Max Blast

yep. If insurance is paying - does OP care?

ddruker

USAA caps out what they will pay for the lifetime of the warranty at the retail value of the GL, which they calculate at around $15k. So I will be on the hook for about $1,000 for this repair. I was trying to find that $1,000 by getting the shop to buy more cost-effective parts like I would do if I were doing the repair myself at home. The shop just won't do it, for a variety of reasons related to margin and liability.

I am taking on some additional repairs myself that the shop found and wanted to do, but would have been my financial responsibility since my warranty is now capped out.

All in all the USAA extended Warranty turns out to be a great deal - it cost me $3,000 for two years (years 7-9) of my ownership of the GL 350 and will pay out $15,000.

I did send a letter to Mercedes USA asking for compensation based on the ridiculous amount of repairs my GL has been through, particularly due to the OM642 diesel engine. They responded quickly and said they could arrange to pay for fixes at the dealer, but they will not offer a cash payment or a credit toward a new or CPO GLS, which is what I really wanted. They will also not pay for fixes at an indy. I gave them every opportunity to make a gesture toward doing the right thing and even talked with them about forcing me to actually say yes to one of the attorneys who had reached out to me about suing Mercedes based on the flawed OM642 design. This didn't help. I've been happy with my GL 350 when it's working, but the diesel engine has been a complete disaster. Never again a diesel Mercedes...

ddruker

Update:
Got the truck back yesterday after almost a month in the shop.
Had a little bit of a fight with my mechanic when I got there as he did an extra $1,000 of work that I hadn't authorized. We ended up splitting the difference 50/50.
USAA paid out roughly $15,500 in total on my 2-year extended warranty. I paid USAA about $3,000 for the warranty.
About $4,000 of the total repairs were for new control arms and air suspension components - front bags, compressor and valve block.
The other $11,500 was replacing failed components on the diesel motor. What a disaster the OM642 is.
- Replace turbocharger
- Replace intercooler
- Replace rear main seal
- Replace vacuum pump, idler pulleys and tensioner

The $15,500 cost was about 60/40 parts vs. labor. The repairs all carry a 3-year shop warranty.

This brings the total repair cost so far on my 2011 GL/350 to about $50,000, all covered by warranty and extended warranty. 75% diesel motor-related, 25% typical GL stuff. Such crappy quality Mercedes...

dhurley

$11.5k to replace the intercooler, turbo, rear seal, and vac pump. I'm in the wrong business.

Max Blast

So - seems sorted now.
keeping it or trading it?

Now that you have a 3yr warranty on these repairs perhaps keeping it for 2 yrs and 11 mos isn’t such a terrible idea, provided that the oil cooler and seals have been replaced recently.

BlownV8

Other items will fail, dump the diesel.

ddruker

I agree. Something else will break. I have one more trick up my sleeve, which is that Mercedes USA wrote me back that they will pay for my next major mechanical failure repair if I have it done at the dealership. So I feel like I have one more get out of jail card, assuming they honor their word.

The big problem for me is deciding what I want to buy to replace the GL... I have a fun two-seater covered with my Porsche - but I only drive that on sunny days with the top down. To replace the GL, I need something that can pull my 30-foot airstream, carry construction supplies, and also be my daily driver. The GL 350 has been great for these roles, just horribly unreliable to own. I've been trying to decide if I replace the GL with a combination of something like an F150 and a Tesla Model S, to cover both the truck and daily driver parts of what I need, or do I stick with a luxury SUV which has done all three wells (towing, cargo and daily driver) fairly well.

BlownV8

Love my GL63 and thinking about getting a GLS450. The gasser GL's seem to be very reliable. My GL450 has been very cheap to own long term and very reliable.

Max Blast

How much does your airstream weigh?
I think the GL450 or 550 will tow the same as the 350.

just get a gasser then.

BlownV8

Have a feeling that MB will end up buying the Adblue equipped diesels back from owners like VW did with theirs or end up reimbursing owners for much of these repairs. It will probably be cheaper to just buy them back than to reimburse for the repairs since the repairs will be more than the vehicles are worth. We'll see.

MB recently was fined $960 million in Germany for the diesel emissions cheating and another 20 million by the NHTSA for mishandling recalls. Odds are, they will be giving you some money for your clunker diesel. You may just want to drive it until all this plays out in the courts. I'm an MB fan but the OM642 diesels have serious issues.

JesusV

Sorry to hear about your terrible experience with you GL diesel. I've never owned a diesel, but I understand the benefits of more power for towing and why you chose it in the first place. I own a 2012 GL550 with 106k miles, mechanically it is sound. I haven't had any major problems, just regular maintenance and the normal air suspension (easily fixed with Arnotts) Before purchasing my GL, I remember researching and reading that the diesel from 2007-2011 were the least reliable. 2011 to 2012 GL 450/550 were ranked good in engine reliability. There are many options out there, but I appreciate the drivability, performance, and comfort of a Mercedes, especially a GL. Best of luck!

eric_in_sd

Agreed.

IF you can do your own work, AND have a competent indy to turn to, the GL450 is not bad at all. I'm at an incremental cost of ~$0.35 a mile, probably less going forward since the transmission replacement is behind me, and I'm developing a perverse desire to run this thing to 250K miles.

ddruker

I think that's a viable strategy. To the prior poster, my airstream weighs about 7000 pounds fully loaded.
I have been looking at prices for a two year old low mileage GLS - 2018 or 2019 vehicles. The prices have dropped a lot since the new redesigned GLS came out.

BlownV8

Been there done that and still going strong.

RostamDastan

ddruker,

So sorry for the issues you are having. I understand your frustration. This is unacceptable and I think MB should buy this SUV from you and make this situation right.

However, I think your situation (as frustrating as it is) is an outlier. We have a 2012 GL350 and luckily have had only 3 issues to deal with: 1) DEF tank heater failure, 2) engine oil cooler leak, and 3) crack in oil filter housing (I expect to have issues with NOx sensors and timing chain in the next couple of years). All were fixed under warranty. Most other GL 350 owner's I know of have had similar problems (but not as extreme as yours). Again, I can fully understand your frustration.

GL(S) is a wonderful SUV. Its very safe, very comfortable, and no other SUV provides the same ride. It is very expensive though (to purchase/maintain/repair). If you get a new one, you will pay a ridiculous monthly payment, but you have a vehicle with, hopefully, fewer issue than an aging one. If you own an older model, the vehicle is paid off, but its out of warranty and you need to pay a lot of money for repairs. Basically, you will not get a break with GL(S)! You have to pay a lot of money either way, if you want the ride, comfort, and safety of a GL(S). As you know, GL 350 is a great tow vehicle. Because of its good MPG, it gives you the range that gas GL(S) cannot provide. Also, Diesel engine, even though it has less HP, seems to handle the heavy load better than a gas engine. I have read reports of GL550 (with over 500 ft-lb of torque) heating up when towing a trailer up a grade in Southern CA. I have not heard of any GL350 Diesel engine heating up when towing. Also, because of better MPG, you save at least $1000 on fuel annually compared to gas engines.

MB does not offer the Diesel engine anymore, so new buyers don't have to make a decision on this. If I could go back in time, I would still probably buy our GL350. My very close second choice would be GL 550 (with that sweet 5.7 naturally aspirated engine).

Best,

dhurley

My 08 OM642 w/214k on the clock has been a good rig to tow, but it has been expensive to maintain even though I DIY. The torque and MPG's are awesome.

In the last 40k miles I've had to replace the oil cooler seals & intake cleaning, EGR, drivers exhaust manifold, mass airflow housing, CCV, belt tensioner, belt, oil filter housing, mounts, and all 8 injector seals. Filters not included.

This is not including all of the other expenses outside of the engine. To me, the real deal breaker that would keep me from buying another of this generation is the 722.9 transmission and its numerous quirks/problems. I do not think this trans is well suited for the OM642 and programming cant take of it. I feel as if its always clumsy at low speeds. Parking lots, stop and go, etc... Diesels dont have comfort mode so it always starts in first gear and its a little short. Being able to start in 2nd would probably make it all go away. In 2009-2010 the 722.9 was updated with new types of internals to help alleviate some of the problems with longevity, but it still feels totally 1 step behind the command of the engine.