evan0626

I'm looking at a 2011 GL550 with only 8200 miles on it. Since the GL has done a lot of sitting (in Florida), and the carfax doesn't show much work performed, what should I look out for that could likely fail in the near future due to non use? Thanks for the help!

2010GL550

8,200 miles? Awesome. We have a 2010 GL550 that we have owned for several years. It's got 80,000 miles on it now (when purchased, it had ~20k mi).


A bit of an issue with oxygen sensors (but that was probably the Dealer's screw up), otherwise routine maintenance. The front air springs went at ~60k miles and the rears were just replaced two weeks ago. I did both myself, as our warranty is long gone.


If you get the 21" wheels, but prepared to spend some bucks on replacement tires. There are only a couple of options and NONE of them are cheap (plus you don't exactly get a long life out of them either).

2010GL550

I also had to replace the air pump for the multi-contour seats ($100 DIY) and the rear hatch latching mechanism (around $150 DIY).


It has been my wife's vehicle since purchased, but I will be taking it over in about nine months. My BMW lease is up and it's her turn to get a new ride. We like the GL550 so much (and it's paid for) that it makes sense to keep it. As an endorsement, I am excited to start using it full time!

evan0626

I briefly owned a 2010 GL550 as well and really liked it, other than the small command screen. With so few miles on the 2011 I'm considering, I'm worried that major parts that haven't been used much might tend to go bad, resulting in expensive repairs. I did read about the tire issuem and the 2011 has 21" wheels.

OceanView

I'm also in the market for a used GL. Seems like all the cars with airmatic suspension will have issues sooner or later. Was there ever a GL without this option?

2010GL550

I think the short answer is, no. It appears that since 2007 the GL has used an airmatic suspension. For the record, several people have converted the GL from airmatic to a standard setup.

BlownV8

It's really not that big of an issue. Yes, the airbags will fail but there are good aftermarket rebuilds that, in my experience, hold up better than the oe ones. You don't need to visit the dealer for the suspension repairs and most of it DIY level.

I have a 450 and it has been ultra reliable. Sure there have been issues but it's the most reliable MB I've had for a very long time. I have around 200k miles on mine. The first 100k miles we're the most expensive as far as repairs go. I don't need to add oil with 10k mile oil change intervals.

OceanView

That's good to hear.
Been looking at a few with around 100K miles on them. I just want a SUV to carry a few things. It will be my truck and not my daily driver.