MODELYEARINDEX

Which Mercedes-Benz GL years to avoid

Across 6 scored model years, the 2013 model year carries the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Mercedes-Benz GL Full report
D
Grade 2010–2016
2013 vs model median 2.3×
Model median3× median
Body & Interior 6
Brakes 5
Engine 3
Avoid

2013

Best

2011 · 2014

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
0.82× 13 B
2011
0.72× 11 B
2013
2.31× 27 D
2014
0.59× 10 A
2015
1.39× 12 C
2016
1.18× 14 B

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2013 D 27 reports · median 13,350 mi

  1. Body & Interior 6

    This vehicle was purchased new- the headrests in the second row are not adjustable. They only have two positions: fully up or fully down. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Brakes 5

    Brakes rotors warped this was the first time happened again on june 5 2013 at 5269 miles replaced again not towing anything. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 3

    This is to report an event happened more than once before. The car engine syo suddently while traveling on highway at speed and must have the car pull over to the side of highway to restart again!!! owner complaint filed with NHTSA

4 crash · 5 injuries

2015 C 12 reports · median 5,100 mi

  1. Body & Interior 3

    The contact owns a 2015 mercedes benz gl450. The contact stated that the headrest prevented the contact from properly installing a child safety seat in the rear of the vehicle. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Speed Control 2

    The contact owns a 2015 mercedes-benz gl350. While driving less than 5 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Lights & Visibility 1

    A blanket of snow/ice formed on my roof during the morning. It was not removable due to freezing and bonding to the roof. As the car heated up inside, that blanket became loose. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

2 crash

The best year for the GL

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2014 is the best-scoring GL model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 85.3 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2014 0.59× 10 A
2011 0.72× 11 B
2010 0.82× 13 B

Recalls

No recall campaigns are on record for this model.

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2013 were reported at a median of 13,350 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Mercedes-Benz GL years should you avoid?
2013 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Mercedes-Benz GL model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Mercedes-Benz GL?
2014 is the best-scoring Mercedes-Benz GL model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 85.3 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Mercedes-Benz GL have?
0 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Mercedes-Benz GL model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2013 GL
Complaints in window
27
Severity-weighted
45
Model median (weighted)
19
vs model median
2.31×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
0
Open investigations
0
Score 42.3 D