2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 0 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
38
Complaints
0
Recalls
3
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
3
Injuries
110.5
Severity index
Severity index 110.5 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 18 | 47.4% |
| ENGINE | 9 | 23.7% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 8 | 21.1% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 7 | 18.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 | 10.5% |
| POWER TRAIN | 4 | 10.5% |
| AIR BAGS | 2 | 5.3% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 | 5.3% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 18 of 38 complaints (47.4%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 7 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.6x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.