Mercedes-Benz GL450
Owners filed 419 complaints across 11 model years of the Mercedes-Benz GL450. The 2007 drew the most (115).
Which Mercedes-Benz GL450 years should you avoid?
Going by 419 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Mercedes-Benz GL450 years to avoid are 2007.
- 2007115 complaints, 2.3× a typical GL450 year, most often about the seats; and 7.5× the usual share of fires, crashes and deaths for a car of its age (33 fires, 5 crashes).
Better bets: among years old enough for a low count to mean something, the 2013 drew the fewest complaints without an unusual share of serious ones.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every Mercedes-Benz GL450 model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2016 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 1 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2015 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2014 | 21 | 3 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2013 | 37 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2012 | 47 | 3 | — | 3 | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2011 | 55 | 3 | 2 | 4 | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2010 | 42 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2009 | 15 | 3 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Do not drive | |
| 2008 | 55 | 2 | 1 | 5 | Steering | Do not drive | |
| 2007Avoid | 115 | 2 | 33 | 5 | Seats | Do not drive |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.