AI Damage2009 Mercedes-Benz GL550: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL550 filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 50% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 17% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 4 Tires 17% of all complaints
- Air bags: 3 complaints (50% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
There were no warning lights illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. There was no reported fire. A police report was filed. The passenger occupant sustained injuries to her back and shoulder and medical attention was provided. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot.
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 ([address], daytona beach, fl) for diagnostic testing, but the results were not disclosed.
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.
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?
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.
Do I have to have a blowout on the highway, wait for an investigation; and then find that all could have been avoided; if the merchant had been honest? Had I been a male, this situation would have been settle with a hand shake!! I find this to be outrageous.. How many other's will this happen to?
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 13,281 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).
On average one model year of the GL550 has 7 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 6, about average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL550?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine, service brakes. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (17%), smoke, burning smell, fire (17%), tires: bulges, blowouts (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL550?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL550 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2009 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.