AutoUtility currently tracks 20 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class. Seats & Interior issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 3 complaints (15% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 1 filing cites a crash, 1 cites a fire.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
3 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
2 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
2 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
2 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"Panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered at some time between 2/4/26 and 2/5/26. Car was fine when I drove on 2/4/26 and parked at home at approximately 4:30p (still light outside). I got in car next day 2/5/26 at approximately 5:45p (when dark outside). Heard slight air/wind noise as pulled out..."
"water intrusion into the spare tire well compartment and the battery compartment affecting the battery and starter."
"Tailgate sometimes opens while driving. It sometimes takes many attempts to reclose it from the outside of car. It will not reclose using the electronic button on the door. The alert comes on on the dashboard and its extremely dangerous as luggage can fall out. This happened while highway driving..."
"Spontaneous shattering of anterior sunroof at highway speeds with no cars around and not near overpasses. Shattered glass rained all throughout the vehicle and passengers. Sounded like a gunshot and the glass appeared to be bowed out."
"Coolant Reservoir Hose Blew out on my 2016 GL450 Mercedes Benz."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2016)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class | 34 | 2 | 0 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Current Page | 20 | 1 | 1 | Current |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 13 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is Seats & Interior, appearing in 3 records (15% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Electrical System (2) and Body & Structure (2).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 20 consumer defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, 1 filing cites a crash, 1 cite smoke or fire, and 0 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.