Skip to content
Mercedes-Benz GL450Model year report

2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450 Problems

Complaints
15filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
121,000miles, 9 complaints with mileage
Recalls
32 do-not-drive
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
15 mpgcombined, 4.6L 8-cyl 4WD/AWD · 13 city / 18 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 15 consumer complaints for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The part named most often is air bags, with 8 complaints (53% of the total), followed by brakes (3) and other or unknown (3). 9 of the complaints include a mileage, and 22% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 121,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns (2 marked do-not-drive) and 61 technical service bulletins for this model year. Air bags complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign covering the inflator module and 3 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Brakes complaints overlap with 2 recall campaigns covering the vacuum and 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Air bags: “Takata recall a recall notice was issued for my vehicle's (2009 benz GL450) airbags. However, takata / mercedes benz do not have a remedy available for my vehicle despite the recall date being more than 1 year ago.”

NHTSA complaint #11042257, filed 2017-11, 124,000 miles

Brakes: “Takata inflators : the srs light is continuously staying on in the vehicle. As soon as the vehicle is started the light comes on and does not go off until the vehicle goes back off.”

NHTSA complaint #11180702, filed 2019-02, 100,000 miles

Other or unknown: “We had trouble towing our travel trailer, we looked under our car and the weld was broken on our hitch. We took it to the dealership and their inspection confirmed it was a bad weld .they want us to pay $900 to fix. This is the exact same problem and hitch that was recalled in 2007 and 2008, so mercedes continued to use the same hitch and weld in year 2009 and now it has failed after 4 times towing. The rust on our picture indicates the weld had failed much prior to us realizing it.”

NHTSA complaint #10983420, filed 2017-05, 39,000 miles

Suspension: “I purchased my mb GL450 in 2010 and at that time it was covered as a pre-owned mb vehicle. Under the warranty, I had the air ride suspension fixed twice. Once on front left and right. After the warrant expired, I have had to do both sides of my suspension again. Now the front left has failed and needs to be repaired. I have read my blogs and posts about this mb suspension defect and want hope the NHTSA can push mb to issue a recall to fix this failed product.”

NHTSA complaint #11074351, filed 2018-02, 121,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

22% of the 9 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 100,000 and 126,000 miles.

11%0–100%10–2511%25–500%50–750%75–10067%100–15011%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (9 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 121,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

201792018201920222026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
GL450 4matic 4WD/AWD4.6L 8-cyl7-speed automatic131815$5,500

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 61 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 61 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercedes-Benz GL450

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2016135,0005—19—Not enough data
20151838,5083—19—Falling
20142156,0003—16—Rising
20133724,0003—1650 · TypicalStable
20124757,5003—150 · FewerFalling
20115573,0003—1550 · TypicalRising
20104292,1383—140 · FewerStable
200915121,0003—15—Falling
20085569,0002—1552 · TypicalStable
200711580,0002—15Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Mercedes-Benz GL450 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450 have?

NHTSA recorded 15 consumer complaints for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450 as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450 is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 8 complaints (53% of the total), followed by brakes with 3.

Has the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 of them with a do-not-drive advisory. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450 get?

The EPA rates the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450 (GL450 4matic, 4.6L 8-cyl) at 15 mpg combined, 13 city and 18 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $5,500 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL450 reported?

Among the 9 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 121,000 miles and the middle half falls between 100,000 and 126,000 miles; 22% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.