MERCEDES-BENZ GLC · model year

2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC

12 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016MERCEDES-BENZGLC carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 GLC is engine with 2 filings, followed by service brakes (2) and unknown or other (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2016 GLC. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

12
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

12 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE2
SERVICE BRAKES2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
POWER TRAIN1
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1
STEERING1
STRUCTURE1

Recent Complaints

20251028STRUCTURE

The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered severe rusting and corrosion to the rear subframe of the vehicle, near the rear axle area. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 126,800.

Mileage: 126,800

20200505CrashELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

PUTTING THIS CAR INTO PARK WILL NORMALLY AUTOMATICALLY SET THE PARKING BRAKE. EARLIER THAT DAY, IT DID NOT SET THE BRAKE. I ASSUMED I MUST HAVE HIT SOME BUTTON OR SOMETHING ON MY DASH TO CAUSE THAT. BUT THEN ON THE FREEWAY, THE CAR (FOR WANT OF A BETTER TERM) STARTED WIGGLING AND I FOUND IT HARD TO CONTROL IT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. IT STOPPED DOING THAT FOR A FEW SECONDS, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY HAPPENED AGAIN. AS I STARTED TO CHANGE LANES TO MOVE TOWARD THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, IT DID IT A THIRD TIME BUT IT WAS WORSE AND I HAD NO CONTROL AT ALL. IT WAS MOVING TOWARD THE RIGHT BUT OUT OF CONTROL AND WENT UP ON AN EMBANKMENT AND THEN BACK DOWN AGAIN. WHEN I LOOKED INTO IT, I REALIZED IT WAS DOING EXACTLY WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN A RECALL FOR THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR WHEN THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM CONTROL GOES BAD. BUT MY VIN IS NOT IN THE SERIES THAT WAS RECALLED. PERHAPS IT IS WORTH LOOKING AS TO WHETHER THE VIN NUMBERS SHOULD BE EXPANDED, ESPECIALLY IF OTHER VEHICLES ARE HAVI

Mileage: 51,000

20200505CrashSTEERING

PUTTING THIS CAR INTO PARK WILL NORMALLY AUTOMATICALLY SET THE PARKING BRAKE. EARLIER THAT DAY, IT DID NOT SET THE BRAKE. I ASSUMED I MUST HAVE HIT SOME BUTTON OR SOMETHING ON MY DASH TO CAUSE THAT. BUT THEN ON THE FREEWAY, THE CAR (FOR WANT OF A BETTER TERM) STARTED WIGGLING AND I FOUND IT HARD TO CONTROL IT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. IT STOPPED DOING THAT FOR A FEW SECONDS, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY HAPPENED AGAIN. AS I STARTED TO CHANGE LANES TO MOVE TOWARD THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, IT DID IT A THIRD TIME BUT IT WAS WORSE AND I HAD NO CONTROL AT ALL. IT WAS MOVING TOWARD THE RIGHT BUT OUT OF CONTROL AND WENT UP ON AN EMBANKMENT AND THEN BACK DOWN AGAIN. WHEN I LOOKED INTO IT, I REALIZED IT WAS DOING EXACTLY WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN A RECALL FOR THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR WHEN THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM CONTROL GOES BAD. BUT MY VIN IS NOT IN THE SERIES THAT WAS RECALLED. PERHAPS IT IS WORTH LOOKING AS TO WHETHER THE VIN NUMBERS SHOULD BE EXPANDED, ESPECIALLY IF OTHER VEHICLES ARE HAVI

Mileage: 51,000

20200505CrashUNKNOWN OR OTHER

PUTTING THIS CAR INTO PARK WILL NORMALLY AUTOMATICALLY SET THE PARKING BRAKE. EARLIER THAT DAY, IT DID NOT SET THE BRAKE. I ASSUMED I MUST HAVE HIT SOME BUTTON OR SOMETHING ON MY DASH TO CAUSE THAT. BUT THEN ON THE FREEWAY, THE CAR (FOR WANT OF A BETTER TERM) STARTED WIGGLING AND I FOUND IT HARD TO CONTROL IT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. IT STOPPED DOING THAT FOR A FEW SECONDS, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY HAPPENED AGAIN. AS I STARTED TO CHANGE LANES TO MOVE TOWARD THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, IT DID IT A THIRD TIME BUT IT WAS WORSE AND I HAD NO CONTROL AT ALL. IT WAS MOVING TOWARD THE RIGHT BUT OUT OF CONTROL AND WENT UP ON AN EMBANKMENT AND THEN BACK DOWN AGAIN. WHEN I LOOKED INTO IT, I REALIZED IT WAS DOING EXACTLY WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN A RECALL FOR THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR WHEN THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM CONTROL GOES BAD. BUT MY VIN IS NOT IN THE SERIES THAT WAS RECALLED. PERHAPS IT IS WORTH LOOKING AS TO WHETHER THE VIN NUMBERS SHOULD BE EXPANDED, ESPECIALLY IF OTHER VEHICLES ARE HAVI

Mileage: 51,000

20180126SERVICE BRAKES

I BOUGHT A NEW 2016 MODEL (FEB. 2016), AROUND NOV 2016, THE ROTORS STARTED MAKING SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN BACKING UP, SO I TOOK TO DEALER TO DIAGNOSE. AT FIRST, THEY COULDN'T FIND THE ISSUE BUT AFTER READING ON THE MERC FORUM, I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DEALER (JAN. 2017), ASKED TO CHECK THE ROTORS (NOT JUST THE BREAKS), FOUND THE ISSUE AND I PAID FOR THIS REPAIR. FAST FORWARD, JAN 2018, BROUGHT THE CAR BACK BECAUSE THE SAME SQUEAKING SOUND CAME BACK. I CALLED MERC CUSTOMER SERVICE, S/W "IRENE", AND SHE SAID THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND SHE WILL WORK WITH DEALER TO SEE IF THEY CAN FIX W/O FEE. SO LONG STORY SHORT, NEITHER THE DEALER NOR MERC ARE WILLING TO ADMIT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND WON'T PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THEY ARE WILLING TO GIVE ME "15%" DISCOUNTS. SO, I AM WRITING TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF OTHER OWNERS HAVE SAME ISSUE, SHOULD THIS BE AN OVERALL RECALL?

20170713UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM MERCEDES IN MARCH 2017 STATING THAT THE STARTING LIMITER MAY OVERHEAT RESULTING IN FIRE. AS OF THIS DATE, JULY 13, 2017, MERCEDES HAS NO IDEA WHEN IT WILL HAVE THE PART (S). THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

20170306ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 300. THE CONTACT FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V114000 (ENGINE, TRANSMISSION) PERTAINING TO HER VEHICLE. THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

20170306POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 300. THE CONTACT FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V114000 (ENGINE, TRANSMISSION) PERTAINING TO HER VEHICLE. THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

20161220SERVICE BRAKES

BRAKES AND BRAKE ROTORS SCREECH EXCESSIVELY WHEN MOVING FROM PARK, FORWARD OR BACKWARDS AND WHILE BRAKING AT STOP LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS. REPORTED TO DEALER AND MERCEDES - NO ACTION. CONCERNED THAT BRAKES MAY FAIL AT A CRITICAL TIME OR THAT ROTORS WILL BE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND CAUSE FAILURE. *TR

Mileage: 8,000

20151226ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I GOT MY BRAND NEW MERCEDES BENZ GLC 300 TWO WEEKS AGO. AFTER DRIVING FOR 6 DAYS & LESS THAN 300 MILES IN TOTAL THE SUV STOPPED RESPONDING ABRUPTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY CRUISING AT A SPEED OF 70 MPH WITH A TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION ERROR FLASHING. WITH NO POWER IN THE CAR, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PULL IT FROM THE LEFT MOST LANE TO THE RIGHT CURB BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY TO EXPERIENCE THE SITUATION OF AN IRRESPONSIVE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DIAL WERE LIT UP WITH A TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION ERROR IN RED. TRIED TO SHUT OFF THE CAR USING THE ON/OFF PUSH BUTTON BUT IT DID NOT RESPOND. AFTER OPENING & CLOSING THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, TRIED TO SHUT DOWN THE CAR AGAIN & THE ENGINE REVVED UP. IT WAS SURPRISING AS THINGS WERE ACTING OPPOSITE. I AM HAVING SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THIS NEW CAR, IF IT STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AGAIN & IF WE WOULD BE LUCKY NEXT TIME TO PULL OVER SAFELY. THE SUV IS AT MY DEALERSHIP FOR THE LAST ONE WEEK. T

Mileage: 260

20151226ENGINE

I GOT MY BRAND NEW MERCEDES BENZ GLC 300 TWO WEEKS AGO. AFTER DRIVING FOR 6 DAYS & LESS THAN 300 MILES IN TOTAL THE SUV STOPPED RESPONDING ABRUPTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY CRUISING AT A SPEED OF 70 MPH WITH A TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION ERROR FLASHING. WITH NO POWER IN THE CAR, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PULL IT FROM THE LEFT MOST LANE TO THE RIGHT CURB BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY TO EXPERIENCE THE SITUATION OF AN IRRESPONSIVE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DIAL WERE LIT UP WITH A TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION ERROR IN RED. TRIED TO SHUT OFF THE CAR USING THE ON/OFF PUSH BUTTON BUT IT DID NOT RESPOND. AFTER OPENING & CLOSING THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, TRIED TO SHUT DOWN THE CAR AGAIN & THE ENGINE REVVED UP. IT WAS SURPRISING AS THINGS WERE ACTING OPPOSITE. I AM HAVING SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THIS NEW CAR, IF IT STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AGAIN & IF WE WOULD BE LUCKY NEXT TIME TO PULL OVER SAFELY. THE SUV IS AT MY DEALERSHIP FOR THE LAST ONE WEEK. T

Mileage: 260

20151226VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I GOT MY BRAND NEW MERCEDES BENZ GLC 300 TWO WEEKS AGO. AFTER DRIVING FOR 6 DAYS & LESS THAN 300 MILES IN TOTAL THE SUV STOPPED RESPONDING ABRUPTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY CRUISING AT A SPEED OF 70 MPH WITH A TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION ERROR FLASHING. WITH NO POWER IN THE CAR, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PULL IT FROM THE LEFT MOST LANE TO THE RIGHT CURB BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY TO EXPERIENCE THE SITUATION OF AN IRRESPONSIVE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DIAL WERE LIT UP WITH A TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION ERROR IN RED. TRIED TO SHUT OFF THE CAR USING THE ON/OFF PUSH BUTTON BUT IT DID NOT RESPOND. AFTER OPENING & CLOSING THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, TRIED TO SHUT DOWN THE CAR AGAIN & THE ENGINE REVVED UP. IT WAS SURPRISING AS THINGS WERE ACTING OPPOSITE. I AM HAVING SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THIS NEW CAR, IF IT STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AGAIN & IF WE WOULD BE LUCKY NEXT TIME TO PULL OVER SAFELY. THE SUV IS AT MY DEALERSHIP FOR THE LAST ONE WEEK. T

Mileage: 260

Compare 2016MERCEDES-BENZGLC to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC have?
The 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC has 12 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC?
The most-complained component for the 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC is ENGINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.