There are 7 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Classin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I was driving along in my 2013 MB GL450 with the M278 engine when the engine stopped. I had it towed to my home and checked it out. I had a suspicion the engine was seized. I eventually had to towed to my closest MB dealership for evaluation. The engine was seized. Their further investigation revealed that a wrong oil filter had been installed when the oil was changed 5 months and 3000 miles earlier. I tried to find out what this wrong filter would cause. I asked the dealership and then MB and got no response. I suspect if this filter caused the issue it would have been an oil pressure issue. The car gave no indication of anything wrong prior to engine seizing. I got no message on the display and when switching on the switch there is no indicator on the dashboard to indicate anything about oil pressure. There is no "oil can" that pops up red indicating an oil pressure issue. To this day have no idea why the engine seized other than an improper oil filter.
Exhaust valve not working properly and the result of an engine misfire. Mercedez sent us a warranty letter to extend the warranty for this issue 6 months after our warranty expired even though you can find online this has been a known issue for our model of car and year, GL450 2013. There are tons of online forums and threads from Mercedez Benz owners about this manufacturer issue. This should not fall under purchasing an extended warranty or in our case a $17,000 bill to fix the issue on a car with only 70,000 miles on it. This should be a recall.
The engine failed under 100k miles after being properly maintained according to the manufactures guidelines.
MAKES A RATTLING NOISE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER STARTING AND SPUTTERING NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ GL550. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SPUTTER, HESITATE, AND, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (MERCEDES-BENZ OF ORLAND PARK, 8430 W. 159TH ST, ORLAND PARK, ILLINOIS) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DUE TO A FAULTY CYLINDER HEAD; HOWEVER, THE SPARK PLUGS AND SPARK PLUG WIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURES CONTINUED. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC LATER DIAGNOSED THAT THE NUMBER 5 CYLINDER WAS MISFIRING AND THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT ADDRESSED THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
THIS IS TO REPORT AN EVENT HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE BEFORE. THE CAR ENGINE SYO SUDDENTLY WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT SPEED AND MUST HAVE THE CAR PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF HIGHWAY TO RESTART AGAIN!!! *TR
CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING. PROBLEM REPORTED TO YOU, BEFORE! THEY SENT ME TO THREE DEALER, ALL THEY DID WAS ROUTINE CHECKS AND DID NOT ADMIT TO PROBLEM. THIS IS EXACTLY LIKE GM KEY PROBLEM. WHY DIDN'T YOU SURVEY THIS ISSUE AND GET A RECALL?!!
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026