Complaints by model year
Each bar is one model year. The most recent years are still collecting complaints.
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026
Year by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 GL | 3 | 2 |
| 2010 GL | 4 | 0 |
| 2009 GL | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 GL | 1 | 3 |
| 2007 GL | 3 | 2 |
| 2006 GL | 0 | 2 |
A model year gets its own page when it has enough data for at least three sections
Most common problems
- Visibility2
- Steering2
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Vehicle speed control1
- Tires1
- Suspension1
- Structure1
- Seats1
NHTSA ODI complaints, all model years
Fuel consumption by year
Official Canadian test results for 10 model years, best variant per year. Combined consumption ranges from 10.9–12.7 L/100 km.
| Year | Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | GL 350 BlueTec 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Diesel | 13.6 | 10.0 | 12.0 |
| 2015 | GL 350 BlueTec 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Diesel | 13.6 | 10.0 | 12.0 |
| 2014 | GL 350 BlueTec 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Diesel | 13.4 | 10.2 | 12.0 |
| 2013 | GL 350 BlueTec 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Diesel | 12.3 | 9.0 | 10.9 |
| 2012 | GL 350 BlueTec 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle · Diesel | 14.3 | 10.9 | 12.7 |
| 2011 | GL 350 BlueTec 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle · Diesel | 13.9 | 10.4 | 12.3 |
| 2010 | GL 350 BlueTec · Sport utility vehicle · Diesel | 13.8 | 10.3 | 12.2 |
| 2009 | GL 320 BlueTec 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle · Diesel | 13.9 | 10.4 | 12.3 |
| 2008 | GL 320 CDI 4MATIC Turbo · Sport utility vehicle · Diesel | 13.0 | 9.8 | 11.6 |
| 2007 | GL 320 CDI · Sport utility vehicle · Diesel | 13.1 | 10.1 | 11.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
In New Zealand
553 GL cars are on the New Zealand register; 20% arrived as used imports.
| Model year | Registered | Sold new in NZ | Used imports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016 | 27 | 17 | 9 |
| 2015 | 133 | 100 | 31 |
| 2014 | 96 | 62 | 27 |
| 2013 | 63 | 45 | 14 |
| 2012 | 38 | 34 | 3 |
| 2011 | 43 | 39 | 3 |
| 2010 | 38 | 34 | 2 |
| 2009 | 23 | 20 | 3 |
| 2008 | 21 | 13 | 7 |
| 2007 | 48 | 40 | 7 |
| 2006 | 20 | 18 | 1 |
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
In the Netherlands
816 GL cars are on Dutch roads; 82% arrived later as imports, and 263 still have a recall open. Open a year for APK defects, odometer checks and colours.
| First registered | On the road | Median list price |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 70 | €140,811 |
| 2014 | 98 | €155,386 |
| 2013 | 147 | €143,140 |
| 2011 | 40 | €154,798 |
| 2010 | 41 | €137,109 |
| 2009 | 62 | €142,849 |
| 2008 | 95 | €140,056 |
| 2007 | 180 | €138,176 |
| 2006 | 83 | €138,105 |
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles (CC0) · list price is the manufacturer's catalogue price when new
Road collisions in Great Britain
From 2021 to 2025, 65 GL cars were involved in road collisions in Great Britain that injured someone and were reported to the police. 1 of those collisions were fatal and 14 caused serious injuries. As with any count, models with more cars on British roads appear more often.
| Year | Cars in injury collisions | Fatal | Serious |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024 | 12 | 0 | 4 |
| 2023 | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 12 | 0 | 4 |
| 2021 | 16 | 1 | 3 |
Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data 2021–2025 · Open Government Licence v3.0 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
2,898 GL cars were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, by year of manufacture.
| Built | Licensed | Off the road (SORN) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | — |
| 2019 | 2 | — |
| 2017 | 2 | — |
| 2016 | 194 | 15 |
| 2015 | 590 | 25 |
| 2014 | 491 | 54 |
| 2013 | 473 | 52 |
| 2012 | 100 | 7 |
| 2011 | 237 | 56 |
| 2010 | 159 | 44 |
| 2009 | 130 | 55 |
| 2008 | 164 | 118 |
| 2007 | 298 | 272 |
| 2006 | 57 | 82 |
| 1997 | 0 | 1 |
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
3,655 GL cars took their annual MOT test in 2023; 79% passed first time, against 66% for all cars of the same ages. Older cars fail more often, so compare a year with the same year of other cars.
| First registered | Tests | Passed first time |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 225 | 88% |
| 2015 | 639 | 83% |
| 2014 | 536 | 83% |
| 2013 | 506 | 82% |
| 2012 | 106 | 72% |
| 2011 | 286 | 79% |
| 2010 | 219 | 78% |
| 2009 | 196 | 69% |
| 2008 | 289 | 74% |
| 2007 | 527 | 74% |
| 2006 | 126 | 75% |
Why they fail
Share of all first tests that ended in a fail because of each part of the car (one test can fail on several).
| Area | GL | All cars, same ages |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.2% | 13.9% |
| Tyres | 5.6% | 7.0% |
| Brakes | 5.1% | 8.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| Suspension | 2.8% | 11.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 2.0% | 4.3% |
| Visibility | 1.8% | 5.2% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1.5% | 1.2% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests of cars only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
New registrations in Europe
16,716 new Mercedes-Benz GL cars registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland between 2010 and 2021, from the European Environment Agency's CO₂ monitoring of every new car. In 2021 the largest markets were Italy (1).
| Year | New cars | CO₂ g/km |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | — |
| 2020 | 2 | 253 (NEDC) |
| 2019 | 2 | 197 (NEDC) |
| 2018 | 2 | 225 (NEDC) |
| 2017 | 18 | 216 (NEDC) |
| 2016 | 931 | — |
| 2015 | 3,437 | — |
| 2014 | 3,917 | — |
| 2013 | 4,489 | — |
| 2012 | 710 | — |
| 2011 | 1,197 | — |
| 2010 | 2,010 | — |
Averages are weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value (NEDC until the WLTP switch). European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
EU safety alerts
Safety Gate, the European Union's rapid alert system, names the GL in 8 alerts. European versions can differ from the North American car.
The three aluminium screws of the steering box may corrode due to exposure to spray water and aggressive road-grit (salt) used for melting ice. Advanced corrosion could weaken the screws, leading to potential breakage during manoeuvring or parking. If all fixi…
Severe corrosion may lead to a leakage of the brake booster, thus reducing the braking force, leading to an increase in brake pedal force required to decelerate the vehicle, resulting in a possible increase in stopping distance. Moreover, due to severe corrosi…
The driver and passenger airbags of the company Takata in vehicles with ammonium nitrate gas generators without drying agents could, under certain climate conditions, lead over time to a chemical change in the fuel.In the event of an accident triggering the re…
The sealing cap of the Active Curve System's oil reservoir does not prevent oil from leaking out. Oil may leak out and spray onto hot components. As a consequence it may ignite and lead to fire.
Following the update of the control unit coding, the coding parameters of the control unit could be defective. This could give rise to various unplanned reactions in the vehicle: the wrong airbag could be triggered in the event of an accident, the airbag contr…
The upper suspension arm may not have been correctly screwed to the stub axle, which could affect the steering.
Due to incorrect functioning of the occupancy sensor system on the passenger's side, the airbag may not deploy in the event of an accident.
The product poses a risk of injuries because the second-row seat belt anchor fitting bolts may not be properly torqued. The anchor bolts may thus continue to loosen through vibration caused by driving and therefore may not withstand the strain.
Safety Gate (European Commission) · CC0
Recalls
5 campaigns cover the GL.
MERCEDES-BENZ USA (MBUSA) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 VEHICLES INCLUDING E-CLASS (212 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 2010 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2011, R-CLASS (251 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 2010 THROUGH APRIL 2011, ML-CLASS (W164 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 2010 THROUGH MARCH 2011, GL-CLASS (X164 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 2010 THROUGH MARCH 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 S-CLASS (221 PLATFORM) VEHICLES. THE DIESEL FUEL FILTER MAY LEAK FROM THE AREA AROUND THE HEATING COMPONENT.
MERCEDES BENZ IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 M-CLASS, MODEL W164, GL-CLASS, MODEL X164, E-CLASS, MODEL W212, R-CLASS, AND MODEL V251VEHICLES. THE O-RING MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY LUBRICATED IN ALL CASES. LACK OF LUBRICATION CAN LEAD TO LEAKAGE OF THE FUEL FILTER.
MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING 577 MY 2008 GL-CLASS, M-CLASS, AND R-CLASS VEHICLES. A DEFECT MAY EXIST IN THE DRIVING PIN USED TO CONTROL THE OIL PRESSURE OF THE POWER STEERING.
MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING 52,740 MY 2006-2008 GL AND ML CLASS VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FLEX-N-GATE TRAILER HITCH. SOME OF THE WELD SEAMS CONNECTING THE TRAILER HITCH RECEIVER TO THE ATTACHMENT BAR USED TO SECURE THE TRAILER HITCH TO THE BODY FRAME DO NOT MEET PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DIESEL ENGINES, THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR COULD FAIL DUE TO SEPARATION OF BOND WIRES FROM THE LEAD FRAME IN THE SENSOR. THIS RESULTS IN AN INTERRUPTION IN THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN THE CHIP HOUSING OF THE SENSOR.
NHTSA recalls