ordered - and delivered a 2024 GLS 450 - well equipped, arrived 10/23. Loved it and bonded to it. Three weeks later - 800 miles - developed and onslaught of electrical issues. Initially "active stop and go assist inoperative" "active distance assist inoperative" and all functions from the left sided steering wheel control pod. Followed by inability to use radio tuners, and Apple CarPlay. An elusive repair. Has been in the shop 45 days (longer than I had it!) over the holidays, has been gone over and over - steering wheel replaced. Spoke to MB Customer Advocacy reps. Received a call today from my dealer - who I really like - and they will now replace the entire MBUX (which they thought was the way to go initially, but were overruled by MB). Should I wait to see if it can be fixed? Should MB compensate me?

 

Depends on what your alternatives are. Can you see yourself in another car, brand, etc.?

 

To be honest - No. Nothing even comes close. The car is the quietest (+sound package) nicest ride I've ever had - better than my '21 GLS450. And when I look at the 'universe' of cars I like, and there are a few, it seems the GLS is the one that is . the gold standard.

 

Then your only recourse is to stick w/it and hope Mercedes figures it out.

I've gotten similar messages in my MY23 but never lost radio tuner or CarPlay. It's a travesty that Mercedes still hasn't understood how to make the mild hybrid system behave!

 

You're right EWL5 - the techs at the dealership are top notch, so I'll stick with it.

 

Just make sure you follow your process in case you need them to buy it back.

IMO they should compensate you. I had a Lexus LS460 that was off the road the first two weeks I had it, and they cut me a check for $500 half the lease payment)

 

Ask for compensation and sign up for another vehicle. Get that lemon back into their hands. Get another GLS if you love it so much; there's nothing wrong with that. The longer you wait, the more prorated your compensation will be.

 

Ask yourself if you will ever trust it again for an out of town trip.

We had a very nice but buggy 2020 GLE 450. I trust the shop, and even though they may have fixed it after the third week-long stint in the shop, we just didn't trust it, so we traded.

We both still miss the car and sometimes wonder if we made the wrong decision.

I'll also mention that we had an MBUX related component in the left rear, that had to be special ordered and it took 8 hours of downloading to update it in the entire MBUX system.

Absolutely no problem since, so I'll bet you'll be lucky.

 

Lemon law it back to MB.

 

Start a buyback process with the dealer. If no joy then start a lemon process according to your state’s laws. Then buy a BMW, Porsche or Lexus.

 

You need to read the X7 forums, they are no better. Porsche doesn't sell anything luxury focused like the GLS, and nothing with 3 rows, and Lexus you would have to accept a gussied up Toyota Highlander or a much smaller truck based vehicle that is 10 years behind on technology and rides like garbage by comparison.

 

oh don't get me started on this!! I custom ordered by 2024 GLE 450 and was shocked to see the build quality of these new cars!! They are outright taking us for granted. I planned on creating a new thread but did not get a chance to do so. Below are some points that I've raised to MB management in an email.

Within just 6 days of taking delivery, we encountered several distressing issues:

1. Missing Rear Side Airbags: On the day before delivery we got to know that the car lacked the rear side airbags we specifically ordered for added safety for our newborn and our 2 dogs. This information was not communicated to me during the build or shipping process, which was shocking.

2. A Hole Behind Front Driver Seat Panel: During an inspection at the dealership, a large hole was found behind the front driver seat panel. This defect is not only unsightly but also raises concerns about the overall craftsmanship of the vehicle.

3. Flawed Kick Sensor Installation: Within five days of receiving the vehicle, I discovered a black pipe-like object protruding from the rear bumper area. It turned out to be the tailgate kick sensor, which had been improperly installed. The sensor's installation was clearly illogical and demonstrated a lack of care and accountability.

4. Missing Bumper Support Screws: While comparing the improperly installed kick sensor to the one on the opposite side, I noticed several missing screws that secure the rear bumper in place.This unexplained absence of screws raises concerns about the overall assembly process and the adherence to quality assurance standards.

5. Intermittent Heads-Up Display: The heads-up display malfunctioned, rendering it unusable for an entire day. It miraculously regained functionality the following day

6. Excessive Seat Slack: The driver's leather seat and the rear two seats exhibit excessive slack, raising concerns about their durability and longevity.

On top of that there's one time where the Adaptive Cruise control decided to stop working while I was driving, midway our trip!

 

But no mild hybrid issues?

Sorry for such an awful experience! Hope your dealer makes it right! Not sure how much further Mercedes can drop in the CR rankings…

 

That is downright embarrassing!! I'd have returned that car the next day, or when I found out about all those issues.


TO THE OP: tell the dealer you want a replacement and do not take no for an answer. What are the lemon laws where you live?

 

Wow! It's so incredible I had to quote your whole message including pictures.

 

Not yet!! But at this point I would not be surprised!
I had to work really hard to get a $4k discount for the missing airbag. I emailed the CEO of MBUSA about the other issues, and it seems they are concerned about the build quality. They offered a free extended warranty in response. I requested to return the car, but MB's legal team said it doesn't qualify for a buyback. I'm worried more issues might arise in the future at this rate.

 

Yeah I tried that but at that point they're like you have to deal with Mercedes directly, I live in Florida. Since they offered extended warranty and fixed those issues I went ahead and kept it. The car and ride quality is great just their Build quality is ****ty!! But I'm 100% positive that we'll find more issues with the car!

 

At least they were fixed and as long as you feel like they made you whole then that's great
Hang in there and enjoy the ride!

 

Vance quality is pitiful.

 

I think only a fool would not recognize there are quality issues and reliability issues here lol

The point is though, what else do you buy? There aren't a lot of other options. You can go bigger and domestic (Escalade, Navigator, Yukon Denali), those trucks are actually very good trucks but they have their potential reliability issues too, especially in the Escalade, and they are much larger and ponderous to drive and don't ride as well as the GLS. There is the X7, which is not as well packaged inside for carrying people but is an excellent vehicle. The post refresh styling though is polarizing and they too have reliability issues. If you go to Lexus they don't make anything of this caliber...

Honestly, when looking at a 3 row luxury SUV its hard not to keep coming back to the GLS...

 

If your dealer is collaborative and you don't want lengthy fights over it, you may try to ask them to THROUGHLY inspect the vehicle for any anomalies in assembly they can find in internal and external areas they can see / get access to without disassembling anything. Missing screws, loose screws, loose panels etc. At the end the end of the day, there is their part in it too - they performed the PDI and sold you the vehicle, so they may want to make it right to an extent they can.

 

The dealership gets paid to perform the PDI. Part of the PDI is to handle future comebacks, or "service adjustments" as it's called.

They should be embarrassed about not finding damage. So should the salesperson, who should at least have given it a once-over before delivery.

If the problem comes and goes, ask the service manager and or the lead technician take the car home for a couple of nights.
I did that with my 2020. (It was interesting to find out where they live by using my Mercedes app....) But they figured out what was causing one of my electronics issues. Cross traffic alert in that case.

 

Update: Thank you for your thoughts and advice. Car returned to me after 54 days, with entire MBUX electronics replaced. I had plenty of time to weigh options - and my most important "wants" 1. a vehicle that would help keep me from getting into accidents ( I have multitasker impulses and a craving to sight-see) 2. Protection in the event of a mishap. EWL5's thought "Could I see myself in any other make?" No, I could not, Well the car runs like a charm. Drove 600 miles to North Carolina. No MBUX issues, no squeaks, no rattles. Dealership was polite and courteous knowing I was a prior customer, offered me a $1000 Air BNB gift certificate. I'm happy. I really did not want to go the Lemon route if at all possible.

 

Glad things worked out for you!

 

Glad it's fixed. Hope no more issues, but from how these things are screwed together and the 48 volt system issues they should be giving out $1000 uber certificates.