Benny99

Had my GLC for about 6 months and only has 2000 miles on it, but the check engine light came on 3 weeks ago. I called Mercedes and they said it could because of a lose gas cap and asked me to tighten it. The light stayed on another few days, then I called them again, the light disappeared. Feels like they can clear the engine light remotely...
But after a few days, the light turned on again. This is so annoying... Mercedes made an appointment for me in a about a month and they said it's safe to drive with the check engine light on... Disappointed.
Is it common to have check engine light on on a Mercedes? I haven't seen this light for almost 10 years when I drove a Honda.

EWL5

I would have said the same as the dealer, that your fuel cap was loose. Having said that, the first model year of a new gen will always have its share of issues. At least you haven't come across the 48V battery issues that a lot of folks seem to be having!

Benny99

Hi, my GLC was towed to the dealership in the first week because of that!

EWL5

Ouch! I guess you should buckle up! It's going to be a challenging ownership and probably why Mercedes is at the bottom of CR's reliability ratings!

DF777

I purchased my 2023 GLC in May 2023,nothing but problems. Yesterday the check engine light stayed on long enough to get to the dealer so they could physically see it.
The Service Writer had a Tech scan the system and this time its an issue with the 48 Volt System. MB has no fix yet but they can do a workaround by discharging and recharging the 48 volt battery but to
expect the check engine light to come back on until MBUSA can come up with a fix. This issue is for the 2024 model also and any other MB with a 48volt system, so they tell me..
I'm done ! The 2023 has been back to the Dealer over 10 times and they have kept it for a total14 days .No starts, Check Engine Light numerous times,Driver Assist issues, Digital Light problems, Low Oil Pressure warning, Battery Critical charge,48 Volt Issues, MBUX finger print reader inop. bad ground connection on body etc. etc.
This morning I contacted an Attorney that specializes in Lemon Law and they consider I have a case and would like to pursue a Buy Back with no expense to me.

EWL5

It's sad that the 48V equipment has been on other models for years and still w/no fix. I guess they're too busy focusing on their EVs.

cjc52315

Do you always have the auto start/stop feature enabled?
What driving mode do you use?
What’s your average driving time per trip?

I am wondering if the 48V issue has something to do with the battery not getting charged enough.

EWL5

I think Mercedes has already admitted there's a connection to that. The only issue is every customer is different and it wouldn't be right for the manufacturer to force the customer to change driving habits.
There are also customers who prefer not to lock their car at home (good luck changing that habit!).

DF777

I have never disabled the start/stop feature. I use the Comfort Mode and on weekdays I drive an average of 15 minutes per trip.
I'm sure my driving pattern does not help with the 48 volt issue, but MBUSA admits they have a problem with the 48 volt system and they have no fix at this
time. According to the Dealer it's not just the 2023 GLC but 2024's and other models affected.
I have owned 12 vehicles in the last 14 years since I retired. This 2023 GLC has more problems than all the others combined. The 2022 GLC that I traded for this car
only went back to the dealer for the Service A at a year old. When I bought the 2023 with all the features I could not get on the 2022 I thought this will be my last car
and keep it until I can no longer drive. I am very disappointed with the attitude of the MB Dealers and MBUSA ,they do not understand the importance of good customer service.

6G Schnell

Interesting. Have seen multiple references to the famous CR ratings. Should we trust CR and simply abandon MB and switch to Ultimate Broken Machines from Munich?

EWL5

You do you!

I have both brands and therefore a front row seat to the good and the bad.

6G Schnell

Congrats!
Rating according to CR, or from your own user experience?

EWL5

The good and bad experience is corroborated by the CR rankings, unfortunately. I've had my MY23 X3 for a bit over a year w/no issues. Meanwhile, the MY23 GL450 has been in the shop twice in less than 5 months (currently still w/less than a year of ownership). The X3 is my first BMW and the GL450 is my fourth Mercedes. If I get a third car, it won't be Mercedes!

CR data is normally behind a paywall but you can still find their most popular lists over the internet:
https://www.businessinsider.com/best...i-lexus-2023-2

Small video from CR:
https://www.consumerreports.org/vide...st-car-brands/

Here's the full list:

1. BMW

2. Subaru

3. Mini

4. Lexus

5. Honda

6. Toyota

7. Genesis

8. Mazda

9. Audi

10. Kia

11. Acura

12. Buick

13. Hyundai

14. Porsche

15. Dodge

16. Lincoln

17. Tesla

18. Infiniti

19. Volkswagen

20. Volvo

21. Nissan

22. Ford

23. Chevrolet

24. Cadillac

25. Chrysler

26. Mercedes-Benz

27. GMC

28. Mitsubishi

29. Alfa Romeo

30. Jaguar

31. Jeep

32. Land Rover

A new list should be coming from CR next month (I fully expect Mercedes to drop even further for 2024 due to the new gen GLC debacle)!

Gitzer

Has anyone seen the “Alex on Autos” episode (now a few years old) where he discusses car ratings like CR. He makes a good case for not putting much faith in them. Years ago I stopped studying the CR auto reports (other types such as laundry detergent reviews are OK) when I saw they down graded a car because the trunk lid corner was too sharp! I myself look for other aspects of a car than the ones CR puts importance in.

EWL5

I would imagine quite a bit of JD Power surveys have been filled out by current '23 and possible '24 GLC owners concerning their less than stellar experiences. If you don't trust CR, take a gander at JD Power:

https://www.jdpower.com/business/pre...ility-studyvds

Yes, Mercedes is towards the bottom of this list too! Note that this list came out before the MY23 GLC debut so expect Mercedes to drop further in next month's list!

Gitzer

In Alex’s piece he includes both CR and JD Power. He is quite convincing, not to put too much of one’s deliberations about car purchases into their reports.

6G Schnell

I don’t trust CR as bmw vs mb rating, it should be really the opposite from what they have published.
Short story from my own experience with these two brands:
BMW: owned 18 (used to be ultimate driving machine) ranging from 3 and 5 series all the way up to m3s and m5s. Got tired from number of issues and recalls over the years. Tipping point was when dealer could not get approval from bmw to fix m5 smg issue (under the warranty)! Finally moved to more reliable brand.
MB: smaller sample with only 9 so far: c and e class, GLCs, amg e63s. Nothing to complain about, just having fun driving these great cars. On second GLC and third e63 right now!
My 2c: MB makes better quality, more reliable cars than BMW.

EWL5

Perhaps your frame of reference is outdated.
Over at bimmerpost, very minor issues other than new gen car issues.
MBWorld is flooded w/48V problems regardless of model! The GLC forum is getting close to a triage if it's not already!

The X3 is my first BMW so I don't have any of that "older BMW" baggage that prior owners have. However, I've seen Mercedes change over the years from a 2012 C300 that was rock solid to the cheaper material, too much tech w/too many issues that it is today. If you think the GLS has fewer issues because it's more expensive, think again!

EWL5

If we don't trust CR and/or JD Power (both w/feedback primarily from real customers), who's the authority then?

Alex is a guy who might have the car for a week to do his video review. He can never tell you how ownership experience is like!
I'll trust long-term analysis from Edmunds, Motortrend, Car and Driver, etc. over any YouTuber who's never gone through at least one oil change w/the car!

Gitzer

I would definitely go with “Car and Driver”. If I remember correctly, they gave the 2023 GLC a 9/10 rating. And they value the same traits that I do.

EWL5

Yes, but note how I called out the long-term road testing and not the initial review. You're more likely to find issues after months vs 1-2 weeks!

6G Schnell

Outdated - LOL

As opposed to your no frame of reference - how many of these allegedly broken 48 V GLCs you own and can speak from your user experience?

EWL5

Apparently forums are useless and you have to own the car in order to understand current issues.

Let me know how that works out for you!

EWL5

Here's a good example of why you should take every short-term, initial car review with a grain of salt.

Chevy Blazer EV wins SUV of the year for 2024 (posted Oct 2023)
https://www.motortrend.com/news/chev...v-of-the-year/

23 Problems after 2 Months! (posted Dec 2023)
https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/202...rm-faults.html

I say again, I trust long-term reviews much more than folks who've had it for only 1-2 weeks!

Gitzer

The Blazer is an extreme case.
I had a 2021 Audi A4, custom ordered, that would not start during the first month of ownership, had me stranded. It was flat bedded back to the dealership and had a control board replaced under warranty. Since then I owned it for 13 years, longest I have ever owned a car. I owned it for so long because I enjoyed it so much, drove great, comfortable, interior was beautiful (never looked dated). Point is, these operating and design traits carry more weight for me in my buying decision than the unknown reliability of one particular car compared to another. You can overcome the failure of a component but you can’t change the appeal (or lack of) of a car. Most of the car forums are filled with owners reporting transient problems, even vaunted makes like Genesis. I have not had any problem with my 48V system and I would not tell anybody considering a MB to stay away due to the small number of problems discussed here out of the thousands sold.
I am getting sucked into the online auto forum world. I’ve got to cut this out.