2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH AND THE CAR WILL DOWNSHIFT AND I COULD ONLY GO 40 MPH NO MATTER HOW HARD I STEPPED ON THE GAS. I HAD TO PULL OVER, TURN THE CAR OFF, WAIT TEN MINUTES AND THEN START IT UP AGAIN. AGAIN THIS WEEK IT ALSO HAPPENED.

The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission slipped and failed to shift into the intended gear. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer replaced the transmission control module. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. The contact stated that their vehicle still has not been repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer have a remedy to fix the vehicle or accommodate him.

MY CAR BATTERY DIED, ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE JUMPED MY CAR, MECHANIC REPLACED MY BATTERIES. THE CAR STARTED WITHOUT PROBLEMS, BUT THEN A MESSAGE CAME UP IN MY DASHBOARD IN RED SAYING TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE WORKSHOP WITHOUT SHIFTING GEARS; AFTER THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE CAR AND DID SOME RESEARCH HE FOUND THAT THE INTELLIGENT SERVO MODULE WAS BAD; THE CARD WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING IN THE SHOP. *TR

THE FOLLOWING CONDITION APPEARED WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. (I PUT A DATE OF 1/1/18, IN THE BOX BELOW, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES SINCE THEN, AND I FIND IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY MORE). AT HIGHER SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION WILL DOWNSHIFT TO BY ITSELF INTO 1ST GEAR SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. EVEN AT FREEWAY SPEEDS RPMS WILL SUDDENLY JUMP UP TO "RED-LINE" LIMITS AS THE DOWNSHIFT OCCURS FROM 7TH GEAR TO 1ST GEAR. THE VEHICLE MUST BE BROUGHT TO A COMPLETE STOP AND ENGINE MUST BE TURN OFF AND RESTARTED FOR TRANSMISSION TO ENGAGE PROPERLY. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS WHEN OTHER VEHICLES ARE FOLLOWING OR IN ADJACENT LANES TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS. ALSO, AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS, VEHICLE RPMS DROP SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. TRANSMISSION BASICALLY DISENGAGES AND WILL NOT RE-ENGAGE EVEN WHEN GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED. ENGINE MUST BE TURNED OFF COMPLETELY AND RESTARTED FOR TRANSMISSION TO ENGAGE. EQUALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION - ESPECIALLY WHEN DECELERATING ON FREEWAY OFF-RAMPS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED (ALL SERVICE RECORDS ARE AVAILABLE), AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER (BOUGHT NEW IN LATE 2006). THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 117,500 MILES AS OF FEBRUARY 2018. WHAT ALARMS ME THE MOST IS THAT I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE REPORT EXACTLY THE SAME DANGEROUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. EVEN MY INDEPENDENT MECHANICS SAYS ITS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM. I SAY IT'S A DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I SHOULD KNOW, IN PART BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN REGISTERED TRAFFIC ENGINEER FOR OVER 39 YEARS, AND WAS A PAST RECIPIENT OF A NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION FELLOWSHIP IN HIGHWAY SAFETY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP, IT FAILED TO SHIFT GEARS WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER, SHUT OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND THEN THE GEARS OPERATED CORRECTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND THAT THE SPEED AND PCU SENSORS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. ADDITIONALLY, THE ENGINE REMAINED FUNCTIONAL DURING TWO OF THE FAILURES, BUT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT SHIFT INTO THE CORRECT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,561.

TRANSMISSION IS GETTING STUCK IN A GEAR AND NOT SHIFTING UP OR DOWN. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT AND ACCELERATE TO MAINTAIN SPEED ON AN UPHILL INCLINE ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS A SCARY AND DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE HAD OTHER FAILURE TO SHIFT GEAR ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE BEFORE AND AFTER THIS INCIDENT. THE "FIX" IS TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. IF THIS FAILURE TO SHIFT GEARS OCCURS DURING A TURN OR OTHER DANGEROUS SITUATION IT CAN RESULT IN A FATALITY. I SEE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS FAILURE ONLINE FROM OTHER '07 GL450 OWNERS. THIS HAS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR

PREMATURE TRANSMISSION UP-SHIFT AND REMAINS UNRESPONSIVE TO THROTTLE POSITION. SUSPECTED TRANSMISSION CONDUCTOR PLATE/VALVE FAILURE AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED BY OTHERS FOR THIS MODEL YEAR. WHEN WILL MB ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION AND ISSUE A RECALL? *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE (NEUTRAL) EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS IN D AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON STOP LIGHT, CAR LOST THE POWER AND I HAD TO ACCELERATE CAR HARD TO MAKE IT MOVE AND STILL DIDN'T MOVE FINALLY I HAD TO RESTART IT, RESTARTING THE CAR SOLVED THE PROBLEM BUT IT WOULD COME BACK ONCE YOU ARE ON HIGHWAY SPEED, THIS CAN SERIOUSLY CAUSE THE ACCIDENT AS YOU CANT CHANGE THE LANE AS YOUR VEHICLE LOSSES THE POWER AND IT SLOWS DOWN AND COUPLE OF TIMES THE TRANSMISSION MADE A LOUD BOOM SOUND CAUSING THE VEHICLE SPEED TO SLOWED DOWN IN VERY SHORT SPAN OF TIME, AND IF THE DRIVER BEHIND MY CAR HAS SHORT DISTANCE HE\SHE MIGHT END UP HITTING BACK OF THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A SILENT MERCEDES SERVICE BULLETIN S-B-27.00/120 RAISED BY MERCEDES DATE APR 8 2011 FOR CHANGING THE VALVE BODY CONDUCTOR PLATE IN 7 SPEED TRANSMISSION, WHERE AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL FOR 2007-2008 MODEL GL450 BUT MERCEDES GOT AWAY WITH IT. THIS IS REALLY A SAFETY CONCERN AND HIDDEN TRUTH FROM CUSTOMERS. I WOULD REQUEST YOU TO PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND THERE ARE TONS OF OTHER PEOPLE ON FORUMS WHO HAD THE SAME ISSUES FOR THESE 2 YEAR MODELS SOME GOT THE FREE FIX AS THEY WAS UNDER WARRANT AND SOME HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET, THERE WERE FEW INSTANCES WHERE THIS CONDUCTOR PLATE FAILED WITHIN 5-45000 MILES. *TR

DAY BEFORE THE INCIDENT, CAR WOULD SUDDENLY STICK IN GEAR, NOT SHIFT UP OR DOWN OTHER THAN AFTER TURNING IT OF. RESEARCHED THIS; SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. HAD NO TIME TO GET IT FIXED THAT DAY, NEXT DAY GOT INVOLVED IN A SIDE IMPACT ACCIDENT (OTHER DRIVER NEGLECTED STOP SIGN) WANTED TO SPEED UP TO AVOID COLLISION, BUT CAR DID NOT SHIFT DOWN OR ACCELERATE. COULD NOT AVOID COLLISION. AFTER BODY WORK, CAR WOULD STILL HAVE SAME SHIFTING ISSUE. DEALER FOUND OUT WAS FAILING CONDUCTOR PLATE AND VALVE BODY OF THE TRANSMISSION.

2007 GL 450 DOES NOT SHIFT, PULLED OUT IN TRAFFIC AND ALMOST GOT HIT, WITH SMALL MOVEMENT 5MPH TOP SPEED. STOP AT LIGHT ON HILL AND TRANSMISSION WAS STUCK IN NEUTRAL. HAD TO SHUT OFF ENGINE TO RE ENGAGE TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE CONDUCTOR PLATE SENSOR. SAFETY ISSUE? I THINK SO. *TR

THE VEHICLE GETS STUCK IN A GEAR LOW OR HIGH AND WILL NOT GET OUT OF THAT GEAR UNTIL THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR A FAMILY THAT IS EITHER MERGING ON TO THE HIGHWAY OR TRYING TO ACCELERATE. THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR THESE VEHICLES AND MAKES IT VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. YOU DO NOT KNOW IF IT IS STUCK IN A GEAR UNTIL YOU TRY TO ACCELERATE, IT EITHER WILL BE IN 1ST GEAR OR A HIGH GEAR 5-6? AND WILL ACCELERATE VERY SLOWLY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING FOR A PERIOD OF 30 MINUTES TO A HOUR ON CRUISE CONTROL THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN Y CRUISE CONTROL SENDS UP A ERROR MESSAGE N CUTS OUT THEN MY TRANSMISSION DROPS FROM 7TH GEAR TO 6TH GEAR AND WOULD GET STUCK AND I CAN'T SHIFT IT AT ALL. I WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER TURN MY OF THE CAR TURN IT BACK ON JUST SO THE TRANNY WOULD SHIFT NORMAL. ANOTHER 30 MIN OR SO IT DOES IT AGAIN N I HAVE TO REPEAT THE PROCESS TO RESET MY TRANSMISSION. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT ON A LOCAL ROAD WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT SHIFT UP A GEAR. I IMMEDIATELY GOT INTO THE NEAREST PLAZA AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I THEN RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING CORRECTLY AND WAS NOT LOCKING INTO A GEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE ALREADY. IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AS I COULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT WITH THE CAR BEHIND ME. I COULD HAVE ALSO DAMAGED INTERNAL COMPONENTS IN MY SUV. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO NOT SHIFT OUT OF THIRD GEAR GOING UP A HILL.. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AFTER THIS HAPPENED ANOTHER 10 TIMES AND THEY SAID IS A INTAKE FLAP NOT CLOSING PROPERLY AND THAT THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. NOW ITS HAPPENING SO OFTEN IM AFRAID TO PUT MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR ON ACCOUNT THAT EVERY TIME IT STOPS SHIFTING WHEN I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND LOSE ALL POWER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ GL450. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED AND THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY CAME TO A HALT. THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE DEFECT WAS RELATED TO INTERNAL DAMAGE WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO FAULTY CAM SHAFT LOCKING. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 01/25/12