RainaG

I'm looking to buy a used GL 350 Bluetec. I like the fuel economy and towing capacity. I'm not one to buy a new car every couple years (my outback is still going strong at 10 years old with a few minor repairs) My question is has anyone owned one for a long time? What if any problems did you have? Any particular years or options to stay away from? Thanks!

captivabenz

I have owned two GLs, the first from 2007-2014 and the second, I still own, from 2014-present. Both diesels.(320 and 350)
They are a solid, comfortable SUV, great for around town but especially on long extended trips. They are excellent, reliable, and I recommend them 100%.
My first car had over 70,000 miles and never had to replace the brakes. Tires last 30-40,000 miles as long as you rotate every 7500 miles.
No significant problems at all...

RainaG

Can i ask how many miles are on your 2014? I just read some reviews were people have electrical and other problems prematurely and i just don't want to run into that.

captivabenz

41,500 mi
Just now getting new Michelins to replace the Pirellis.
No problems at all.

BlownV8

If you really want to know, check out the 164GL forum. Seems that 9 out of 10 repair complaints are on the diesels.

DC-BENZ

I have a Bluetec 164 ML and 166 GL. Be prepared to have a $2000 Oil Cooler leak and a $1700 DEF (dealer prices) tank repair at around 75k or so. If you're lucky the previous owner has repaired them for you. There is a bit more maintenance (fuel filter, cleaning the DEF exhaust ((I haven't done yet)) .

yk0786

I am an original owner of a 2014 GL350 with now just shy of 100K miles. I am proud to say I have had only minor issues such as changing the seat adjuster module, broken air vents and TPM that did not work. All of it was covered under warranty. I did get a 5 year /120K warranty from Mercedes at the time of purchase which gave me a peace of mind after reading the x164 forum. Since I put on a lot of miles, I do have a higher maintenance cost per year (new tires, oil changes, etc) than perhaps others. I also get all of my maintenance work done at my local Mercedes dealership as I haven't found much of difference in price between the dealership and a private shop. Perhaps I am an atypical owner of such a car, but it has been the best SUV I have owned or driven. I plan on keeping this hopefully as long as I can and hope to get to 200K plus on this car before I even consider a new car.

chsu74

My fuel station down the street today costs:
$2.82 per gallon of diesel which provided an average of 22 miles or $0.1286 per mile running cost.

$3.29 per gallon of premium which gets an average of 16 miles or $0.2056 per mile.

When driving 10,000 miles per year, you will have roughly a savings budget of $8,000 to fix diesel engine related issues until break even with gas engines over 10 years. One can hedge that with an extended warranty of $3,700 until 7 years or 100K miles. My DEF was replaced in year 5 and oil cooler seals in year 6. Extended warranty also covered bad AC compressor, leaky fuel injector and other random "stuff."

The only extra serviceable item in a diesel vs a gasoline motor is the fuel filter every 20K miles. That is a $40 part and takes 30 minutes to replace.

BlownV8

Really, are you forgetting the cost of Adblue refills? Those are very expensive at the dealership. My GL450 averaged around 17.7 MPG over 100k miles. This article states that the cost of the Adblue is up to $60 per fill up. What does that do to the math? https://www.mbca.org/star-article/no...ue-cost-diesel Plus the cost of all the diesel failures and time without the diesel because it will be in the shop. Had you not had the warranty much like most owners. I would bet your costs would be much much higher than the gas version.

fabbrisd1

If some people want to be nay-sayer's - that's OK.

Ad-Blue is not Mercedes specific - either pump it at a truck stop when it's dispensed by the gallon just like fuel - or get a 2 1/2 gal jug for under $15 at Autro Parts or Big Box store... it's a no-brainer.

EXCEPT - never expose/use metal with Ad Blue (DEF) - and if using a 2 1/2 gal container - for heavens sake after a fill if you have a few quarts left - throw that $2-$3 away.. no need for "aged" DEF

chsu74

Ha Ha. Please. My diesel averaged 24MPG and was being conservative.

Adblue at $24 for every 10K miles. Will deducting or adding an extra $240 tip this scale? You don't own a diesel but claim to know everything about them. Its just gets old.

I live 3 miles away from the dealership and drops the car off for service no different than anything else. Have been maintaining the truck myself for the past 2 years and save the trip now.

BlownV8

https://www.mbca.org/star-article/no...ue-cost-diesel

Comparative Costs of Gasoline and Diesel ML350 ML350 BlueTEC
Combined fuel mileage 19 mpg 22 mpg
Gallons of fuel 1,579 1,363
Cost of fuel per gallon $3.75 $4.00
Total cost of fuel $5,92 $5,454
AdBlue 22.5 + labor 0 $510
Replacing tires $1,200 $2,400
Diesel fuel filter 0 $182
Total Costs $7,121 $8,546

As you can see, the extra costs associated with the BlueTEC diesel do cancel the mileage savings. However, because of the additional torque, many applications such as towing a trailer or driving on hilly terrain make the diesel a better choice, and the reduced fuel consumption makes it a better environmental choice. Compared to these advantages, the extra $1,425 over 30,000 miles – not quite a nickel a mile – may be inconsequential.

BlownV8

Make sure to scroll to the bottom and read the comments,
http://autoweek.com/article/car-revi...rm-test-update

https://www.cars.com/articles/2010/0...rcedes-diesel/
https://jalopnik.com/5441978/294-bil...f-us-consumers

Can the MB diesel work for you? Yes, under the right conditions it will work great. If you take long trips with few starts and stops, the engine should perform well with great mileage. If you do the work yourself, it won't kill you. If you drive the car like a soccer mom with frequent stops and long intervals between starts, you will have issues with your timing chain and tensioners in short order with some having to be replaced multiple times in less than 100k miles.

Just make sure you know what you are getting yourself into when buying the 350. It may or may not work for your diving style.

DC-BENZ

More up to date data for x166's.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find....33255&id=33256
http://www.dieselforum.org/files/dmf...ort_dd2017.pdf

I see one comment about the timing chain of 2 comments regarding a 2012 GL. The DEF Heater and Oil Leak is more common. And like I said in another post that there are TSB's for "gas engine" timing chains so that's not exclusive to the Bluetec.

Adblue aka Blue Def is $11 per 10k miles. You numbers are incorrect and adding Blue Def is as easy as pumping gas, not really a "do it yourself" type of job.

The average ML is certainly higher than 22 mpg and a corresponding Gasser is certainly less than 19mpg.

And Lastly Diesel for at least a decade in the DC area is comparable to Mid Grade gas prices

KrustyKustom

I have a 2011 GL350 with now 117k miles. It has been a journey early on, but after replacing some of the Achilles heels it has been truly awesome. Before Warranty went out I was able to do some of the items, after warranty,
Oil Cooler/EKAS motor (adjustable intake actuator)
Timing Chain, sprockets, tensioner
Vacuume pump gasket
Oil Filter Housing gasket

Preventative,
All 4 Airmatic airbags, compressor at 105k
Lots of regular maintenance

But...I can get 28mpg hwy, 22 city (really)....have seen 31mpg a couple of times. Overall its a known drivetrain that is fairly predictable. I have owned 4 OM642s (including my Sprinters) and they are not the worlds best but I like em...

Finding a CPO 2016 GL350 would be the best route, great warranty and you can get the likely to fail items out of the way on MB nickle.

BlownV8

Good try but those were not my calculations and directly from the MBCA website.

The study posted is correct but most of the really expensive repair bills happen at or around 75K miles so that expense is left out. If you own a diesel under warranty, there is no doubt it will be less expensive to operate but after that it will certainly consume lots of your money to maintain and repair.

I've run regular in my GL for over 200k miles. Diesel is around 10% more expensive than regular fuel and even more so in some areas so, when you figure the average savings is around 20%, half of the savings is gone immediately.

Again, directly from the MBCA website and they used MB's numbers.

Put Krusty's costs in your cost calculator. As I pointed out numerous times only to be refuted by your postings, these are very common repair items and every potential diesel owner should be cognizant. You post a very rosy picture but leave out the real problems owners are seeing. Often, the timing chain replacement is done multiple times as are the adblue heaters. The gasser is not perfect but it seems to be 1000% more reliable than the diesel. There is an initial savings in fuel cost but the real expenses seem to mount quickly. Not to mention, how much down time is involved and what is the cost to get a rental during this time. All items you are not including in the rosy picture you are portraying. Look, the diesel has it's purpose but for the majority of drivers it is a disaster so be careful when you tell owners it is a great engine. Under the right conditions it is but for many it is not.

KrustyKustom.....have a 2011 GL350 with now 117k miles. It has been a journey early on, but after replacing some of the Achilles heels it has been truly awesome. Before Warranty went out I was able to do some of the items, after warranty,
Oil Cooler/EKAS motor (adjustable intake actuator)
Timing Chain, sprockets, tensioner
Vacuume pump gasket
Oil Filter Housing gasket

BlownV8

Here are some of the links to the diesel engines. DC, you have been on the forum for less than a year so I can understand you would not have seen these posts but I have read them all. Here is a quick search. You are welcome.

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...idiculous.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...d-retired.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...ng-posted.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...stretched.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...ec-seized.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...g-problem.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...ty-denied.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...ine-noise.html

Great DIY from sak335
https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...placement.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...di-rescue.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...ing-apart.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...000-miles.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...own-turbo.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...iles-high.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...e-crashed.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...ml#post2993600

chsu74

The utter ridiculousness of this post requires it to be quoted. The numbers don't even add up its so funny.

1. OP is discussing GL so bringing in ML is just a total lack of understanding and comprehension.

2. ML diesel combined is comfortably in the 25-26 MPG as highway is in the low 30s.

3. Double cost of tires in the statement in the diesel motor is just icing on the cake.

Claiming to have "ordered one" all of a sudden qualifies you as an expert more so than owners. This power plant is in so many other vehicles so actual is easy to find and make your own decision. Pulling the silliest and most incorrect data set for you argument is at least consistent with your statements.

I digress..

anothercar

Just turned 50,000 miles on my 2015 GL 350. Purchased the extended warranty to 75,000 miles. No problems with the diesel to date. Most of my miles are highway so I've not had any brake or similar issues. It's a great highway cruiser. Keep in mind..............complainers out number non complainers big time on these forums. It's human nature. The diesel is a bit more expensive maintenance wise but if maintained properly and absent some manufacturing defect...........you should get many many reliable miles out of it.
On a personal note I recently tried to make a deal on a new Q7 gasser for which I would have traded my GL. We were $3k apart and I walked. Sales manager called me a week later agreeing to accept my offer but I was 'out of the mood' and told him I'm keeping my GL. I love the GL and it's nearly 700 mile range. I purchased the Extended Limited Warranty to 75,000 miles prior to turning 50k miles this week.

BlownV8

it is you that lacks comprehension. DC has an ML and that's who was on the receiving end of the reply. Again, the article is from MBCA. I did not write.

There is more than enough evidence that supports what I'm saying as well as many members who have suffered. I'm not saying am MB diesels are junk but consumers need to know what they are getting into before the purchase. I don't like the ABC suspension and have had a few MB's equipped when them. Am I an expert because I've owed/own them? No, being an owner does not make one an expert.

DC-BENZ

Thanks, but I've only subscribed to these forums for less than a year. I've been on another MB forum for 13yrs and mb " email list serve" since the birth of the ML (in the US) as a result of their (early 1998) engine failures. I only registered here lately (a second time) because I forgot my old username and what email account it was associated with.

It seems the links you've posted are mostly examples of 320's. AND you never post the cost of the classic engine issues associated to the Gasser models. Once you do you'll see that the Oil Cooler and DEF tank ($4,000 total dealer prices) issues will be the outliers in regard to the over all cost between the Diesel and Gasser engine type of repairs. And as shown by simple math the difference in the long run 5yrs (5yr years seems to be the long run these days) gasoline MPGs vs Diesel repairs the diesel slightly edges out the Gasser.

Also please stop spreading falsehoods regarding fuel costs. I've driven from MN to SC (ML) and Utah to DC (GL) and the diesel fuel prices match mid grade prices I've never seen them equal to or more than premium. That simple saving is shown in the links I last posted. If one wants to use dealer DEF fluid that's their own problem but in the x166 one would be foolish not to pour their own $14 container of DEF into the DEF tank especially since the DEF tank neck is directly next to the diesel fueling neck behind the fuel lid.

In short, a 450 will cost you $5k more in gas than a 350 but less in repairs over 5yrs compared to the Bluetec, which will cost you $4k more in repairs specifically related to diesels over the same period. Net savings to the Bluetec of $1k but more heartache when your vehicle pours oil in your driveway or a Blue DEF error shows on your dash.

Note: There are more Bluetec MLs than GLs on the road or at least in the forums. I've seen my share of w164 Bluetec links during my years and while researching if I'll purchase an X166.

chsu74

^ you mean the V6 gasser balance shaft issue or the 6.3 AMG head stud problem? Yeah. What a mess..

There are still plenty of diesel options today.

Land Rover
BMW
Chevy now with their 4cyl
Mazada in their new CX5
Ford will probably introduce something in their SUV line since the diesel power plant from Rover is going into the F150 will be opened ip to other mode lineups.

BlownV8

DC, good post.

The issues with the 320 and 350 look to be the same with the addition of the urea system issues in the 350. However, the 350 seems to have addressed the crummy hose clamps in the 320.

What are you calling the classic cost of the GL450? In 250k miles, I've replaced the plugs, plug wires, coil packs, water pump, magnetic cam pickup, CPS and intake flappy. All except the water pump were proactive and the intake flappy could have gone unrepaired. All in, I'm less than $2,000 for 250k miles on any engine related issues.

I see some of the 166 gassers need a check valve. The 350 could use that same check valve. It would solve the issue on the stretched timing chain and premature cam gear wear.

Truth be told, I'm looking at a 2016 GLE 300d. The fuel savings on that one does excite me. Then again, I also might get a GL63. I have a hard time deciding between smiles per gallon and miles per gallon. As of lately, it's all been smiles per gallon.

Good thing the balance shaft V6 or the 6.3 were never in the GL. Funny chsu74 bashes me for talking about an ML in a GL forum and then brings up totally irrelevant gasser engines that were never in the GL.

alphainfinity

I see a lot of complaints about repairs. We have a 2014 that we CPO'd out to 2021. It was a lease return. Unlimited mileage, bumper to bumper warranty. My wife bought the car with 24k miles and it now has 75,000. BEST SUV we have every owned. It gets great mileage and keeps on ticking. Best of all, it is a BEAST in the winter with Nokian tires. If you have any doubts about reliability, buy the CPO warranty and don't worry about it. Ours has been rock solid.

fabbrisd1

Everyone is entitled to their opinion - and frankly comparing 1st gen X164 with 2nd Gen X166 - whether gas or diesel - is inherently flawed. There are few-to-none "inherited" problems from X164 to X166 - which is all that it should be in next/new gen.

In large part from what I read here - or didn't read reported - the very common X164 75K air strut failure from the X164 - so far has not appeared on the X166 - all to the good !

Also - I take heart from the posts of AO's (actual owner's) rather than "forum reporter's".

Yes - our forum's here get more-than-fair-share problem reporting - which is all to the good as long as forum member's understand that.

The "reason" Mercedes has withdrawn diesel from North American passenger vehicles gets damn Federal/political - the Fed's - still reeling from the VW fiasco - which was NEVER "caught" by Federal authorities a dang BIG embarrassment - in Federal zeal to pin-the-tail-on-the-German-Sheppard - in essence has accused ALL German auto manufacturers of "criminal collusion" and masterminding the whole diesel fiasco.with Bosch - and the Fed's even went so far as to persuade German authorities to open full German Federal investigations as well.

In Germany - MB guaranteed absolute 1000% full disclosure - and under German Federal "whistle blower" protection in return gets MB German immunity even in the event something exists (which it doesn't) - MB offered US Federal government same proposal as MB gets in Germany - which would save the US $10's of millions in investigative costs (again, remember there is still nothing there to find) and the Fed's turn that offer down self-righteously thinking that there is something there (that isn't).

I'd pull diesel's from North America too !

Oh - on DEF - which is mandated here in the US for ALL diesel applications over 60hp - we stiill have "old school MB diesel hounds" that still blame Mercedes for that one - incredibly stupid - and "bio diesel" another stupendous state mandated in some areas - how to take "clean diesel" and make it dirty - ... damn shame, damn shame..