CSR

Mercedes-Benz · NHTSA safety record

2015 Mercedes-Benz GL550

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 8 safety complaints about the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL550 with the US government. Of those, 1 mentions a fire and no death is recorded. 3 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 4 complaints, 50% of the total.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers December 2016 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

8 complaints on file

8

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

0

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 4 · 50%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 · 25%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 · 13%
SEATS 1 · 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 · 13%
STRUCTURE 1 · 13%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 8.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2022 at 2.

4 3 2 1
16 22 23 24 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL550. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

3 on file

COMMUNICATION

19V787000 · November 1, 2019

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2017 vehicles due to a software fault that may cause the date and time for the emergency call system (eCall) to differ from the actual date and time, potentially relaying an inaccurate vehicle location. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V787-4620.pdf
The risk
An inaccurate vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
MBUSA has initiated an Over the Air (OTA) remote update. MBUSA will also notify owners, and dealers will check software for a successful OTA or update the communication module software as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2019120008.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 24,226 vehicles across all model years covered · fixed by software update

SUSPENSION:FRONT

18V272000 · April 27, 2018

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2012-2014 ML350 Bluetec 4Matic and ML550 4Matic, 2012-2015 ML63 AMG 4Matic and ML350 4Matic, 2013-2016 GL350 Bluetec 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and GL63 AMG 4Matic, 2017 GLS350d 4Matic, GLS450 4Matic, GLS550 4Matic and GLS63 AMG 4Matic, 2015 ML400 4Matic, 2016 GLE400 4Matic, GLE350 4Matic, GLE63 AMG 4Matic, GLE63S AMG 4Matic, GLE450 4Matic Coupe and GLE63S AMG 4Matic Coupe, 2015-2016 GL450 4Matic and 2013-2014 GL450 4Matic vehicles equipped with the Active Curve System (ACS). In certain driving conditions, if the oil level in the ACS reservoir is below the minimum level, the oil may foam and leak out of the vent holes in the reservoir cap.
The risk
The leaking oil in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will correct the oil level as necessary and replace the reservoir sealing cap to prevent oil foam from leaking out, free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2018070015.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 9,725 vehicles across all model years covered

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT

16V900000 · December 14, 2016

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015 GL350 4Matic Blutec, GL450 4Matic, GL550 4Matic, ML250 Blutec, ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML400 4Matic and 2015-2016 GL63 AMG 4Matic vehicles manufactured September 29, 2014 through March 27, 2015. The affected vehicles have axle bolts on the front and/or rear drive axle carriers that may not have been assembled correctly. As a result, the remaining bolts may fracture.
The risk
If any of the remaining front or rear axle bolts fracture, the vehicle may be unstable, reducing the handling capability and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the axle carrier bolts, free of charge. The recall is began February 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 48 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ENGINE

fire

As I was driving down the freeway the whole vehicle caught on fire and we got out of the car and within 2-3 minutes while car was burned to ashes.

NHTSA complaint 11470389. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
On 8/5/2026, the power boost on the vehicle was lost while at a nearby shopping center. Braking became very difficult and it was dangerous to drive even a little distance. There were no warning lights from the vehicle. We had it towed to an independent repair shop where they determined the brake booster had failed. They did a recall check and saw that it didn't apply to our specific vehicle. They repaired it which cost $2500. Later, we did research and found that there is an expanded recall, 22V315000, which includes our year, make, and model! Our vehicle brake booster failed in the same manner as expressed in that recall. I still have the failed brake booster itself. We'd like you to have

NHTSA complaint 11762852, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA complaint 11730215. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
See attached document for complaint

NHTSA complaint 11583052. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My 2015 GL550 has 90k miles on it and is city driven, on 09/11/2023 when I was trying to pull out onto a main rd my suv hesitated and the check engine light came on, luckily traffic wasn’t heavy at the time so I wasn’t in any accidents. I called and was able to get my suv into my local Mercedes dealership for an inspection. When the suv was dropped off the check engine light had gone off but when the service center pulled up the codes it showed both turbos were bad and have to be replaced. This isn’t something that should happen to a vehicle that is regularly serviced only at Mercedes service centers, isn’t 10years old yet, never wrecked, and has less then 100k miles on it. If this had

NHTSA complaint 11546616, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Upon receipt of vehicle, when the weather was nice, a rattle in the engine compartment appeared to take place intermittently. Upon diagnosis by a dealership, intermittent was confirmed to take place on a cold start, and not intermittently. Upon further research, it was found the rattle is related to a manufacturer's defect with the timing chain tensioner(s) and their interaction with the valves. My safety was put at risk substantially. I live in the cold upper midwest. Every start of the vehicle is a cold start, and if I risk damaging my engine at any given hour, during the dead of winter, with little to no available funds, I am at risk of hypothermia, starvation, even death. The problem,

NHTSA complaint 11508624, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEATS
There are many models of the gl550 ranging from 2012-2015, where the second row driver side seats get stuck in a downward position. Recently it happened to me and another gl550 was in the shop at Mercedes North Houston for repair for the same issue. These are very common in this make and model and something needs to be addressed concerning the matter.

NHTSA complaint 11488454. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Mercedes-Benz GL550

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2014 10 3 —
2012 8 3 —
2011 15 3 —

Other 2015 Mercedes-Benz models

Every Mercedes-Benz on this site — 227 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst