2003 Mercedes Benz G500 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Structure:body:door (1) · Structure (1) · Steering:rack And Pinion:pinion Shaft (1)
Safety recalls (1)
Exterior Lighting:turn Signal 2010-08-05 · campaign 10V366000 · 3,552 vehicles
Defect: MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2010 G-CLASS VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "'LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A GRILL COVER FOR FRONT TURN SIGNAL PROTECTION THAT, WHILE PERMISSIBLE, MAY IMPACT OVER TIME THE SIGNAL'S ABILITY TO MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 108.
Risk: THE SIGNAL LIGHT'S VISIBILITY TO OTHER MOTORISTS MAY BE REDUCED OVER TIME, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL IMPROVED TURN LIGHT UNITS OPTIMIZED FOR USAGE WITH GRILLS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AT THE END OF DECEMBER 2010 OR EARLY JANUARY 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.
Service bulletins (72)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Service Brakes 2026-09-22 · LI42.10-P-078779 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60mph. note: although the symptom is similar to a tire or wheel vibration, it is usually readily noticeable that it is distinctly different if it happens at all times or only while braking. cause although the cause of the vibra
Structure:body 2026-09-14 · LI82.62-P-078631 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors. cause under analysis. remedy to narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • if the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and if necessary,
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings 2026-08-26 · LI54.70-P-080191 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint consistently reproducible erroneous parktronic warnings from front with every key cycle. cause the parking sensors are detecting the front brush guard. remedy complaint must be consistently reproducible and can occur multiple times a key cycle without obvious cause. note: the parking syste
Electrical System 2026-08-12 · LI54.65-P-080132 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint 1. general diagnostic tips 2. one or more park sensor activations 3. red ring around vehicle 4. "active parking and parking assist inoperative" on instrument cluster 5. cameras 6. other park topics. cause various root causes remedy see attached diagnostic guide.
Electrical System 2026-08-06 · LI82.85-P-079087 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint a popup is seen on the hu with the message "data connection temporarily not available". potentially affected functionalities in ntg4.5, ntg5 1.weather 2.local search 3.ip radio 4.send2car 5.speech detection service 6.navigation 7.iheartradio 8.traffic cams cause mb apps is sundowned for al
Structure:body 2026-08-06 · LI82.62-P-078631 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors. cause under analysis. remedy to narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • if the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and if necessary,
Showing the 6 most recent of 72 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2015-09-15 · Service Brakes · 75,000 mi“i purchased this car in november of 2012 as the 2nd owner. it only had 60,000 miles on it and seemed like a great car. one day i was driving on the freeway approximately 65mph, when i had to brake slightly and the brake pedal felt kinda mushy and my braking was slower than normal. next thing i saw was my dashboard had a red message on it (brake r…”
2006-09-08 · Structure · 37,941 mi“dt*: the contact stated one of contact's clients suffered 3rd degree burns on the calf of the leg while exiting the vehicle from a stainless steel portion of the running board. the running board was very hot from the sun shining inside the vehicle resulting in the client's leg being burned. the dealership was notified.…”
2004-09-23 · Steering:rack And Pinion:pinion Shaft“while driving, the steering wheel started shaking uncontrollably. the consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle and drove it to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer that the steering rack pinion shaft needed replacement. the consumer informed the mechanic that the this problem has occurred more than once and h…”
2003-12-13 · Steering:rack And Pinion · 16,000 mi“i have 2003 mercedes benz g 500. when i am driving on the freeway and i hit a bump in the whole road the whole steering unit in the truck shakes and almost lost control because of it. this has happened a few times and the problem is documented by other ownders at www.benzworld.org http://www.benzworld.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1…”
2003-09-21 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module“esp braking system on the 2003 g500 going down hill around curves past 40 mph is a serious driving hazard. automatic braking on the left tire turning to the right can throw you into oncoming traffic. esp needs to be adjusted. *jb …”
2003-07-22 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:abs Warning Light“consumer states that while driving abs light comes on. dealer notified.*ak…”
2003-07-22 · Structure:body:door“consumer states that rear doors do not lock. dealer notified. *ak…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.