2009 Mercedes Benz GL550 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 9, 2024 · 6 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other GL550 years
Not enough data 6th of 10 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Mercedes Benz GL550. That ranks 6th out of 10 GL550 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (3 complaints, 50%), typically at around 83,200 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 injury. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2009 Mercedes Benz GL550 problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Air Bags3 · ~83,200 mi
Engine1 · ~106,000 mi
Service Brakes, Air1 · ~200,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1 · ~200,000 mi
Tires1 · ~83,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags350%83,200——
Engine117%106,000——
Service Brakes, Air117%200,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic117%200,000——
Tires117%83,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2016, with 2 complaints
2015: 1201512016: 2201622018: 2201822024: 120241

n = 6 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2009 Mercedes Benz GL550 recalls (3)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuumDo not driveApr 26, 2024 · NHTSA campaign 24V298000 · 15,604 vehicles

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 driveMay 9, 2022 · NHTSA campaign 22V315000 · 350,294 vehicles

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 moduleFeb 11, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V081000 · 711,159 vehicles

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.

The contact owned a 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL 550.The contact stated that while driving at 15- 20 MPH, the driver in front of him was attempting to turn but swerved to the left in his lane, the brake pedal was applied but delayed to respond. The contact crashed into an unknown minivan. There were no…

Service Brakes, Air · received Sep 9, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11613416

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 mercedes-benz gl550. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a complete loss of engine power without warning. The vehicle was towed to mercedes-benz of daytona beach (1188 n tomoka farms rd, daytona beach, fl) for diagnostic testing, but the results were not…

Engine · received Sep 18, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11130048

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ GL550. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V081000 (AIR BAGS) IN MID OCTOBER OF 2017 AND WAS WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THE PART. THE DEALER (MERCEDES-BENZ OF PEMBROKE PINES, 14199 PINES BLVD, PEMBROKE PINES, FL 33027…

Air Bags · received Jul 19, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11112440

It's taking too long to get these airbags replaced! News reports continue to report on injuries and how important it is to get fixed and takata is not able to meet the demand while they continue to produce new air bags for new cars? Where is nhtsa priorities here? I have 4 cars that all need…

Air Bags · received Dec 10, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10934428

Takata recall. Due to the takata recall, the value of my car has diminished by approximately $5-6k, resulting in me being upside down on my loan. I am now stuck driving my family in an unsafe vehicle that i cannot sell without a significant loss.

Air Bags · received Oct 12, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10915616

Other Mercedes Benz GL550 years

← 2008 GL550 · 2010 GL550 →

See all Mercedes Benz GL550 problems by year, every Mercedes Benz model, or the Mercedes Benz VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Mercedes Benz GL550?

Owners most often report air bags, engine, service brakes, air problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 3 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2009 Mercedes Benz GL550?

Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2009 Mercedes Benz GL550 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other GL550 model years, the 2009 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.