A realtor and property investor from South Florida has a message for anyone thinking about buying a Mercedes-Benz G Wagon. Taylor DeFazio bought the luxury SUV thinking it would be her dream car, but things didn’t turn out the way she hoped. What she thought would be an amazing vehicle ended up causing her a lot of headaches and costing her a fortune. DeFazio shared her experience on TikTok.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, which most people call the G Wagon, looks like the perfect mix of a tough truck and a fancy luxury vehicle. It has a boxy shape that sits high off the ground, and it comes with all the luxury features Mercedes is known for. But after DeFazio started driving it every day, she realized the car had some serious problems. She decided to post a video on TikTok to warn other people not to make the same mistake she did.
One day while DeFazio was driving, according to Motor 1, the spare tire that sits on the back of the G Wagon actually flew off the car. The metal clasp that’s supposed to hold the tire in place was just hanging there, and the key that locks it had fallen out. When she looked closer at the lock, she could see that part of the cover was missing. This scary moment was just one of many issues she ran into with the vehicle.
The maintenance costs became a nightmare for her
The spare tire wasn’t the only thing that went wrong. DeFazio says the G Wagon became the most expensive car she’s ever owned, and also the worst one. All of these problems happened in just two years of owning the car.
It turns out that G Wagons are known for being expensive to keep running. Mercedes-Benz is actually the third most expensive car brand when it comes to repairs and regular maintenance. A Mercedes saleswoman previously warned buyers about the hidden costs of purchasing used luxury cars, and DeFazio learned this lesson the hard way.
Most owners end up spending somewhere between $1,200 and $1,500 every year just on maintenance. In the first five years, you might spend around $3,500, but after that, the costs jump up to nearly $9,600 for the next five years.
The story struck a chord with many who’ve avoided luxury car ownership altogether. One commenter, Just_Jess, joked, “Poverty has saved me again,” while another user named Marius simply stated, “Toyota = Peace.” These reactions reflect a growing sentiment that reliable, affordable vehicles might be the smarter choice. User lindt.heiress summed it up perfectly: “Poor people drive Toyotas, middle class people g wagons, and the rich go back to Toyota.”
The first batch of G Wagons made between 2002 and 2018 is supposed to be pretty reliable, but some drivers have had trouble with the steering and electrical systems.
Other common issues include the spare tire bracket breaking, problems with the suspension, and the advanced computer systems acting up. Mechanical issues can sometimes be traced back to fuel quality problems, but the troubles DeFazio had seem to be more about how the car was built.
After everything she went through, DeFazio decided she’s done with the G Wagon. At the end of her video, she said she’s getting rid of it and asked people to suggest other cars she should consider instead. Her story shows that sometimes a car that looks perfect on the outside can turn into an expensive mistake once you actually own it.
Published: Nov 18, 2025 01:03 pm