What breaks most · 2010 to 2017 model years
Mercedes-Benz GL450 problems by year
Owners have filed 233 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz GL450 across model years 2010 to 2017. Three years stand out: 2011 for air bags complaints, 2012 for air bags complaints and 2010 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2015, 2014 and 2013.
- Years to check closely: 2011, 2012, 2010
- Fewest complaints: 2015, 2014, 2013
- Complaints on file
- 2332010 to 2017, all trims
- Worst year
- 201155 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 118 fires · 10 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 65kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 25Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 1 | 3 | Air bags (21) | |
| 55 | 4 | 3 | Air bags (34) | |
| 46 | 3 | 3 | Air bags (21) | |
| 37 | 1 | 3 | Engine (9) | |
| 21 | 0 | 3 | Engine (7) | |
| 18 | 1 | 3 | Engine (7) | |
| 13 | 1 | 5 | Unknown or other (5) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Engine (1) |
What fails on the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL450
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 62% |
34 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 16% |
9 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL450 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 7% |
4 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL450 |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
3 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL450 |
| Unknown or other | 5% |
3 | 1 | — |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
3 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL450 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 4% |
2 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 4% |
2 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL450 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
We were stopped at a red stoplight, out of nowhere there was a loud explosion, shook the whole car and sank, the feeling like we were in a sink hole or like a tire blew but the tire was fine. A loyd hissing sound ensued. Thank god, we were at a stop light and not in a speed that could have been deadly.
-
4-5 miles into driving airmatic malfunction appears on my dashboard ( picture of an straight up arrow in the middle of car picture) when i increase the speed to 50 miles the tachometer goes crazy and i hear loud sound. Car has less than 50 000 miles.
-
On 8/27/17 i got a complaint number: 11019610 i got never further information about my complaint. So please let me know what i have to do next. Thank you so much!
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mercedes-Benz GL450 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2011, 2012, 2010 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz GL450. The 2011 alone has 55 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz GL450 problem?
On the 2011 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 34 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz GL450 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz GL450 complaints that include mileage is about 65,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.