Owners have filed 76 complaints on the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, covering 2018–2023. The system named most often is Electrical System (20 reports). Worst years by volume: 2020, 2019, 2022; cleanest: 2018, 2023, 2022. 5 reports describe a crash, 4 a fire. On average the car was 3.8 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 76 GLS-Class complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Electrical System 20 Read
AMENDMENT TO ACTIVE CASE 11723015. CRITICAL AIRBAG & SAFETY DEFECTS. This files a safety defect amendment to open case 11723015. Diagnostic scans confirm central data bus network collapse on VIN [XXX] has migrated into safety-critical occupant restraint and visibility modules, violating 49 U.S.C. § 30118. I. AIRBAG &…
The engine wiring harness insulation near the ignition coil connectors prematurely deteriorated due to prolonged exposure to engine heat in the turbocharger/exhaust area. Multiple wiring connectors exhibited brittle, cracked insulation with exposed conductors. The degraded wiring began shorting within the ignition…
As I approached a red light and removed my foot from the gas pedal to brake, my dashboard displayed several alarming messages: “Active Brake Assist Functions Limited See Owner's Manual,” “Active Blind Spot Assist Inoperative,” “To Deselect P or N Depress Brake and Start Engine,” and “Traction Control Inoperative See…
Power Train 7 Read
Vehicle lost power while driving on a busy freeway and came to a complete stop and would not restart resulting in it being struck by a vehicle in the rear. More information available in the collision center pre estimate scan and full estimate
While backing out of steep driveway, the car computer screen blinked saying "updating" then screen went blank, lost power, I could not brake. We have a row of trees at the back of our driveway that stopped the car ( with damage) or else we would have rolled into our neighbors basement all. Tree limbs poked a hole in…
Car just stopped abruptly on highway. We tried to shut off and restart. Nothing worked. All emergency signs showed up on dashboard. Highway road assistance guy tried to put it in neutral..it did nit work. We were scared to death siting on i 278 with trucks,buses coming behind us. Car just abruptly stopped
Service Brakes 7 Read
Today around 6:47pm. I was reversing my car and I noticed another car in my backup camera and tried shift the gear shift to drive but it didn't work and stayed stuck on reverse and would not moved and the brake pedal and emergency brake wouldn't work
January 2023 - Airbag suspension failed. Replaced by Mercedes dealership. December 2024 - Airbag suspension failed. Replaced by Mercedes dealership. April 2024: First brake failure. The brakes stopped while driving. Repaired. April 2025: Second brake failure. Brakes failed again. Repaired. The mechanic stated the line…
The car recently underwent a software update at the dealership for a backup camera issue. When I was driving home on the highway, the car suddenly braked and the seat belts automatically tightened up. This happened 3 additional times on the highway about 5 days later. I had turned off the automatic braking system and…
Suspension 7 Read
The shock absorbers have prematurely failed as other recalled 2020 GLS vehicles, but our VIN is not showing under the recall campaign 20V329000. Can our vehicle be included on this recall?
The suspension has failed despite changing engine mounts. It is available for inspection if needed. I also believe there is Premature wear of the front struts and rear shock absorbers. This can affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash. There were no warning lamps and it has been inspected by…
See attached document for complaint
Structure 4 Read
Rear door window trim on driver's side detached from vehicle while traveling at highway speed
Window trim on the passenger rear window fell off while driving- it put others at risk by flying off the vehicle on the interstate- Mercedes Benz of Omaha quoted replacement of the window trim parts- no warning messages on dash
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes Benz GLS. The contact stated that while driving on the highway, the rear door window trim bars on the passenger side detached from the window. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they diagnosed as a rear door window trim detachment however the vehicle was not repaired. The…
Forward Collision Avoidance 4 Read
Car has been auto braking even though there is nothing in front of the car. This is extremely dangerous and could lead to serious rear end collisions. There are many similar complaints on online forums and Mercedes (and their lawyers) do nothing. Link to video: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF…
I have received multiple notifications over several months that read "Camera view restricted". This impacts the collision avoidance and adaptive highbeam assist functions. Dealer has offered no service recommendations
We intermittently experience phantom braking, including on the highway with no objects or vehicles ahead of us (for example, not on a curve, no vehicle visible within half a kilometer). Vehicle abruptly slows. This includes when in a lane (no lane change). It also can occur during a properly indicated lane change. It…
Engine 4 Read
On a long road trip - about halfway on [XXX] - received an error message on 48v system malfunction - immediately called nearest Mercedes dealership (Richmond Va) to schedule a service - while on the line received an engine overheating pull over and shut it off message - at this point vehicle deaccelerated over riding…
While driving my car the check engine light comes on. The code is P06DA (OIL PUMP SOLENOID OPEN CIRCUIT - ELECTRICAL ISSUE). Dealer states repair is $5000!!! Car is not able to pass inspection due to the check engine light
9/9/24 after 5pm I'm driving my car and the check engine light came one. I have a small autel handy scanner always in my car. I checked it right away and gives me the code P06DA (OIL PUM SOLENOID OPEN CIRCUIT - ELECTRICAL ISSUE). I stop on the side for a quick check, no knocking noise from the engine and runs good. I…
Engine And Engine Cooling 3 Read
The contact's client owns a 2019 Mercedes Ben GLS450. The contact stated that while the owner was driving at an undetermined speed, the vehicle began to smoke and caught fire. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. There were no injuries or air bag deployment. A police report was filed. The fire…
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLS450. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle was jerking and hesitating while attempting to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed and determined that the oil pump and…
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLS450. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact stated that the failure had become consistent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine oil pump valve and the camshaft…
GLS-Class years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Fuel System, Gasoline | — | — | |
| 2022 | Electrical System,vehicle Speed Control,engine | 2 | 1 | |
| 2020 | Air Bags,unknown Or Other,forward Collision Avoidance | 3 | 1 | |
| 2019 | Air Bags | — | 1 | |
| 2018 | Service Brakes,engine,forward Collision Avoidance | — | 1 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 41 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.9 |
| Worst single series | 9 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 3.8 years |
A model average of 1.9 hides a worst series at 9. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
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- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the GLS-Class?
By complaint volume, 2020, 2019, 2022 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which GLS-Class years are the cleanest?
2018, 2023, 2022 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class have?
76 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2018–2023. Of those, 5 describe a crash and 4 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.