2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other GL450 years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 47 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450. That ranks 4th out of 11 GL450 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (22 complaints, 47%), typically at around 55,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 2 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 47owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 22 | 47% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 15% | 60,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 11% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 9% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 9% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 6% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 4% | 38,967 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 4% | 7 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 4% | 56,984 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | 7 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450 recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuumDo not drive
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuumDo not drive
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 ML320 BlueTec 4Matic, GL320 BlueTec 4Matic and R320 CDI 4Matic, 2011 E350 Cabriolet and E550 Cabriolet, 2009-2011 ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML550 4Matic, ML63 AMG, and C63 AMG, 2010-2011 ML450 4Matic Hybrid, E350 Coupe, E350 4Matic, E550 Coupe, E550 4Matic, and E63 AMG, 2011-2012 GL350 BlueTec 4Matic and R350 BlueTec 4Matic, 2009-2012 GL450 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and R350 4Matic, 2007-2008 SLK280, SLK350, and SLK55 AMG, 2011-2014 SLS AMG Coupe, 2012 SLS AMG Cabriolet, 2013-2014 SLS AMG GT and SLS AMG GT Cabriolet, 2005 C230 Kompressor and C320, 2006-2007 C230, 2006-2011 C350, 2008-2011 C300 and C300 4Matic, 2010-2012 GLK350 and GLK350 4Matic and 2007-2008 Chrysler Crossfire vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: MBUSA will their notify owners, and Fiat Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Mercedes-Benz owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372 and Chrysler owners may contact Fiat Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving on the highway my break warning light came and when I tried pulling over car would not stop my break pedal went all the way to floor causing me to hit the back of another car and I had to get a tow
dash light in red keeps indicating SRS , also dash says SRS Malfunction front left service required, Pre-Safe Inoperative See operators Manuel. also seatbelt case falling off.
The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…
Recently discovered that water intrusion in the back of my vehicle is coming from cracks (longitudinal and transverse) on its roof. The roof has no other damage that would have caused the cracks Upon discovery, I took it to my local MB dealership and the attendant that looked at it said he had…
Breaks became unusable due to lost power break fluid caused by corrosion on the lines. Fluid was completely gone and breaks were not effective at all. Dashboard showed RED light with break error. Dealer confirmed that rust build up caused the failure.
Other Mercedes-Benz GL450 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 GL450 | 1 | 2 |
| 2016 GL450 | 13 | 5 |
| 2015 GL450 | 18 | 3 |
| 2014 GL450 | 21 | 3 |
| 2013 GL450 | 37 | 3 |
| 2012 | 47 | 3 |
| 2011 GL450 | 55 | 3 |
| 2010 GL450 | 42 | 3 |
| 2009 GL450 | 15 | 3 |
| 2008 GL450 | 55 | 2 |
| 2007 GL450 | 115 | 2 |
See all Mercedes-Benz GL450 problems by year, every Mercedes-Benz model, or the Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder.
Similar Mercedes-Benz models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450?
Owners most often report air bags, suspension, power train problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 22 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL450 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other GL450 model years, the 2012 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.