NHTSA Complaint #11092420 — 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS550

I PURCHASED A 2017 GLS 550 IN JANUARY 2018 FROM LOEBER MOTORS IN LINCOLNWOOD ILLINOIS. THE STICKER ON THE VEHICLE REPRESENTED THAT THERE WERE 'ALL SEASON' TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. AFTER NUMEROUS GUARANTEES FROM THE SALESMEN, I WAS ASSURED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE 'SAFE' ON THE FACTORY TIRES AS THEY WERE REPRESENTED AS ALL SEASON. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I FOUND MYSELF DRIVING THROUGH A SPRING SNOWSTORM IN WISCONSIN THAT I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG WITH THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS HANDLING IN THE STORM. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO END UP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, OR IN A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT, AS THE VEHICLE WAS ALMOST UNABLE TO CONTROL. ALMOST EVERY OTHER CAR ON THE ROAD SEEMED TO BE UNFAZED BY THIS STORM, YET MY $100,000 VEHICLE WAS DRIVING LIKE A ROLLER SKATE.AFTER MUCH RESEARCH, NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEALER AND CONTINENTAL TIRES, IT HAS COME TO LIGHT THAT THE TIRES ON ALMOST ALL GLS 550'S ARE ACTUALLY THE CONTINENTAL CROSS CONTACT UHP'S. CONTINENTAL HAS VERBALLY CONFIRMED(ON A RECORDED LINE) AND THROUGH EVERY BIT OF LITERATURE ONLINE, THAT THE TIRES ARE ACTUALLY SUMMER TIRES AND SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN IN WINTER/SNOW CONDITIONS.WHILE THE TIRES MAY HAVE AN M AND S ON THE SIDEWALL, THIS WAS A DESIGNATION REQUESTED BY MERCEDES TO DEFINE THESE TIRES AS 'ALL SEASON' AS THEY MEET THE TREAD DESIGN FOR THE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR ALL SEASON. CONTINENTAL HAS STATED THE EXACT OPPOSITE AND DOES NOT EVEN PROVIDE SAFETY DATA FOR THESE TIRES IN WINTER CONDITIONS, AS THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED AS A SUMMER/PERFORMANCE TIRE. THE MISREPRESENTATION ABOUT THIS ISSUE IS OF EPIDEMIC PROPORTION. MERCEDES NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS MISREPRESENTATION AND NOTIFY/RECALLS THE UNSAFE TIRES THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THESE VEHICLES.THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST DISTURBING BREACHES OF DISCLOSURE AND MISREPRESENTATION I HAVE EVER SEEN.