Is This REALLY The Worst Mercedes Ever Made!?

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( / tflcar ) Visit our Patreon page to support the TFL team! Is the first generation Mercedes GL really as bad as the internet will have you believe? In this video we head over to German Auto for the inspection to find out the good and the bad!
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#Mercedes

[@TFLcar]

If you’re ever injured in an accident, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. You can start your claim in just a click without having to leave your couch. To start your claim, visit: www.forthepeople.com/TFL Watch all the episodes NOW over at our Patreon before they go live on KZbin: www.patreon.com/tflcar

[@LukeEdward]

I remember Toby’s first videos years back. Wow. Toby’s on-camera presence is quite refined.

[@InternetDude]

I noticed that too, he seemed awkward before, total pro today.

[@Fiftyfiv3hundr3d]

Right?! I just came into the comments to say that.

[@brentmeister1072]

Very knowledgeable young man- appreciate his expertise and professionalism

[@scotttan6377]

This is a great episode ! Tommy asking all the right questions and Toby with the right answers , exposing " the good , the bad, and the ugly" . Great analysis on Tommy's wrap-up on the car. Hopefully , there will be more episodes like this .

[@Lane-jq3ed]

A mechanic with good skills is important, but having a great reputation is key. Stay honest and trustworthy like Toby👍

[@lcurtsinger4313]

Toby is incredibly thorough, why not do a series on the the top 10 most frequent vehicles that come into his shop

[@grisa12345]

This is gold. If I knew about Toby I wouldn’t have sold my G63. More videos with Toby!

[@p__jay]

What difference does it make 🤷🏻‍♂️ it’s not hard working on those cars…

[@cardenbertrand2493]

Toby’s knowledge is impressive, and he explains things very well. I would feel fortunate to find an independent technician of his caliber. Tommy, your presentation and hosting skills have compounded. Great job, and keep up the good work!

[@wagonswest]

I’d trust him with maintaining my identical GL. Can I afford him is another question. One thing missed or glossed over was how important it is to look for water intrusion in the trunk and underneath the front seats in these cars. If you have water in the floorboards, your electronics are mostly fried and that becomes a parts car not economically worth fixing or working on.

[@igreven87]

While there are some expensive repairs in here when averaged over time, it's not awful. It's a German luxury car so parts aren't going to be cheap. While preventative maintenence is expensive like toby said better to spend $700 every few years then 6 to 7k in one go.

[@brentmeister1072]

It’s been interesting to watch the evolution of MB. Not to many years ago, their reliability outshined the Japanese. MB is now so complicated and sensitive, I believe they’re designed to be lease vehicles. Scheduled maintenance and anticipated repairs are quite expensive once out of warranty.

[@unknownunknowns]

But one thing I’ve noticed with MBs is that the engine seems to be reliably decent. It’s just the other stuff, like the GL’s Airmatic suspension, that doesn’t have to do with the powertrain are the high maintenance ones.

[@brentmeister1072]

@@unknownunknownsit depends on what your definition of the ‘power train’ is… The metal components are decent, it’s the shift to all the plastic components and poor quality seals that are the problem. Plastic intake manifolds/valve covers/oil pans… rear main engine seal starts seeping on most models +\- 40K miles. I could go on-and-on about all the plastic that fails around 50K miles. BMW and Audi the same. It brings me no pleasure to say this- MB/BMW are beautiful legendary cars that still have excellent performance, handling, aesthetics and driver experience. They just begin to deteriorate at 50K miles…

[@Vader1957]

"It's no worse than any other Mercedes." That is the best line of the video.

[@JF-lt5zc]

The comment in the previous video said it all: "Ton of maintenance at the dealer." It's a novel idea to turn something like that into an off roader, but with Mercedes reputation for poor reliability I think a prospective owner would be hard pressed to justify the expenditure. This example has had a lot of work apparently just driving on paved roads. Imagine how poorly it would hold up in more rugged conditions!

[@NickTarterOKC]

The auxiliary batteries are important on these. I had a customer whose power steering was intermittently locking up. The dealership told them they needed a new rack and should probably just trade it in because it was so expensive to repair. They brought it to me. It had a weak battery and auxiliary battery. We changed them out and lo and behold the power steering has no issues now. All of those electronic modules rely on having the right voltage getting to them to work. The auxiliary battery supports them.

[@alafrosty]

I can tell why Toby likes those Mercs: "Most of the time, the air bag suspension typically only lasts 60-80k .. The front airbags are astronomically expensive"

[@unknownunknowns]

At least, he wants to ‘expand’ his horizons by fixing something new, instead of just the engine, which MB doesn’t seem to have an issue with, unlike other brands.

[@deepvalueguy6195]

I am second owner of 2006 Mercedes GL x164 320CDI that has done 490 000 miles. I've had this GL for the last 7 years. I honestly cannot understand where is this reliability thing coming. The engine is same as a Mercedes VAN. Gearbox is the same as on ton of other Mercedes models and air suspension is quite standard on ton of Mercedes cars. For example youtuber Car Wizard has Mercedes W164 as a ''buy'' and one of the best used Mercedes models you can buy. But he hates GL. But ML and GL... it's literally the same car. I'm on original engine, original turbo, original injectors, original gearbox etc etc. The only thing given out are water pump, alternator and starter motor. That's it for engine compartment. The mechanics are rock solid. However... if you are one of these dudes who needs to have every single comfort feature on the car work at all times and soon as something does not work you panic and take it to the dealer you will go broke. Because the car does have ton of useless electronic features that break down a lot. Right now on my car... passenger side mirror does not fold in, radio comad does not work, one rear dvd screen does not boot up, rear automatic boot does not work, rear door locks do not work it leaves rear doors open, rear 3rd row electric seats one of them does not come up. If i scan my car it has like 26 codes at all times all related to some useless stuff. I've had friends say like oh your sat nav does not work... camon it's a 2006 car... it would be useless anyway in 2023? Now if i were to take it to the dealer to get all that electronic stuff fixed up i would go broke. And after two weeks some of that electric stuff would break down again. But i honestly do not care. It fires up without missing a beat and mechanics is all rock solid. For last 2 years i've done nothing but oil change. I think i should start a channel for that car. I mean half a mill miles is just around the corner. There's so much misinformation about these from people who have never owned one.

[@unknownunknowns]

That’s exactly what I’ve been saying. MB engines, unlike other brands, have been reliable while the other stuff have been iffy.

[@clutchinv1803]

With all due respect- most of these mechanics are full of crap. The arnott front strut is $290 each and the rear is $180 each on Rockauto. The compressor is about $400. Labor is not that hard and shouldn’t be more than 2 hours per side. So like $500 for both sides. Where the hell did he get 3k from? Only way you spend 3k for the front struts is if you got the dealer where they charge 1k per strut. Research people. Message boards and google are your friend.

[@NatesHomeTours]

I can't beleive he uses Arnot, I worked at an auto parts store for 6 years, after 3 years I quit selling Arnot to customers due to over half of them coming back under warranty. Another comapny I would never sell is Tomco rebuilt carbs. They all came back under warranty withing 30 days.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Tommy and Toby, Thanks for this highly educational MASTERCLASS in the perils of German car ownership.👏👏👏I would estimate that an equivalent Lexus LX would have required 50% less expenditure on maintenance and repair over the same time period. It also seems there is plenty of work pending $$$$ on this Mercedes for the future owner. We also get the impression the Diesel version is even worse. 🤨

[@davidgirvan6007]

Tommy. Some good numbers and breakdown but interesting things to know. 1) How much did the car cost and how long was the warranty 2) Of the $27k of additional costs over the 17 years, about $15k was routine Service. So of the $12k of repair costs, do you know how much of that was covered by MB under warranty. Would be good to know how much the car actually cost the lady in Total, over the 17 years and xxx miles.

[@free2chasehappy]

I hope Toby is on here more often! His knowledge and experience is just amazing and I always learn something new when he’s on.

[@feelnowayss]

I subbed to the Patreon bc this series seems exciting. Great videos guys!

[@TFLcar]

Thanks for the support!! Great having you on

[@mcnuggetapple]

Same lol

[@TFLcar]

@@mcnuggetapplethank you!!

[@shiftmotorsports9803]

$6k for a liftgate motor?! Someone wanted that vehicle on trade or didn't want the job. The part is around $500

[@robertherrmann4823]

Worst dealer service experience I ever had was the Mercedes dealer just outside of Boulder that she probably used. As soon as the warranty was up, the service advisor told me I needed about $7500 in repairs for a front wheel bearing and a timing chain gasket. At 40,000 miles!!! An independent shop said otherwise, and 3 years later still no front end or oil leaks. Just one of several interactions that soured me on Mercedes. Patricia likely did not even need a new lift motor.

[@MattaKY5064]

Toby is awesome! So informative.

[@chrisb6162]

This sounds like a DIY'er nightmare! Im going to go out in the garage after this video and give my XJ a hug!

[@SK-wx4xb]

I’ve found KZbin videos very easy to follow to fix anything on my 380,000 gl450. Don’t be fooled by people who think they can’t diy repair and service this car. You can.

[@stephencooper5040]

Reverse torx is also called “e-torx”

[@kevin9c1]

I am on my third Mercedes (still have two, one got totaled, grr) and I am pleased how TFL and Toby handled this vehicle. His knowledge was very thorough and I do think it shows that particularly if you DIY you can absolutely enjoy a highly depreciated example.

[@YessirPauly]

Here In Australia, a 2nd hand mercedez is the most expensiclve cheap car you can buy 🤣 Parts cost an arm and a leg here, and an AMG will cost you a kidney aswell 😂

[@mikefoehr235]

German cars are expensive junk

[@bobcoats2708]

Same story everywhere I would think.

Phong cách sống Úc chỉ phù hợp với XE HƠI NHẬT BẢN

[@YessirPauly]

@@mikefoehr235 yeah especially because German engineers do thing weirdly different to the rest of the world 😆

[@mikefoehr235]

@@YessirPauly man do they ever.

[@thebulgarianguy8461]

As a senior Mercedes tech (dealer), it is always fascinating to watch how an independent tech assesses these vehicles. Toby did well and it is obvious that he has experience with them. He has some misses on what certain components actually do but at the end of the day it is irrelevant. My advice to current and future owners is to shop the dealer against independents in their area. I’m in Houston and pretty much all of the decent/good indies around us are more expensive than us while often using inferior parts. You can have bad apples in both camps so do some research and trust your gut.

[@unknownunknowns]

From what you said about Toby having ‘some misses’ and that indys use ‘inferior parts’, it sounds like you’re saying that with the dealership, you at least get the experience and the proper parts, even though you’re paying for the premium. As the adage goes, “You get what you pay for.” So, I think we really can’t stereotype dealerships as ‘stealerships’.

[@thebulgarianguy8461]

@@unknownunknowns I can speak for the situation around me. Competition is real. Mercedes offers 2y warranty on the repair so many of the decent indies are at 3y. To do that, they need to make sure the parts they use are the best possible which usually means buying from us. Of course shops have special accounts and do not pay retail. Once they purchase the parts from us, they use a matrix to bump up the price for their customer which in 99.9% of the times put it above retail. Now, in all honestly, dealers too use some sort of matrix when quoting repairs but customers are not aware or don’t care. It is exactly the same situation when people shop for a monthly car payment instead of total cost of vehicle but that’s a different topic - pretty much if they can afford it, they go for it. In reality, a customer can save money if they figure out the set retail price of parts used for their particular repair and request it before proceeding with the task. Labor rates are also either higher or same at indi shops worth their salt. It takes special equipment, tools, training AND liability to work on higher end European vehicles - mistakes are usually costly. The (wrong nowadays) perception that dealers are the most expensive, makes people not to shop around and automatically assume they’re getting a better deal at the indi shop. This is often untrue. High end dealers offer many perks which are not attainable for the smaller establishments. A good example is the pre-paid maintenance packages. Getting one automatically saves you a solid 30/40% compared to paying out of pocket for each service according to the official maintenance schedule. An indi cannot beat that if using oem parts. I’ve also seen many times the dealer goodwilling repairs on vehicles out of warranty for regular customers. Going back to labor quickly - most dealers use warranty time multiplied by 1.5/6 for customer pay work. I have many tech friends at indi shops calling me with questions on what a certain labor is for a given repairs and I can assure you that in 100% of the times they end up charging their customers more. So, it really pays to shop around and compare prices. Nowadays with all the social media and ease of human interaction it is pure insanity for any decent repair facility to screw people. Dealers compete directly with the indies and more often than not come ahead whether the customer knows it or not.

[@florianbrammer9951]

It's so funny to me that nearly every model I find in Germany has the off-road package.

[@TFLcar]

It was standard if I recall in some euro markets

[@ckm-mkc]

The good thing about that is it means that off-road specific parts are not going to be unobtainable....

[@TheMeanmarine13]

Toby!! My dude is back sharing his knowledge. Its good to see him.

[@borisb2367]

Great cars I have a 2008 ML 320 cdi with 237,000 miles. Aside from break jobs and tires it has been bulletproof, still running original water pump… I don’t know of another smaller suv with 26 gallon tank and 600+ mile range.

[@shwndh]

I had a 2011 ML350 for 7 years. Just sold it last year. That car never gave me a day of trouble. Never even saw a CEL on it. Most reliable car I've ever owned. 182k miles.

[@cooperdarly7738]

My GL450 is 15 years old same age as my eldest son. I still drive it to this day.

[@CarswithNash]

Good stuff. The only thing, you want to make sure you replace the aux battery sooner than later, because if it goes completely dead your shifter will no longer work, you will be locked in park.

[@JF-lt5zc]

That is so dumb. Leave it to the Germans to come up with something as asinine as that.

[@RyanV78665]

Just sold out 2015 x166 gl550 - cost be about 5k last year replacing all the turbo coolant hoses, waterpump, pullies, front air strut. That was the 'friend' price from my buddies shop (I did the front strut myself after it exploded!). I've tapped out as I don't want to deal with the fallout for a turbo or timing chains or tranny issue at 110k. I may consider a non-turbo variant in the future.

[@besikchitidze2292]

Hi, I got stuck between Turbo and nonturbo: trying to make a decision about which one to buy X164 or X166. May be 2012 GL 550?

[@godofdun]

Exactly right on the independent shops saving you lots of money in the long run on the German cars, we've got a 5 series and our local BMW shop keeps her running without breaking our bank.

[@admranger]

Love this series. Well done Tommy! Toby is looking really comfortable on camera now. Great job! And regarding the expense: I'd rather have this with the refined interior and ride than a terrible driving experience like a Toyota.

[@CharlesOlcott]

Those suspension prices are/have to be including labor at a shop to install. If you have a decent Indy shop or better yet, can DIY your own repairs, you can do all four corners for far less than people quote a lot of times. And as with any vehicle - regardless of make - the ongoing maintenance on it will fully depend on how it was taken care of originally. My GL550 is just under 200k miles, original engine, and in the 4 years I've owned it, it's cost me less than $1000 per year in upkeep, including all four corners air suspension (very recently). Battery, Alternator, thermostat and a transfer case rebuild. But it's been absolutely rock solid in the 100k I've put on it. But it all comes down to how it was treated in it's past.

[@erictyppo5850]

I put 250K on a 08 GL550 and currently own an 11 ML550. If you can wrench they're actually not that expensive to own. For the most part, the consumables/wear items aren't substantially more expensive than other cars and the engine and transmission last a long time if you take care of them. If you can avoid the air suspension (impossible on a GL), I would. It is a source of endless expensive issues.

[@jasonperry7970]

I had the 5.5 liter version of this engine in my 09 Clk550. Insane power in a little coupe. Most powerful car I've ever owned. Even at high altitude the 2 lane passing capabilities with the 7 speed was insane.

[@ModernAdventurerTravler]

Great guy! He knows his stuff. Very refreshing to see.

[@moonshadowdrifting]

That's a really comprehensive assessment! And having Toby's expertise on hand was excellent.

[@johnm8891]

We have a 2012 GL 550. Bought it with 80k mile and it now has 213k. Replaced the starter and alternator and a few minor things so I'd consider the drivetrain to be excellent. The Achilles heel is the airbag suspension and rapid tire wear. Those two things really bring the car down. Literally.

[@arthurking8348]

bolt head is called an eTorx. You have had them before, you just didn't know it. Rear bolts on the front seats of a Discovery 2 uses them. Fronts are torx, just the 2 rear bolts are etorx.

[@peterdelamare]

All the ancillaries and parts have a lifecycle, if the maintenance schedule is followed then they aren’t that bad. What usually happens is that they depreciate into the hands of those who believe cars do not need maintaining and thus build up a lot of deferred maintenance and therefore failures.

[@AB-jz9ns]

I own a later model X164 than the one in the video (post facelift), GL450 (2011 MY) since new and it has been flawless. It now has about 110K miles and the very first thing that failed was the radiator fan motor just last month. That's right, after 13 years of ownership I only have had one part failing!!! I had the air suspension replaced at all four corners between 70K-80K but I consider air struts consumables just like tires and brakes. My experience with Mercedes cars has been excellent and have owned 4 so far in my lifetime. I believe that cars post facelift have better reliability record and usually I buy models that are "mature" so that the manufacturer has enough time to fix issues. I also maintain all my cars myself following the MB maintenance schedule religiously using OEM or better parts. Never cheap subsitutes.

[@gabevillarreal4779]

Toyota Sequoia or Landcruiser of that age or twice as old is in 100 times better condition! Even if it was abused!

[@jamescharles8663]

Fantastic video. Tommy and Toby are both cool guys , really informative content. Thank you guys.

[@davemurphy2356]

Great series! Really informative. I wish Toby had a shop in California. :-)

[@rauler007]

Toby should be cloned and have the clones distributed around the states.

[@hondofourfivetwo9347]

LMAO I don’t know how many times I’ve had a customer say “Oh it’s such an old vehicle why is the labor so much” or It’s an old (insert high end car) why are the parts so expensive? Just because it’s old didn’t suddenly reduce the labor time and just because that once $100K+ car has depreciated to the price of a new corolla doesn’t always make the parts cheaper either and when you use the cheaper aftermarket they sometimes cause more issues. Almost $28K in maintenance and service really isn’t bad for a 17yr old MB that was dealer serviced. You’re right the owner definitely loved her vehicle usually most seek an independent shop after the warranty period is up. The problem is when you pay that dealer service pricing and receive less than stellar dealer service or you can’t find a competent independent technician like Toby to service the vehicle

[@airborneranger-ret]

2007 GL450. Now 164k.Everyting works, Loads of room in the 3 rows of seats. Replaced front air shocks, repainted left rear fender (clearcoat was coming off) and the occasional light bulb. Looks great, pleasure to drive. I use liqui-moly in the engine coolant and oil (just me). Highly recommend Michelin tires.

[@nathanm8921]

I love it when Toby makes and appearance.

[@2fastnlight]

Needed the mileage number in that last segment to get full value out of your information

[@mongo64071]

I’ve owned 2 GLs and a GLS. They have been good vehicles for us. But that is merely anecdotal. You have to keep up with maintenance.

[@omardevonlittle3817]

Sup Toby, like David you're becoming a main character. 🍻

[@drscopeify]

I took a GL450 from 85k miles to 140k and no issues at all except for the air suspension compressor which is very easy to replace. How the previous owner of your GL spent $27,000 is WILD I have spent maybe $600 total for 65,000 miles. It has a few oil leaks but as long as it is small and you check fluids its not a big deal. Mine has only minor leaks hardly even changes the level after like 5000 miles. I do my own oil changes, everyone charges too much when it is very cheap, oil filter on amazon is like $15 to $20. Oil is simple Mobile1 European formula, very straight forward.

[@lumberjackdreamer6267]

The battery under the seat is very big and heavy. Costco sells a replacement for a good price. They last 10 years. You don’t need to take off the seat, but if you don’t then you need a lot of muscle strength.

[@davidkrumwiede446]

The sole purpose of the auxiliary battery on a X164 is to be able to engage park if the battery loses power, since the transmission is shifted with its own servo motor.

[@marcotsubero]

That's is the cleanest shop I have I ever seem! Great job T, on the house keeping.

[@oskee305]

I have a 2011 GL450, thank God that it's been good to me.

[@thebigguy8306]

Thank you Tommy & Tobby, I worked at an Audi/Landcruiser dealership, and many used Benz SUVs traded in, many mechanically JUNK (needing thousands $$) and only 5/50k on them. I fell in love with the '15 GLK 350 - but that would be a wallet drainer

[@StephenFogarty2023]

Toby is brilliant Great mechanic He clearly knows these vehicles extremely well. Bottom line, service your car properly and regularly Do the required maintenance etc Don’t thrash the vehicle And it shouldn’t have major unexpected problems or issues Real pity that Benz and others put the battery in a place that makes it very difficult to get to Huge labour cost just to change a battery And a battery is an item that will need replacement every few years ! I’d definitely spend the $$$ to service the transmission

[@sevenpaulperalta929]

Yes, it costs a lot of money to keep a Mercedes Benz on the road. I have an Edition 507 Sedan, and one year, I spent $4,300+ to have it serviced. That did include some wear items like tires though.

[@Shyguy624]

If I'm honest I was expecting more than $1700/year for servicing, especially for dedicated dealership servicing, that's not too bad actually

[@golferpro1241]

Brakes all around in the dealer are probably over $2,000 now.

[@peterdelamare]

The tailgate motor accounts for $350 of that $1700 average by itself.

[@SilentdragonDe]

I don't think that $1700 per year on average is bad for a 17 year old luxury SUV tbh if you keep in mind that this was at the dealer. Oil changes, air filters and other regular service stuff can be done for a lot less than this without really sacrificing on quality. Also, most people would probably just operate the hatch manually after the motor failed, saving another $6000. Really does seem like these are not that bad.

[@unknownunknowns]

Since you mentioned ‘luxury’, when I think of $1700/year, I like to also think I’m getting a smoother ride and other stuff. It’s not just the repairs.

[@znogaragego3421]

Brand new Arnott airbag + strut costs about $500 on these not $2500. The easiest strut job if you’re mechanically inclined.

[@thethomasj1795]

I bought my parts from Arnott and my indy puts them in for shop labor. It saved me thousands. If they go bad the parts are covered but I would have to pay the labor again. It's still worth it. My GL550 has ADS. I replaced all for corners, the ADS shocks, the compressor, and the block valve for $4000. The transmission on these cars should be serviced every 40,000 to 50,000 miles.

[@erictyppo5850]

Unfortunately the Arnott fronts don't last long. I replaced mine many times under warranty fortunately. The rear bags hold up much better.

[@SK-wx4xb]

My x164 GL450 2008 has 380,000 miles on it so far. Awesome car. I’ve had it since 25,000 miles and will happily look for a low mileage X164 when this one dies. Trouble is that it still drives smoothly, with its original engine and transmission and it may have another 100,000+ more miles left in it. Parts are much cheaper these days too. Just don’t trust MB stealer ships and keep costs down by repairing yourself using KZbin.

[@benjamindacunha6974]

Toby is great! His knowledge is incredible. Why would anyone spend $6000, and then sell the vehicle a few months later for $8000? That makes zero sense.

[@zacariaspiedrasdelrio8984]

Im looking forward for more videos of that Mercedes! So far, excellent purchase 👍

[@Omardottcom]

Damn… this guy is a gem. It’s hard to find a good, knowledgeable, Mercedes Ben’s tech.

[@Rick-vg2pz]

Toby is great. Appreciate videos on older vehicles

[@zodwraith5745]

Those airbag struts are NOT 3 grand. I've literally replaced my own and the full bag and strut assembly was 1/10th that price (About $280 per side, half that for rears). I don't know where he's getting those numbers or he must be quoting the full price for both shocks from a stealership, labor, and the dealer's insane shop markup. They _are_ kind of a pain to do yourself (any suspension job is with ANY car), but quite doable with a little patience and no exotic specialty tools. Then if you do just the bags themselves they're under $100 each, but the bags can be difficult to separate from the struts and if you're doing all that labor you may as well just replace the struts while they're out. I've owned 3 Mercedes over the last decade and a half and I've always done my own maintenance and repairs on my cars. The first rule to owning a Mercedes Benz is if you're out of warranty you never, _EVER_ buy parts from the dealership. They think they're selling parts for the space shuttle but for much of the world, especially Europe, MB is just another brand selling all kinds of cars from affordable vans and compacts to uber luxury, and their global part prices reflect that. It's just the US dealerships that treat the US consumer like they're stupid because honestly, most Mercedes owners ARE stupid and pay WAY too much for not really _that_ nice of a car. Buy used, fix it yourself and Mercedes can literally be cheaper to maintain than a Toyota.

[@encinobalboa]

Mid 2008 and later are the years to get for 550 engine because of weak timing chain sprocket which wears out prematurely.

[@Veritas0589]

Here's your daily reminder to please stop recording in 24fps. It's always a juddery mess. Please stop.

[@golferpro1241]

Had a GL350 diesel. It was a 2 year lease. Mercedes had to buy it back as they couldn’t get it to run right. The check engine light would not turn off. They even sent an engineer from Germany to look at it. It was a 2012. Junk! Discontinued in 2015. Had 450’s and 550’s too. The gear selector broke right off the column. No way to put it in park or reverse. Had to call the dealer then use a pen to put it in park….lol. Had a few with the off road package, we had to order them that way. Used it in snow but not actually off road. I was a driver so I drove lots of them and ordered new ones upon lease expiration. The gas ones were pretty good in general but expensive as they aged, we leased but the MB service manager was my friend and he told me they turn into money pits.

[@batitsogtsaikhan469]

Any reputable shops I could take our gl450 for suspension repair/maintenance in DC/virginia?

[@justinstrother9506]

Wow! Toby sure knows these cars.

[@BradDurdle81]

Toby's insights are great.

[@tonyInPA]

Once upon a time MBs were special. They were complex but well engineered cars meant to be maintained. And when needed, high quality parts were readily available and not too terribly expensive. That all reversed maybe 15 years ago (like this GL with two batteries under a SEAT) and most all replacements parts turning to crap. Which explains why our last several cars have been Mazdas, with an odd Chevy Bolt in the current fleet. MBs aren’t special anymore.

[@paulgilliland2992]

Yep my ml350 had that transfer case clunk which we ended up selling on to a Mercedes flipper who said he knew exactly what the issue was . It’s super annoying when your indies can’t diagnose this issue.

[@bryangrant9282]

If you think $28k on service was expensive, you'll lose your mind over how much was spent on INSURANCE (the biggest rip-off of all).

[@CBR2200]

She got a great deal on dealership oil changes. My dealer wanted over $500 for an oil change and tire rotation. I assume my GL550 takes more oil than a 450 but still.

[@xotic8617]

We had the off-road package on our GL merc .. was told it was a very rare option when we sold it.

[@ckm-mkc]

I almost bought one of these, but the ones with the off-road package are almost impossible to find. They are also huge. Got a Jaguar F-Pace instead that blew a turbo at 67k (!) which is a bummer as it's a great car. Got a 2012 Grand Cherokee that's got some issues, but nothing disastrous.

[@richfarfugnuven6308]

Are you guys going to sell the 80 series LC?

[@biggamejim8216]

when you think those skid plates were cough cough lost from it....

[@robervin9107]

This is why we go to Toby. And he’s a fan favorite way to tommy. Well done guys. Toby your tremendous bud I can’t wait for the day Toby looks at a vehicle and says. Unsubscribe from this and get your money back immediately. Hopefully this year

[@sylvonvictor4586]

Great job love this video

[@GranMastaDee]

I found Toby's shop in Boulder. What year model is this car?

[@CBR2200]

Drinking game: Drink whenever Toby says It's not the end of the world. 😃

[@MollydogRadar]

I like the 62 Chevy Nova on the rack.

[@antonioblt9407]

It sounds like buying a LR Disco is a wiser choice!😊

[@lawrenceralph7481]

Yikes. I wonder what the maint and repairs on my '14 e550 twin turbo m278 V8 is gonna cost as it ages?

[@Bigern2998]

This guy could be an internal medicine specialist. Why isn't he examining humans? haha. Brilliant! Loved the video.

[@felixbaum48]

Holy crap! Toby is AMAZING!!! I'm going to bring in my SLK!

[@StephenFogarty2023]

The $ 6 k cost to replace motor on rear tailgate, would have included a massive labour cost. If replacing this motor was $ 500.00 Then sure But, I wouldn’t have bothered doing this, when it’s $ 6 k That’s crazy I would’ve just put up with then needing to open / close the tailgate manually Tommy mentioned replacing the front air suspension components I wonder at what mileage that was done ? Same regarding the rear air suspension ? Patricia spent all that $$$ on maintenance, and she got ( only ) $ 8 k for her car I’m sure many other similar GL, but with patchy service history, that are also in good bodywork condition etc, sell for $ 6 k ? Sadly, u spend all that $$$ on maintenance, but u don’t get too much more $$$ for your car 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@IKhanNot]

Toby's knowledge is impressive.

[@RandomGuyDan]

I don't understand why you didn't drive straight to a tire shop for new tires before hitting Moab.

[@unknownunknowns]

IKR! Good thing they didn’t damage the running boards.😮

[@Motorcycledad160]

I still don't understand why anyone buys Mercedes vehicles. Such a massive waste of money. I will stick with my Japanese vehicles. This was an awesome video guys, and very informational. This is why you guys are the best.

[@cooperdarly7738]

lol. Japanese cars have high death rate compare to Mercedes. That’s why.

[@Motorcycledad160]

@@cooperdarly7738 Sounds pretty general. Do you have any specifics? Any data or stats to back this up? Because Subarus historically have been some the best "crash test rated" vehicles out there. I don't think your claim is accurate at all.

[@rageglide]

You be thankful the codes aren’t 1200 and 1208. Also those arnott struts are straight trash. I have had new one make noise right out of the box. They pretty much all come back making noise much sooner than factory strut.

[@bmwloco]

Canbus. The little battery keeps the freaking canbus system up.

[@rose415]

Good thing Toby likes being a mechanic, otherwise he could be on wall street, figuring out a way to steal everybody’s 401k.

[@jorgechiubomberos]

Any recomendation for a good mechanic on these cars in Columbus, Ohio??

[@snomass1]

That engine bay is a nightmare

[@unknownunknowns]

And that’s why they downsized that motor to an inline 6 3.0L! To free up space, of course…

[@infernoking7504]

That ecu placement is one of the worst🤣