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2008 Mercedes Benz GL320 problems

The most common problem on the 2008 Mercedes Benz GL320 is steering, typically around 74,545 miles. It has 3.3 times the complaints of a typical GL320 model year.

Typical year3.3x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
20
Recalls
2
Service bulletins
63
Worst area
Steering

The worst 2008 Mercedes Benz GL320 problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

  • Steering
    7
  • Brakes
    2
  • Engine
    2
  • Fuel system
    2
  • Seats
    2

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Steering
    7
  • Brakes
    2
  • Engine
    2
  • Fuel system
    2
  • Seats
    2
  • Driver assistance
    1
  • Electrical
    1
  • Lights
    1
  • Suspension
    1
  • Transmission
    1

Recalls 2

Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuumReported April 26, 2024 · 15,604 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML, GL, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Risk
Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MMUSA's number for this recall is 2024050001/2. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V‑315.

Recall number 24V298000 · Recall details

Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuumReported May 9, 2022 · 350,294 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML-Class, GL-Class, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Risk
Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2022050014, 2022050015 2022090006, & 2022090007.

Recall number 22V315000 · Recall details

See all 2 recalls for the 2008 Mercedes Benz GL320

Technical service bulletins for the 2008 Mercedes Benz GL320 63

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 63 bulletins for the 2008 Mercedes Benz GL320

What 2008 Mercedes Benz GL320 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Aug 16, 2022 · Brakes · NC

The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL320. The contact received recall notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that they could only repair the vehicle after a month. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to complete the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Jul 25, 2022 · Brakes · ME

The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL 320. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) which stated that the tow was free of charge. The contact stated that he has contacted Mercedes-Benz roadside assistance to arrange for the tow and was redirected to call the Mercedes-Benz recall hotline. The contact stated that he was told to contact several other numbers to arrange for tow the dealer. The contact stated the was unable to arrange the tow to the dealer. The contact was upset that he was given a no-drive recall, and has contacted the manufacturer and the dealer with no results. The contact stated he has not experienced a failure.

Filed Mar 16, 2020 · Electrical, Lights · 195,000 miles · TX · crash · 1 injury

Wiriing insulation in headlights deteriorates resulting in sudden and repeated failure of headlamps.information shared with hella (original manufacturer, but they choose not to respond). Failed parts available for inspection.

Filed Jul 15, 2018 · 127,000 miles · FL

The trailer hitch has been recalled the federal safety agency campaign number 08v242000 : mb recall # 2008-050004 mb technical service bulletin # 2008050004c. Mercedes benz (christian treiber vp customer service thru erick [last name refused] executive referral manager) have in writing denied my request to recognize the need to repair my trailer hitch according to their recall and tsb denying that there is a recall.

Filed Mar 12, 2018 · 126,000 miles · FL

Mersedes benz customer support and bonita springs dealership fl refused to deal with recall the federal safety agency campaign id 08v242000 mb campaign 2008050004 because recall was not logged against VIN # and refused to log against VIN despite seeing recall letter which describes process and seeing entire mb service bulletin. Trailer hitch had been inspected by mb mechanic and determined to be affected trailer hitch and that recall had not been completed. The recall warns that trailer hitch should not be used for anything which destroys my purpose for purchasing the vehicle. I would like some compensation for this and the recall completed as soon as possible.

Filed Nov 9, 2015 · Steering · 136,000 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercedes benz gl320. The contact noticed oil leaking from the vehicle while it was parked. While driving 60 MPH and making a turn, an abnormal noise was heard from the steering wheel. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 08v682000 (steering) the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 136,000.

Filed Oct 31, 2015 · Engine · 90,000 miles · FL

The car broke in the middle of the 45 MPH road in a very dangerous intersection. Towed the car to dealer and they told me the engine is completely damaged and need to be replaced. They told me the timing chain got loose and will cost ~$15k to replace the damaged engine.

Filed Jan 21, 2015 · Steering · 53,000 miles · CA

I was making left hand turn, suddenly the power steering assist failed and it was impossible to steer the vehicle to bring it to safety. This happened just prior to us entering the freeway. If we were to enter the freeway and this failure would occur on the freeway, we would end up in a crash. We contacted mercedes. They sent a tow truck and the vehicle was towed to beverly hills mercedes. We contacted mercedes USA to inform them of the incident. Their customer service called us back and stated that even though the power steering failed we should had been able to maneuver the car to safety ( which we were not able to do). Mb representative did not give us any assurances that the underlying problem of the vehicle being unsafe in case of power steering failure will or can be addressed since this was the way the vehicle was designed. We have 4 little kids and we feel it is extremely dangerous to drive this type of the vehicle with this steering design defect. There are thousands of mercedes gls on a road.

Filed Jun 6, 2014 · Seats · 90,000 miles · MN

I was parked in a parking lot getting into the car and the passenger side adaptive head rest released. This is designed to prevent whiplash but depending on the force it released at (it's mechanical not an airbag) it could cause injury. The vehicle smelled as if an electrical component had melted. I took it to the dealer where I was told there was a short in the wiring in the front seat that triggered the malfunction. The seat has to be removed and the head rest has to be replaced at a cost of $1980. The seat is a 10 way power seat but it should be designed to move without shorting the electronics. Had this gone off while underway with a passenger resting their head against the seat it could have caused injury.

Filed Apr 23, 2014 · Suspension · 73,900 miles · PA

Oct of 2012 right front air suspension component went out - had to replace. November 2012 left front air suspension went out - had to replace that.

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Questions about the 2008 Mercedes Benz GL320

Is the 2008 Mercedes Benz GL320 reliable?

Owners have filed 20 complaints about the 2008 Mercedes Benz GL320, 3.3 times a typical GL320 model year.

What is the most common problem with the 2008 Mercedes Benz GL320?

Steering, with 7 complaints, typically around 74,545 miles. Next is brakes (2).

How many recalls does the 2008 Mercedes Benz GL320 have?

2 recalls, covering service brakes, hydraulic.

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