Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Steering2
- Electrical system1
- Vehicle speed control1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Registered new in Europe in 2011
1,197 new Mercedes-Benz GL cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2011; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (409), Czechia (124), Poland (104).
- Average mass
- 2,508 kg
- Average power
- 199 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 93% · Petrol 7.3%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
In the Netherlands
40 first registered in 2011 are on Dutch roads; 90% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €154,798.
Most common APK defects
- Band onvoldoende profiel10
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen10
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde7
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld5
- Dim-, grootlicht werkt niet (goed)5
- Remleiding door corrosie aangetast4
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage4
- Schokdemper aanwezig die lekkage vertoont3
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
237 cars built in 2011 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 56 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 286 of these cars first registered in 2011 took their annual MOT test. 79% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2011 the figure was 63%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 8.7% | 8.6% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.3% | 16.0% |
| Tyres | 4.5% | 7.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.4% | 3.6% |
| Suspension | 1.7% | 14.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1.4% | 4.4% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In New Zealand
43 2011 cars are on the New Zealand register; 7% arrived as used imports, 91% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 12.3–16.7 L/100 km (about 14–19 mpg US), CO₂ 332–384 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| GL 350 BlueTec 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle · Diesel | 13.9 | 10.4 | 12.3 |
| GL 450 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 18.4 | 13.4 | 16.1 |
| GL 550 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 18.9 | 13.9 | 16.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mercedes-Benz told its dealers about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10039259 | MERCEDES-BENZ: INSTALLATION INFORMATION OF BOLTED WHEEL CONNECTIONS. ALL MODELS. *RM |
| 10039258 | MERCEDES-BENZ: THE STEERING IS LEAKING IN THE AREA OF INPUT SHAFT, BECAUSE OF WEAR ON A SEAL RING. MODEL 164/251. *RM UPDATED 2/1/12. *PE |
| 10039256 | MERCEDES-BENZ: THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ON WITH MULTIPLE POSSIBLE TROUBLE CODES STORED. THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THE CAMSHAFT AND/OR SCORING OF A PISTON. *RM |
| 10038977 | MERCEDES-BENZ: THE AUTO-TRANSMISSION SWITCHES TO LIMP HOME MODE OR HAS NO POWER. THERE ARE MULTIPLE POSSIBLE FAULT CODES. A PISTON MAY BE DAMAGED. *RM |
| 10038218 | MERCEDES-BENZ: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR HEATER LINES. *RM |
| 10038206 | MERCEDES-BENZ: THE TRANSMISSION SWITCHES TO LIMP-HOME MODE WHILE DRIVING. GEARSHIFTS ARE NO LONGER POSSIBLE. THIS IS CAUSED BY A FAULT WITH THE RPM SENSOR. *RM UPDATED 9/20/11. *PE UPDATED 5/9/14. *PE |
| 10037408 | MERCEDES-BENZ: SHOCK ABSORBER PROCEDURE. *RM |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)