Mercedes Recalls G 550 and G 63 for Rear Passenger-Side Door That May Open While Driving

What is the problem with said latch? As it happens, iffy components may prevent the rear door from latching properly. In other words, the rear passenger-side door may unexpectedly open while driving. That's not all, though. According to the dealer notification, attempting to open the door with excessive force with the child safety lock activated may deform internal components.

The deformed locking components may prevent the door from being opened from inside. How could Merc fail so hard? It all started in January 2021, after a US dealer had requested information on how to obtain replacement parts for the rear passenger-side door latch. The subsequent investigation revealed a plethora of warranty claims involving the performance of the original and replacement latch, prompting Mercedes-Benz AG to assemble a dedicated task force.

Ultimately, the German automaker from Stuttgart determined that a design defect and tolerance variances in the positioning of the latch and lock trap are to blame for the recall condition. Both the original and second recall condition, that is.

Earlier this year, Merc became aware of a non-functional door lock that had been installed on a 463-platform Gelandewagen. The subsequent analysis revealed that the part number of the subject latch matched that of the first iteration, prompting the automaker to scrap the remaining inventory parts as quickly as possible.

In June 2024, the safety boffins conducted an extensive analysis to trace back suspect parts to specific vehicles. Up to 134 examples of the G 550 and G 63 for the US market had received latches produced prior to the revision, meaning that 134 notification letters will be mailed to the respective owners no later than September 30.

The revised assembly was introduced in G-Class production on April 9, 2021, with the most important part number of them all being A4637304202 for the door lock. The old one is designated A4637309801. The dealer notification shows a labor time of 0.8 hours for installing the new rear passenger-side door lock, which includes the removal and reinstallation of the door trim, replacement of the central locking actuator, and replacement of the mounting screws.

Subject vehicles were produced between August 2, 2018 and December 6, 2022 for the G 550, whereas the punchier G 63 is listed as August 2, 2018 through December 12, 2022 in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Affected model years range from 2019 to 2023. It should be noted Mercedes updated the G for model year 2025, with the lineup welcoming the very first all-electric G in the form of the G 580 with EQ Technology.

At press time, only the G 550 and G 580 with EQ Technology are available to configure in the United States of America. Prices kick off at $148,250 before destination charge, which is a bit steep for a Gelandewagen with an inline-six rather than the vee-eight of the 2024 and earlier models. The zero-emission sibling is pricier still, for it features four electric motors for a grand total of 579 horsepower and 859 pound-feet (1,165 newton meters) of twist.