MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 550 · model year

2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 550

7 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2018MERCEDES-BENZGLS 550 carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 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 2018 GLS 550 is unknown or other with 2 filings, followed by power train (1) and electrical system (1). 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. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2018 GLS 550. 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.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
POWER TRAIN1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
SEAT BELTS1
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:ROTOR1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1

Recalls (1)

21V05800005/02/2021

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 - 2021 CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLS-Class, SL-Class, B-Class, GLB-Class, GLC-Class, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to the Part 573 report for specific vehicle mod

Recent Complaints

20240310VISIBILITY/WIPER

Water collects at the front row floor at driver and passenger sides

20240310UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Water collects at the front row floor at driver and passenger sides

20210819SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:ROTOR

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes Benz GLS550. The contact stated that when the brake pedal was depressed there was an abnormal noise detected. The brake warning indicator light was illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pad on one side of the disc was completely worn, and the other side of the disc was like new with a full thick pad. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the brake rotor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 4,500. Consumer stated problem lies with the unevenness of the brake pad on both sides of the front wheels.

Mileage: 4,500

20200106ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SEATBELT HAD TIGHTENED AND NOT RELEASED WHEN MY BODY MOVES. BRAKES ARE NOT APPLIED. TYPICALLY DURING DRIVING I'M SMALL ENOUGH TO MANEUVER MY HAND DOWN TO RELEASE RED SEAT BELT BUTTON. *TR I'VE HAD TO STOP MY VEHICLE 5-10 TIMES TO RELEASE BELT. I HAVE 2 SMALL KIDS 7/ 11 BOTH ARE 60 POUNDS THEY ARE 4 FEET TALL AND 4'6' 7 YEAR OLD STILL USES BOOSTER I''VE CHECKED BELTS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY BUT I'M 110 LBS 5'2' AND HAVE NO MECHANICAL TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE OR CERTIFICATIONS THIS HAS BEEN NOTED TO MERCEDES AND THE PROBLEM IS NEVER REALLY DISCUSSED. THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING UNDER ALL CONDITIONS NOTED BELOW

Mileage: 32,000

20200106SEAT BELTS

SEATBELT HAD TIGHTENED AND NOT RELEASED WHEN MY BODY MOVES. BRAKES ARE NOT APPLIED. TYPICALLY DURING DRIVING I'M SMALL ENOUGH TO MANEUVER MY HAND DOWN TO RELEASE RED SEAT BELT BUTTON. *TR I'VE HAD TO STOP MY VEHICLE 5-10 TIMES TO RELEASE BELT. I HAVE 2 SMALL KIDS 7/ 11 BOTH ARE 60 POUNDS THEY ARE 4 FEET TALL AND 4'6' 7 YEAR OLD STILL USES BOOSTER I''VE CHECKED BELTS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY BUT I'M 110 LBS 5'2' AND HAVE NO MECHANICAL TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE OR CERTIFICATIONS THIS HAS BEEN NOTED TO MERCEDES AND THE PROBLEM IS NEVER REALLY DISCUSSED. THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING UNDER ALL CONDITIONS NOTED BELOW

Mileage: 32,000

20181129UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I WAS DRIVING IN A RURAL AREA WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION. MY FIRST INSTINCT WAS THAT I HAD BLOWN A TIRE BECAUSE IT WAS SO LOUD. HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS HANDLING FINE AND NO WARNING MESSAGES CAME ON. MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH SAID "WHAT WAS THAT?" EVERYTHING ON SEEMED FINE MECHANICALLY SO WE KEPT DRIVING, BUT A BIT SHAKEN BY THE SUDDEN LOUD NOISE. I FEW HOURS LATER WE STOPPED FOR GAS. AS MY HUSBAND WENT TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD HE NOTICED THE SHATTER OF THE GLASS ROOF PANEL. WE THOUGHT BACK TO THE INCIDENT EARLIER AND REALIZED THAT MUST HAVE BEEN THE SOUND ME HEARD. THE WEIRD THING WAS AT THE TIME NO ONE WAS AROUND US. NO CAR HAD BEEN IN FRONT OF US TO BE THROWING UP ROCKS. WE WERE ON A RURAL HIGHWAY. THE SPEED LIMIT ON THAT STRETCH OF ROAD WAS 80 MPH. THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 65 DEGREES, SO NOT EXTREME. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT LOOKED IT SOMETHING HIT IT AT "THE SWEET SPOT" THAT CAUSED IT TO CRACK ALL T

Mileage: 7,000

20180614POWER TRAIN

WHILE IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, CAR SHIFTED ITSELF FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT ANY DRIVER INPUT. ALL INDICATOR LIGHTS ON DASH TURNED ON. DRIVER UNABLE TO SHIFT FROM NEUTRAL BACK TO DRIVE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DRIVER COULD ONLY SHIFT TO PARK. DRIVER SHIFTED VEHICLE TO PARK AND TRIED TO SHIFT TO DRIVE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. DRIVER TURNED OFF IGNITION AND RESTARTED CAR, AT WHICH POINT DRIVER WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE. DRIVER REPORTS NO USER ERROR (I.E. DID NOT ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE SHIFTER, DID NOT HIT ENGINE ON/OFF BUTTON) AND NO INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE PRESENT PRIOR TO INCIDENT. VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW: OWNED FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 DAYS WITH 199 MILES AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. VEHICLE HAD BEEN PURCHASED WITH 6 MILES ON ODOMETER.

Mileage: 199

Compare 2018MERCEDES-BENZGLS 550 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 550 have?
The 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 550 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 550?
Yes, the 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 550 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 550?
The most-complained component for the 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 550 is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 550 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.