craneman

No off-road package on either one of my GL's. That's what my truck is for LOL.

panameraTT

No offroad package on mine either. No one in their right mind would take a Gl550 offroad, these aren't Jeeps or Gwagons. Thin sidewalled 21inch AMG wheels...at $750-$1k per thru MB isn't something I would think people would be subjecting their vehicles to.

Nihsel10

Yeah, definitely no off-road package on my GL. I didn't buy a Hummer H2 with BFGoodrich Tires with 17" rims just to not take it off-roading. If I have gotten the 20" that was suppose to come with, then yes I wouldn't have taken it off roading. But I chose to downgrade from Limited edition 20" to stock 17" and saved my $2000 on rims back in '08. Besides, BFGoodrich tires are the best for off roading.

Count Laszlo

Only asked wondering if the off road (locking diff etc.) was possibly the cause of the drivetrain vibration. I'm having a hard time believing this is tyre or rim related.

mtm

In my case (2013 GL450 with 20" wheels) the vibration that came on after 55-60 MPH was due to bad Pirelli Scorpion Verde tires. Dealer tried to rebalance - didn't work. Replaced with a new set of Pirelli Scorpion Verde tires - still vibration. Tried another set of the same tires - couldn't roadforce them within spec.

They finally installed Bridgestone Dueler h/l tires - problem solved, no more vibration at any speed.

43221B

Same experience here with the tires on my 450. Took multiple sets to solve the problem. If the dealership isn't really interested in getting to the bottom of this, they'll leave tires on your GL that will cause vibration issues. Tires just being "within spec" isn't good enough.

panameraTT

I would find it hard to believe that it is simply because the car came certified with continental UHP's that were "within" certification specs...yet still exhibited the vibration/shake. Having tried 11 total Pirelli Winter Scorpions, and only being able to get 4 within roadforce specs like I said seems even more odd. Yet after they roadforced out ( I have the print out with the roadforce values) the car still vibrates. Now there aren't many 21 inch tire options, but I would think the likelihood of this being strictly tires is pretty minimal. For reference the brand new GL550 (2016 with 26 miles) also had from the factory Continental UHP's and it shook and shimmied twice as bad as mine. So how again I use deductive reasoning here. 2 Gl550's, 3 total sets of either new or certifiable tires, and both shook to the point where it didn't feel safe to drive. My patience with MB is thinning, this just cant be something as owners that is acceptable. There are 100's of owners with this same issue, and I would think if it was merely a tire issue the dealers wouldn't be selling those tires that they are thinking attributes to the issue. The foreman said the next steps are using harmonic testing tools, and possibly a subframe replacement. Hmmmmm.

Nihsel10

The vibration must be happening in the transmission. It could be from the Torque Converter.

Has anyone experienced some jerkiness in gear shifts?


I know exactly how you feel my friend. My 2015 GL550 is vibrating horrendously. On top of that, I am just sick and tired of wasting money on new tires on SUV that behaves like a sports car even though it' suppose to behave like a normal SUV like my two other Truck SUVs.

Phillipwa

I posted on an earlier thread that I had the same issue back when I got my 2014 GL450 X166 brand new in 2013, several trips to the dealership, replacing tires etc. Ultimatly they swapped all 4 wheels with another same model with 20" rims, worked great and car runs smooth as ever. I suspect it was an issue with some sort of bearings that were defective most likely. If you guys havn't tried I would push the dealer to swap the wheels out or both wheels and tires...

SaniDel

I'll bite ... what do you mean by "... wasting money on new tires [on a] SUV that behaves like a sports car"? Should I expect sports car behavior from our 2015 GL550? I've driven sports cars ... the GL550 is no sports car although it is definitely 'sportier' than BoF SUVs like the Lexus LX and GX, of which I've owned many. I was ready to buy a 2016 LX 570 until I saw it from the front ... that's a face only a mother could love!

So, what am I in for about the tires? After only 4,000 miles they still ride smooth and quiet with no vibration that I can discern. Am I going to have to replace them frequently due to excessive wear or will they start to vibrate as they wear?

Thanks in advance for sharing more about your experience.

Nihsel10

Well, since the LX570 is like the Escalade which are body on frame SUVS, they tend to behave like truck SUVS. The GL is a unibody and drives more like a S-Class thus drives like a car. In reality, the GL is nothing more than a Large Crossover SUV. It amazes me people compare that to the Escalade, even though I have both and they behave really differently.


As for the tires, I am at 20k and they are starting to wear from the inside. That is due to the suspension design which gives it a negative camber. Double wishbone in the front and multilink double wishbone on the back. If you see the tires from the rear end, you can see the tires aren't straight but the tires completely cover the ground. At this point I am doing research on better tires because the Continental UHP wears faster than the Pirellis I had on the Last 2012 GL550. I might go with a different continentals or a hankook. I am going to tire Rack to see the ratings.

SaniDel

I noticed the same when we went from a Lexus BoF SUV to the GL, but considered it an acceptable compromise as we seldom needed the capability of the Lexus SUVs and never went off-road. The GL seems more like a car than a truck, but with the size and cargo capacity of a truck ... we were able to bring home an eight-foot step ladder ... still in its box!

Our Continentals ride smooth and quiet without vibration, but at only 4,000 miles it's too soon to notice a wear pattern. As we like the tires firmer (40 PSI cold) we're expecting the centers to wear more than the edges.

Please let the forum know if you find a worthy replacement for the Continental UHPs ... thanks!

SFML320

No vibrations at any speed? I feel the vibrations around 60-70MPH. Have you had to replace the OEM tires yet?

My GL450 had no vibrations prior to replacing a the OEM at 32K miles.

panameraTT

I am completed frustrated. After another week in the shop and having the dealer make me open a case with MB USA customer care, the dealer called me to say that MB USA didn't want the dealer to spend anymore time diagnosing and fixing my issue. They were very specific on the paperwork, "a small vibration is normal" and said there is nothing further they would warrant for me. I called MB USA client care and spoke with my case manager and asked that MB USA buy the vehicle back from me, making me whole on what I spent on the car, taxes, out of pocket expenses for tire swaps/rebalance...yada yada. ( I didn't ask for the shipping costs I paid, or MY time in getting this nightmare sorted).
I got a call today saying MB USA denied my request for the vehicle to be repurchased, simply stating it doesn't qualify. I asked for a written document, and they state " the number of manufactures warranty repairs performed on this vehicle do not rise to the level to qualify it for repurchase under "Lemon Law"."
My MB USA client care director said there is nothing else I can do, I couldn't escalate or talk to a manager, or the local area rep that ironically made this decision ( that rep hasn't driven in my car..interesting that he can make a decision like this right). I feel completely helpless here. They wont work on the defect, warrant and repair it. I am completely let down and have a 70k paperweight sitting in my driveway.MB USA isn't a advocate for the client in my opinion. HELP!!!!!!

SFML320

First, I'm glad there are other "unfortunate" GL owners out there that are experiencing the same issue I have been dealing with since replacing the original set of tires (which is the only thing that has changed). It's been difficult to convince dealers of this problem. I've been lucky to have at least one dealer hear my concerns and "validate" the vibration. However, all they could do that was "authorized" an engine mount change.

For the owners here that have no vibrations, I want to double check you don't experience any vibration at all, even at highway speed (usually 60-75MPH)?

Mines is a 2013 GL450 (no off road) with 20" rims. Ever since replacing the OEM Scorpion tires, I have gone through 2 new sets of Scorpions and now on Michelin LTX but still have the vibration coming on around 65 mph, it's subtle but definitely noticeable on the steering wheel and seeing the passenger seat (empty) shake more then usual (under 65 mph).

43221B

The fact that the vibration occurred AFTER changing out your 1st set of tires tells me that it is ... the tires.

When I got my custom ordered 450 last year, the Scorpion OE tires vibrated on the test drive. I noted the vibration and told them I would sign the paperwork with the understanding they would fix the vibration. Apparently they were motivated because two sets of tires later, no vibration. The service manager told me that the 450 is very difficult to balance the tires on and the tires have to be well within spec, not just within spec. I know that others have experienced vibrations that are unrelated to the tires, but I think in most cases it is the tires. My dealership seemed to be very aware of this. Even my 550 flats spots the tires every night now that it's cold and it takes 15 minutes of freeway driving before they smooth out. When they are smooth, they are really smooth. The bottom line is these vehicles are very sensitive to the tires and you have to be persistent to get the right tires on your vehicle. It shouldn't be that way but it is.

panameraTT

Again it begs the question WHY? My certified Gl550 came with certifiable Continetal UHP's that shook. I was forced to PURCHASE another set of tires, Pirelli Winter Scorpions, and after it took 11 tires to road force within spec, the GL still has a shake. So again it begs a deeper dive into why there could be such an issue with balancing out a round object like a tire on these specific GL's. I have never heard of any other vehicle having so many issues balancing wheels/tires in my experience. I would like to know how many owners are or have experienced this issue and if you incurred costly out of pocket expenses to try and fix a pretty apparent defect in engineering these cars. How many trips to the dealer to get this fixed is too many? And when the dealer and MB USA tell you a vibration is normal, moreover a "feature", again I ask is this acceptable for any car. Show me the GL brochure, does it state that shaking and vibrations at normal highway speeds are part of any package or option? Anyways for other owners that are fed up with their experiences related to this thread please PM me as I would like to talk to you and hear more about your story and if it was resolved. For those that have paid out of pocket expenses I would like to hear from you as well.

elitex

I can add some of my experience to this thread. My 2016 GL550 was vibrating also. After making 3 trips and multiple tire balancing attempts/replace tires, vibration still persisted.

Dealer finally decided to send my suv off to a third party with better tire balancing equipment and I am assuming they had much more experience. It was Butler tires. Viola, vibration is gone! My assumption is that techs at the dealership are just not spending enough time balancing wheel and tires.

Butler tire did state that they see this all the time with all the new luxury suv's with large wheels. They just need to be balanced more precisely.

Hope this helps.

panameraTT

I returned the car to Plaza, it is up for sale so buyers beware. I had printouts of the roadforce, and they were well within spec after trying 11 total tires, and after 40 days in service they had ample time to be precise. Anyways thank god Plaza had an issue getting my state to title the car, I got my money back and am free of the stress and mess and time spent trying to sort it out. Terrible experience buying a certified Mercedes, even more terrible experience with Mercedes Benz customer support. I am just happy its not my problem anymore.

elitex

Sometimes it's just better to move on. I had a brand new 2012 BMW 550i with the same vibration problem that BMW eventually bought back. Tires were replaced and balanced multiple times.

Something stood out during that time was when they say road force is within spec, it could be 22 pounds of force on one side and 9 lbs on the other. "within" spec is just not good enough anymore specially with cars that are smooth riding where you'll notice any and all vibrations.

Gurbuz

Hi, thanks for this peace of advice.
I have the same problem with my new 2016 GLE SUV, with 21" AMG wheels.
Multiple balance and tire change did not resolve the vibration problem.
It is driving me crazy. So I will take your advice and try to find a specialist.
I will keep you posted if I succeed.

SFML320

This is good to hear - some positive news even through extra work outside the dealership. Now the difficult part is finding a reputable tire shop knowing and willing to take the time to balance the tire beyond their typical within spec job...

ipotoc

Hello! I am new member in this forum and I write from Italy . I bought a Mercedes GL350 in 2014. I must say that vibration problems also mine . I have done so far many balancing and the end and got a technical of the mercedes that made me replace the propeller shaft . After all this vibration and decreased much but still something there . The technician said that what I feel and normal and is part dela feature of this car . I have done so far 53000km . In Italy there is much talk of this type of machine because there are not so many . Tomorrow I go back to the workshop , I have to have an answer . I apologize for , the heroes of ortograffia . thank you

ipotoc

Hello , I have a GL 350 bought in 2014 and I have the same problem of vibration at around 120-140 km / h . For a year and a half ride in mercedes workshops to find the problem , after balancing without many positive results have called a mercedes technician who made ​​me replace the propeller shaft . I must say that the vibration and greatly diminished but not disappeared around . Now they tell me that this is part of giving small vibration feature of this car . My in the outer package AMG . Today I go back to the workshop to see if they can eliminate this annoying little vibration.

jwf3154

I have 18,000 mi on a CPO 2015 GL 550...once thought to be my dream car. It was an upgrade from a GL 450 which drove very smoothly. After several trips to several dealers and replacement of 21 inch tires on AMG rims, this car continues vibrate at 70 mph and no one seems to know why. Potential design floor is being whispered however MBUSA continues to produce and deliver this car with 21 inch wheels. Illegal or unethical or somewhere in between the truth lies. Is there any hope that this car "engineered like no other car in the world" or the "best or nothing at all" is unable to offer a solution. One last attempt with a PICO vibration analysis which will be sent off to engineers in Germany. Its embarrassing to have spent as much money on this vehicle as I did here when some cheap import would perform better with no vibration at highway speeds...oh yes, I do drive on the highway and highway speeds from time to time.