NHTSA complaint #11517337

Owner complaint summary

Our 2019 GLC with 25,000 miles flooded from the inside out with no warning -- a terrifying safety concern. One day when driving to work the car felt slightly odd while driving on streets in Washington, DC. Pulled over to the side of the road and car would not start. Dealer sent tech and jumped the car after a few attempts. Dealer/repair thought the car had a bad battery and voltage dip limiter. Repaired both and returned car. The next day the car drove in the morning but would not start again; was towed to dealer. Dealer/repair reported the limiter was "fried"; repaired again but at our insistence investigated further because we suspected a short and wanted to understand why. Upon further investigation the dealer discovered our car was flooded on the driver's side on the inside; electrical components flooded. There was no warning; no indication of water. After subsequent water testing dealer/repair estimate stated that it was a "slow drip of water in the area of the driver footwell, right side. Can feel by hand water around area where heater hoses and A/C lines come through the firewall." We alerted Mercedes and were concerned because there was no warning and because we found other similar recalls: (https://www.motorsafety.org/mercedes-benz-recalls-suvs-for-water-leak/ and https://www.motorsafety.org/mercedes-benz-issues-third-recall-for-water-leak-that-can-lead-to-fire-limp-home-mode%ef%bf%bc/). We believe this is a defect in the car; Mercedes instructed us to file this form if we were concerned about safety and the integrity of the vehicle.