2013 GL550 how reliable is it? Buying soon
06-28-2018, 08:14 AM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
gl550
2013 GL550 how reliable is it? Buying soon
hi fellow members. I’m looking to purchase a 2013 gl550 from a good friend of mine, only about 22k miles. Clean title. Price is about $40k. Has the bang and Olufsen package. Car does have a small crack on windshield and very visible white scratch on left side rear bumper. I might be able to claim insurance for the windshield, not sure how much to repaint/touch up the bumper.
He has 4 cars and barely drives this one. Since I’m in the market for a full size, I asked if he wanted to sell. He stated car has no issues, which I trust him. Given the fact that it is out of warranty for over a year, how reliable are these 550s. Would appreciate some input from ya”ll. Thanks so much.
He has 4 cars and barely drives this one. Since I’m in the market for a full size, I asked if he wanted to sell. He stated car has no issues, which I trust him. Given the fact that it is out of warranty for over a year, how reliable are these 550s. Would appreciate some input from ya”ll. Thanks so much.
06-28-2018, 04:49 PM
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 626
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes
on
9 Posts
14 GL550; 14 E63s
I've had two GL550's and both have been fairly reliable. My X166 has had some coolant issues but was resolved by replacing a turbo coolant hose. The airmatic system will wear out at some point and you'll have to replace some air struts or even the compressor. And then the tires. Very expensive to replace, don't last very long and few options to pick from. I've gotten anywhere from 15-25k out of a set.
06-28-2018, 07:05 PM
#3
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
gl550
Thanks for much for your input. Just curious how much did those two issues cost for you to repair ? Air suspension sounds expensive to me. I've had two GL550's and both have been fairly reliable. My X166 has had some coolant issues but was resolved by replacing a turbo coolant hose. The airmatic system will wear out at some point and you'll have to replace some air struts or even the compressor. And then the tires. Very expensive to replace, don't last very long and few options to pick from. I've gotten anywhere from 15-25k out of a set.
06-29-2018, 06:50 AM
#4
hi fellow members. I’m looking to purchase a 2013 gl550 from a good friend of mine, only about 22k miles. Clean title. Price is about $40k. Has the bang and Olufsen package. Car does have a small crack on windshield and very visible white scratch on left side rear bumper. I might be able to claim insurance for the windshield, not sure how much to repaint/touch up the bumper.
He has 4 cars and barely drives this one. Since I’m in the market for a full size, I asked if he wanted to sell. He stated car has no issues, which I trust him. Given the fact that it is out of warranty for over a year, how reliable are these 550s. Would appreciate some input from ya”ll. Thanks so much.
He has 4 cars and barely drives this one. Since I’m in the market for a full size, I asked if he wanted to sell. He stated car has no issues, which I trust him. Given the fact that it is out of warranty for over a year, how reliable are these 550s. Would appreciate some input from ya”ll. Thanks so much.
Johan
06-29-2018, 08:35 AM
#5
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 626
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes
on
9 Posts
14 GL550; 14 E63s
We bought an extended warranty on both of our GL550's and both have paid for themselves easily. I would highly recommend it.
We sold our first GL with 100k miles on it and our current one has 70k miles. I'd buy a third one tomorrow in a heartbeat. There's just not another 7 passenger vehicle that I like better. It drives small like a car and not like a truck (suburban, tahoe, lexus LX-570). Has plenty of power and actual humans can use the third row. I've ridden back there and it's actually comfortable.
06-29-2018, 08:47 AM
#6
We just bought a near flawless 13 with 25k miles. I'm a DIY type guy, so decided to roll the dice with no warranty. Only 1k miles into ownership, but it definitely feels like it's built like a tank. Time will tell.
The only thing I missed on my inspection is that two of the doors do not lock electronically. The lock pins move slightly, but not enough to actually lock the door. Apparently the lock actuators are a common issue on these, so check all the doors by locking the truck, setting the fob away from you, then try to open all the doors. I will eventually try to pull the actuators out and lube before committing to replacing.
The only thing I missed on my inspection is that two of the doors do not lock electronically. The lock pins move slightly, but not enough to actually lock the door. Apparently the lock actuators are a common issue on these, so check all the doors by locking the truck, setting the fob away from you, then try to open all the doors. I will eventually try to pull the actuators out and lube before committing to replacing.
06-30-2018, 06:56 AM
#7
We just bought a near flawless 13 with 25k miles. I'm a DIY type guy, so decided to roll the dice with no warranty. Only 1k miles into ownership, but it definitely feels like it's built like a tank. Time will tell.
The only thing I missed on my inspection is that two of the doors do not lock electronically. The lock pins move slightly, but not enough to actually lock the door. Apparently the lock actuators are a common issue on these, so check all the doors by locking the truck, setting the fob away from you, then try to open all the doors. I will eventually try to pull the actuators out and lube before committing to replacing.
The only thing I missed on my inspection is that two of the doors do not lock electronically. The lock pins move slightly, but not enough to actually lock the door. Apparently the lock actuators are a common issue on these, so check all the doors by locking the truck, setting the fob away from you, then try to open all the doors. I will eventually try to pull the actuators out and lube before committing to replacing.
The other day my son pulled the door handle while the car was locked and I was not close enough yet and it opened and went crazy.
Trending Topics
06-30-2018, 07:22 AM
#8
Originally Posted by DRTYLNDY
YES I THOUGHT I WAS GOING CRAZY!!!
The other day my son pulled the door handle while the car was locked and I was not close enough yet and it opened and went crazy.
The other day my son pulled the door handle while the car was locked and I was not close enough yet and it opened and went crazy.
07-01-2018, 11:58 AM
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 626
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes
on
9 Posts
14 GL550; 14 E63s
We just bought a near flawless 13 with 25k miles. I'm a DIY type guy, so decided to roll the dice with no warranty. Only 1k miles into ownership, but it definitely feels like it's built like a tank. Time will tell.
The only thing I missed on my inspection is that two of the doors do not lock electronically. The lock pins move slightly, but not enough to actually lock the door. Apparently the lock actuators are a common issue on these, so check all the doors by locking the truck, setting the fob away from you, then try to open all the doors. I will eventually try to pull the actuators out and lube before committing to replacing.
The only thing I missed on my inspection is that two of the doors do not lock electronically. The lock pins move slightly, but not enough to actually lock the door. Apparently the lock actuators are a common issue on these, so check all the doors by locking the truck, setting the fob away from you, then try to open all the doors. I will eventually try to pull the actuators out and lube before committing to replacing.
But the extended warranty covered it all. Well worth the price we paid for it. And it was a 3rd party EW as well as we bought it slightly pre-owned from an indy dealer.
07-03-2018, 09:52 AM
#10
Member
We've had two issues with ours. The auto soft-close door mechanism failed on the front passenger side and door lock actuator failed on the driver side (car locked - door would open and alarm goes off). The factory warranty covered both. I believe the soft-close issue was about $800 and door actuator was around $600 to $700, it was a while ago. It seems like the door stuff is a common GL issue according to MB reps. since its out of warranty you can take it to your Indy guy and give you a better price.
Also, I had a blown fuse but I caused the issue, I loaded the cigarette lighter socket with multiple phones : )
Also, I had a blown fuse but I caused the issue, I loaded the cigarette lighter socket with multiple phones : )
07-03-2018, 12:44 PM
#11
Junior Member
We just bought a near flawless 13 with 25k miles. I'm a DIY type guy, so decided to roll the dice with no warranty. Only 1k miles into ownership, but it definitely feels like it's built like a tank. Time will tell.
The only thing I missed on my inspection is that two of the doors do not lock electronically. The lock pins move slightly, but not enough to actually lock the door. Apparently the lock actuators are a common issue on these, so check all the doors by locking the truck, setting the fob away from you, then try to open all the doors. I will eventually try to pull the actuators out and lube before committing to replacing.
The only thing I missed on my inspection is that two of the doors do not lock electronically. The lock pins move slightly, but not enough to actually lock the door. Apparently the lock actuators are a common issue on these, so check all the doors by locking the truck, setting the fob away from you, then try to open all the doors. I will eventually try to pull the actuators out and lube before committing to replacing.
07-03-2018, 01:13 PM
#12
Junior Member
hi fellow members. I’m looking to purchase a 2013 gl550 from a good friend of mine, only about 22k miles. Clean title. Price is about $40k. Has the bang and Olufsen package. Car does have a small crack on windshield and very visible white scratch on left side rear bumper. I might be able to claim insurance for the windshield, not sure how much to repaint/touch up the bumper.
He has 4 cars and barely drives this one. Since I’m in the market for a full size, I asked if he wanted to sell. He stated car has no issues, which I trust him. Given the fact that it is out of warranty for over a year, how reliable are these 550s. Would appreciate some input from ya”ll. Thanks so much.
He has 4 cars and barely drives this one. Since I’m in the market for a full size, I asked if he wanted to sell. He stated car has no issues, which I trust him. Given the fact that it is out of warranty for over a year, how reliable are these 550s. Would appreciate some input from ya”ll. Thanks so much.
-Motor oil leak into main engine wiring harness. Shorted several electrical components and warranty replaced main ECU, some other aux computer, all related harnesses, O2 sensors, and fuel injectors. Engine was dropped twice during this period. Leaking cam plug was also discovered during this process and replaced. (REPAIRED)
-Front suspension noise - several layers and visits of research and repair. From replacing end links to most recently, an entire hydraulic torsen sway bar assembly. Turns out the Active Curve system (which took me a while to find a unit with this feature) was failing which caused a daisy chain of issues. (REPAIRED) Recall was issued May 2018 for Active Curve vehicles. A coincidence that I received the notice as they were making these repairs. I still have to go in for the recall service since they are installing a modified oil reservoir cap to prevent a leak that was causing fires. (PENDING)
-Cracked Coolant line to Turbo. Coolant dumped onto the driveway after a 20 min drive one day. Filled it back up with water and drove straight to the dealership with normal temps. Since I used water, they had to flush and replace all coolant for the repair and pressure test. (REPAIRED)
-Unraveling inake hoses (REPAIRED)
-Warped rear rotors. My test drive in Los Angeles was pretty much a low speed drive on local roads. It wasn't until I drove the long downhill portion of I5 while going back up to San Francisco did I experience the warped rotors. Dealership had replaced pads under CPO spec, but I don't think they checked the rotors for evenness. I got MB USA involved, and they gave me a goodwill credit to replace all 4 corners. (REPAIRED)
-Rear Door lock issue. Replaced both sides. (REPAIRED)
-Windsheld crack. Non-dealer auto glass repair shop promised an OEM replacement by Friday so we could drive down to LA for the weekend. The unit that arrived was not compatible with the sensors/radar. Ended up packing into our M3 sedan for the trip. Came back on Tuesday with the correct unit installed. Insurance covered a portion of the cost. (REPAIRED)
-Sunroof Wind Noise. Went to 3 separate dealerships, and even within the final dealership, had to deal with 3 different SAs. The last one fought for me, and finally the dealership admitted the noise was beyond spec. They tried to repair and adjust, but was still making noise. They ordered a unit from Kentucky, supposedly fell off the truck, and they had to order another one that required additional time to manufacture (they don't stock a lot of these). The whole process to get the part was about a month. (REPAIRED)
-Driver's seat ventilation fan popped out and ended up on the floor behind the seat. Dealership says the tech opened up the seat to find that the fans were present. My research says that the rear of the seat has several fans, but the bottom cushion should have several more fans (which are harder to get to). Comparing the sound levels of the driver's seat and passenger's seat fans, the passenger's seat sounds as if it has many more fans running. This isn't urgent, and I told the SA that we could revisit this when I come in for my recall or Maintenance, whatever comes first. (PENDING)
I LOVE THE CAR, don't get me wrong. But if you don't work 3 minutes from a dealership, or don't plan on buying additional CPO warranty, be warned. MB must've spent well over $20k fixing this unit. I don't know if it was abused by the first owner, or if its just bad luck, but what I have now is a car that drives like new. The B&O system sounds amazing. Active Curve helps the car drive like a sporty sedan. Sport mode is rarely necessary and feels like cut springs more than anything. No regrets!
Good luck!
Larry
The following users liked this post:
d0c (09-03-2018)
07-04-2018, 08:36 PM
#13
Not to scare you, but since I bought my 2013 CPO GL550 24k miles almost fully loaded (everything except for pano roof), I've had the following issues:
-Motor oil leak into main engine wiring harness. Shorted several electrical components and warranty replaced main ECU, some other aux computer, all related harnesses, O2 sensors, and fuel injectors. Engine was dropped twice during this period. Leaking cam plug was also discovered during this process and replaced. (REPAIRED)
-Front suspension noise - several layers and visits of research and repair. From replacing end links to most recently, an entire hydraulic torsen sway bar assembly. Turns out the Active Curve system (which took me a while to find a unit with this feature) was failing which caused a daisy chain of issues. (REPAIRED) Recall was issued May 2018 for Active Curve vehicles. A coincidence that I received the notice as they were making these repairs. I still have to go in for the recall service since they are installing a modified oil reservoir cap to prevent a leak that was causing fires. (PENDING)
-Cracked Coolant line to Turbo. Coolant dumped onto the driveway after a 20 min drive one day. Filled it back up with water and drove straight to the dealership with normal temps. Since I used water, they had to flush and replace all coolant for the repair and pressure test. (REPAIRED)
-Unraveling inake hoses (REPAIRED)
-Warped rear rotors. My test drive in Los Angeles was pretty much a low speed drive on local roads. It wasn't until I drove the long downhill portion of I5 while going back up to San Francisco did I experience the warped rotors. Dealership had replaced pads under CPO spec, but I don't think they checked the rotors for evenness. I got MB USA involved, and they gave me a goodwill credit to replace all 4 corners. (REPAIRED)
-Rear Door lock issue. Replaced both sides. (REPAIRED)
-Windsheld crack. Non-dealer auto glass repair shop promised an OEM replacement by Friday so we could drive down to LA for the weekend. The unit that arrived was not compatible with the sensors/radar. Ended up packing into our M3 sedan for the trip. Came back on Tuesday with the correct unit installed. Insurance covered a portion of the cost. (REPAIRED)
-Sunroof Wind Noise. Went to 3 separate dealerships, and even within the final dealership, had to deal with 3 different SAs. The last one fought for me, and finally the dealership admitted the noise was beyond spec. They tried to repair and adjust, but was still making noise. They ordered a unit from Kentucky, supposedly fell off the truck, and they had to order another one that required additional time to manufacture (they don't stock a lot of these). The whole process to get the part was about a month. (REPAIRED)
-Driver's seat ventilation fan popped out and ended up on the floor behind the seat. Dealership says the tech opened up the seat to find that the fans were present. My research says that the rear of the seat has several fans, but the bottom cushion should have several more fans (which are harder to get to). Comparing the sound levels of the driver's seat and passenger's seat fans, the passenger's seat sounds as if it has many more fans running. This isn't urgent, and I told the SA that we could revisit this when I come in for my recall or Maintenance, whatever comes first. (PENDING)
I LOVE THE CAR, don't get me wrong. But if you don't work 3 minutes from a dealership, or don't plan on buying additional CPO warranty, be warned. MB must've spent well over $20k fixing this unit. I don't know if it was abused by the first owner, or if its just bad luck, but what I have now is a car that drives like new. The B&O system sounds amazing. Active Curve helps the car drive like a sporty sedan. Sport mode is rarely necessary and feels like cut springs more than anything. No regrets!
Good luck!
Larry
-Motor oil leak into main engine wiring harness. Shorted several electrical components and warranty replaced main ECU, some other aux computer, all related harnesses, O2 sensors, and fuel injectors. Engine was dropped twice during this period. Leaking cam plug was also discovered during this process and replaced. (REPAIRED)
-Front suspension noise - several layers and visits of research and repair. From replacing end links to most recently, an entire hydraulic torsen sway bar assembly. Turns out the Active Curve system (which took me a while to find a unit with this feature) was failing which caused a daisy chain of issues. (REPAIRED) Recall was issued May 2018 for Active Curve vehicles. A coincidence that I received the notice as they were making these repairs. I still have to go in for the recall service since they are installing a modified oil reservoir cap to prevent a leak that was causing fires. (PENDING)
-Cracked Coolant line to Turbo. Coolant dumped onto the driveway after a 20 min drive one day. Filled it back up with water and drove straight to the dealership with normal temps. Since I used water, they had to flush and replace all coolant for the repair and pressure test. (REPAIRED)
-Unraveling inake hoses (REPAIRED)
-Warped rear rotors. My test drive in Los Angeles was pretty much a low speed drive on local roads. It wasn't until I drove the long downhill portion of I5 while going back up to San Francisco did I experience the warped rotors. Dealership had replaced pads under CPO spec, but I don't think they checked the rotors for evenness. I got MB USA involved, and they gave me a goodwill credit to replace all 4 corners. (REPAIRED)
-Rear Door lock issue. Replaced both sides. (REPAIRED)
-Windsheld crack. Non-dealer auto glass repair shop promised an OEM replacement by Friday so we could drive down to LA for the weekend. The unit that arrived was not compatible with the sensors/radar. Ended up packing into our M3 sedan for the trip. Came back on Tuesday with the correct unit installed. Insurance covered a portion of the cost. (REPAIRED)
-Sunroof Wind Noise. Went to 3 separate dealerships, and even within the final dealership, had to deal with 3 different SAs. The last one fought for me, and finally the dealership admitted the noise was beyond spec. They tried to repair and adjust, but was still making noise. They ordered a unit from Kentucky, supposedly fell off the truck, and they had to order another one that required additional time to manufacture (they don't stock a lot of these). The whole process to get the part was about a month. (REPAIRED)
-Driver's seat ventilation fan popped out and ended up on the floor behind the seat. Dealership says the tech opened up the seat to find that the fans were present. My research says that the rear of the seat has several fans, but the bottom cushion should have several more fans (which are harder to get to). Comparing the sound levels of the driver's seat and passenger's seat fans, the passenger's seat sounds as if it has many more fans running. This isn't urgent, and I told the SA that we could revisit this when I come in for my recall or Maintenance, whatever comes first. (PENDING)
I LOVE THE CAR, don't get me wrong. But if you don't work 3 minutes from a dealership, or don't plan on buying additional CPO warranty, be warned. MB must've spent well over $20k fixing this unit. I don't know if it was abused by the first owner, or if its just bad luck, but what I have now is a car that drives like new. The B&O system sounds amazing. Active Curve helps the car drive like a sporty sedan. Sport mode is rarely necessary and feels like cut springs more than anything. No regrets!
Good luck!
Larry
I also heard about Active Curve and wanted it at first but I’ve been hearing of issues with the system and it seems like a headache to own down the road.
I also wanted Bang and Olufsen but seeing that there is no spare tire with this option ruled this out for me. No way I’m going on a roadtrip with my family with no spare tire just for an upgraded sound system. And the Harman Kardon sounds pretty good.
07-05-2018, 10:48 AM
#14
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Greenville Delaware
Posts: 162
Received 11 Likes
on
11 Posts
2015 GL 550
We got lucky. Our 2015 GL550 is the most reliable vehicle we have owned and we owned ten Lexus prior to this our first MB. We've owned it for a little over three years, we have low mileage and seldom drive it at high speeds although it drives great when we do.
It went through the first set of tires at 13 thousand miles, but MB replaced two of them under warranty. Otherwise ... it goes in once a year for routine maintenance and detailing. Is that reliable enough?
It went through the first set of tires at 13 thousand miles, but MB replaced two of them under warranty. Otherwise ... it goes in once a year for routine maintenance and detailing. Is that reliable enough?
07-05-2018, 12:38 PM
#15
Junior Member
I am also contemplating a GL550 soon however I will be looking at 2014-2015. Do you think that yours being a 2013 (first model year) is why you experienced so many issues that would be less prone to failure or corrected on a 14-16 model year car?
I also heard about Active Curve and wanted it at first but I’ve been hearing of issues with the system and it seems like a headache to own down the road.
I also wanted Bang and Olufsen but seeing that there is no spare tire with this option ruled this out for me. No way I’m going on a roadtrip with my family with no spare tire just for an upgraded sound system. And the Harman Kardon sounds pretty good.
Honestly I have no idea if there were drastic changes to the 2013 model for reliability, but I do know there are some differences. For example, the Remote Start module was a different model separate from the 2014+ models, AND it was in a completely different location in the car. This doesn't prove anything since electronics could change faster than the mechanical components.
The CPO I got had the B&O system, which I did not care for either at the time. In fact, this unit was so fully loaded, nobody wanted it at the list price (I think it was about $70k 18 months ago). It sat on the lot for 60+ days, price dropped to $65k, I bargained to $52.5k stating that I didn't want to pay for the $6k audio system. I never once mentioned that the only thing I wanted was Active Curve, which I've said before, dealers don't even know what it is, nor do they always advertise it. They said no. Two weeks later, they call me back accidentally bc I was on their call list or something. I told them I was still interested in the GL550 that they're probably considering sending to auction (Since theyve had it dead on the lot for so long already) for $55k. Thirty minutes later I get a call with the green light. Anyway, I felt like I got the B&O system for free, and free sounds really good.
My theory is, if you can afford it, never own a German car without some type of warranty coverage. I remember when I had a 2008 VW Touareg V10 TDI - the engine was quoted to cost $42k for replacement. So just as you would prefer not to be without health insurance, protect yourself from a repair time bomb in the future. I'm confident MB has lost money on my unit thus far, and it drives new. I also have to mention, MB has a really good loaner program, at least the one in San Francisco. I turn in my 2013 GL for several days of repair, and in exchange I get a 2018 GLE or E300. Win Win.
Larry
Last edited by Lawrence Lane; 07-06-2018 at 06:47 PM.
07-05-2018, 12:42 PM
#16
Junior Member
We got lucky. Our 2015 GL550 is the most reliable vehicle we have owned and we owned ten Lexus prior to this our first MB. We've owned it for a little over three years, we have low mileage and seldom drive it at high speeds although it drives great when we do.
It went through the first set of tires at 13 thousand miles, but MB replaced two of them under warranty. Otherwise ... it goes in once a year for routine maintenance and detailing. Is that reliable enough?
It went through the first set of tires at 13 thousand miles, but MB replaced two of them under warranty. Otherwise ... it goes in once a year for routine maintenance and detailing. Is that reliable enough?
07-05-2018, 07:44 PM
#18
Willie,
Honestly I have no idea if there were drastic changes to the 2013 model for reliability, but I do know there are some differences. For example, the Remote Start module was a different model separate from the 2014+ models, AND it was in a completely different location in the car. This doesn't prove anything since electronics could change faster than the mechanical components.
The CPO I got had the B&O system, which I did not care for either at the time. In fact, this unit was so fully loaded, nobody wanted it at the list price (I think it was about $70k 18 months ago). It sat on the lot for 60+ days, price dropped to $65k, I bargained to $52.5k stating that I didn't want to pay for the $6k audio system. I never once mentioned that the only thing I wanted was Active Curve, which I've said before, dealers don't even know what it is, nor do they always advertise it. They said no. Two weeks later, they call me back accidentally bc I was on their call list or something. I told them I was still interested in the GL550 they're probably considering sending to auction (Since theyve had it dead on the lot for so long already) for $55k. Thirty minutes later I get a call with the green light. Anyway, I felt like I got the B&O system for free, and free sounds really good.
My theory is, if you can afford it, never own a German car without some type of warranty coverage. I remember when I had a 2008 VW Touareg V10 TDI - the engine was quoted to cost $42k for replacement. So just as you would prefer not to have health insurance, protect yourself from a repair time bomb in the future. I'm confident MB has lost money on my unit thus far, and it drives new. I also have to mention, MB has a really good loaner program, at least the one in San Francisco. I turn in my 2013 GL for several days of repair, and in exchange I get a 2018 GLE or E300. Win Win.
Larry
Honestly I have no idea if there were drastic changes to the 2013 model for reliability, but I do know there are some differences. For example, the Remote Start module was a different model separate from the 2014+ models, AND it was in a completely different location in the car. This doesn't prove anything since electronics could change faster than the mechanical components.
The CPO I got had the B&O system, which I did not care for either at the time. In fact, this unit was so fully loaded, nobody wanted it at the list price (I think it was about $70k 18 months ago). It sat on the lot for 60+ days, price dropped to $65k, I bargained to $52.5k stating that I didn't want to pay for the $6k audio system. I never once mentioned that the only thing I wanted was Active Curve, which I've said before, dealers don't even know what it is, nor do they always advertise it. They said no. Two weeks later, they call me back accidentally bc I was on their call list or something. I told them I was still interested in the GL550 they're probably considering sending to auction (Since theyve had it dead on the lot for so long already) for $55k. Thirty minutes later I get a call with the green light. Anyway, I felt like I got the B&O system for free, and free sounds really good.
My theory is, if you can afford it, never own a German car without some type of warranty coverage. I remember when I had a 2008 VW Touareg V10 TDI - the engine was quoted to cost $42k for replacement. So just as you would prefer not to have health insurance, protect yourself from a repair time bomb in the future. I'm confident MB has lost money on my unit thus far, and it drives new. I also have to mention, MB has a really good loaner program, at least the one in San Francisco. I turn in my 2013 GL for several days of repair, and in exchange I get a 2018 GLE or E300. Win Win.
Larry
I agree on the warranty coverage, especially if you have a V10 Audi, AMG Benz, or M series BMW. If something goes wrong on those engines it will bankrupt you. However, I was fairly fortunate with my 07 Audi A8 4.2L V8 I owned 6 years past warranty. Engine/transmission bulletproof. It’s the air suspension (and control arms) that get you.
07-05-2018, 07:47 PM
#19
Everyone says Lexus is so maintenance free. When we had our 2001 G430, it was problem after problem. Though I have to admit, I'm super sensitive to anomalies with the car, ie. I could hear the AC fluid bubbling inside the dash which they ended up fixing. I think most people don't hear or notice the things that I do. I'm also the same person that successfully challenged a late model Honda Odyssey lemon - which I think was the fault of the tech team making the car worse every time I brought it in. Ignorance is bliss.
07-05-2018, 09:49 PM
#20
Hi here are the issues we have had. GL550 2011 83k miles. A) blind spot alert sensor network $1800 @65k miles B) Air struts all 4 $4000 @83k miles C) Thermostat $850 @53k miles.
The services are all done by the MB dealer. very expensive, but I have to believe very well done.
We do put snows and summers on the car (Live in Boston area) you'll really like the snows, it handles so well and safety makes a difference.
t
The services are all done by the MB dealer. very expensive, but I have to believe very well done.
We do put snows and summers on the car (Live in Boston area) you'll really like the snows, it handles so well and safety makes a difference.
t
07-06-2018, 06:44 PM
#21
Junior Member
Wow, you negotiated 10k off??!! I test drove a CPO 2015 black on Black at a dealer a month ago. It has 42,000 miles, Designo leather, rear seat entertainment, third row easy entry, pano roof, driver assistance, heated steering and rear seats. No Bang and Olufsen or Active Curve. They are asking $58,888. I only want to spend $45,000 max. The car is still on the lot. You gave me some hope on how much wiggle room these dealers have.
I agree on the warranty coverage, especially if you have a V10 Audi, AMG Benz, or M series BMW. If something goes wrong on those engines it will bankrupt you. However, I was fairly fortunate with my 07 Audi A8 4.2L V8 I owned 6 years past warranty. Engine/transmission bulletproof. It’s the air suspension (and control arms) that get you.
See if you can find the car on cargurus.com. Check to see how many days they've had it on sale. If its over 30 days, there is wiggle room. If its over 60 days, they want it gone. They probably bought it for $45k, so test your luck.
07-06-2018, 06:45 PM
#22
Junior Member
07-06-2018, 07:06 PM
#23
07-06-2018, 07:32 PM
#24
Yes pretty good right? It's amazing what kind of deals you can get when you're not in the rush to buy.
See if you can find the car on cargurus.com. Check to see how many days they've had it on sale. If its over 30 days, there is wiggle room. If its over 60 days, they want it gone. They probably bought it for $45k, so test your luck.
See if you can find the car on cargurus.com. Check to see how many days they've had it on sale. If its over 30 days, there is wiggle room. If its over 60 days, they want it gone. They probably bought it for $45k, so test your luck.
07-06-2018, 08:00 PM
#25
Junior Member
LOL. So manipulative, but car sales is a mind game. Worst case is they say no. Best case is they counter offer, and you can then counter offer one more time.
