMG, 2010-2011 ML450 4Matic Hybrid, E350 Coupe, E350 4Matic, E550 Coupe, E550 4Matic, and E63 AMG, 2011-2012 GL350 BlueTec 4Matic and R350 BlueTec 4Matic, 2009-2012 GL450 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and R350 4Matic, 2007-2008 SLK280, SLK350, and SLK55 AMG, 2011-2014 SLS AMG Coupe, 2012 SLS AMG Cabriolet, 2013-2014 SLS AMG GT and SLS AMG GT Cabriolet, 2005 C230 Kompressor and C320, 2006-2007 C230, 2006-2011 C350, 2008-2011 C300 and C300 4Matic, 2010-2012 GLK350 and GLK350 4Matic and 2007-2008 Chrysler Crossfire vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy: MBUSA will their notify owners, and Fiat Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Mercedes-Benz owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372 and Chrysler owners may contact Fiat Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML, GL, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MMUSA's number for this recall is 2024050001/2. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-315.
How other years compare
Check your exact GL450 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450 reliable?
NHTSA has 45 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The most complained-about area is air bags (45% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 60,000 miles or less.
Does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450 have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.