AI Damage2016 Mercedes-Benz GL350: common problems
Owners of the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL350 filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and exterior lighting. The maker issued 65 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 65
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 25% of all complaints
- 2 Exterior lighting 25% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 25% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 25% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 25% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (25% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 21.
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (25% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 12.
- Visibility: 1 complaints (25% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Powertrain | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Suspension | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Engine | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Fuel system | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Seats | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 0 | 0 | 1 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Spontaneously exploding panoramic sunroof: I was driving northbound on I-5 in Everett, WA, on 27 January 2023 around 7pm. It was clear, the road was dry, it was around 45 degrees, and there was medium traffic. We were going about 65mph. Just myself and my 4 year old daughter were in the car.
The exterior lighting on the vehicle provided is significantly inferior in intensity and distance illuminated. It is very hard to see an object after few feet and night driving becomes extremely dangerous.
While driving 65 mph, the front passenger seat belt failed to retract after the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to edhicks mercedes ([address], corpus christi, [ZIP]), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 16,000.
On september 6 2017 my mercedes cluster panal (odemeter) stopped working while driving. Which then I made an appointment with the dealership and they replaced the odometer which then failed again hours after picking up the car. After replacing it 3 times under warranty I'm still experiencing the same issue.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the GL350 has 10 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Complaint Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors
Cause Under analysis. Remedy To narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • If the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and…
- Complaint Repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60MPH. NOTE
Although the symptom is similar to a tire or wheel vibration, it is usually readily noticeable that it is distinctly different if it happens at all times or only while braking. Cause Although the cause of the vibration…
- Complaint During part of the steering movement, it feels heavier or more difficult to steer in the same…
Complaint During part of the steering movement, it feels heavier or more difficult to steer in the same spot every time. OR Rattling, humming, dry sliding/gravel noise from the electric steering system when steering…
- Complaint A popup is seen on the HU with the message "data connection temporarily not available"
Potentially affected functionalities in NTG4.5, NTG5 1.Weather 2.Local Search 3.IP Radio 4.Send2Car 5.Speech Detection Service 6.Navigation 7.iHeartRadio 8.Traffic Cams Cause MB Apps is sundowned for all vehicles with…
- Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end)
The noise is heard once in each instance when changing direction of travel. Note: Sound file in attachment Cause If the complaint is eliminated by experimentally loosening the outboard collar nut (by 1 turn), the…
- Complaint Creaking noise, in irregular sequence when driving slowly in combination with slight steering…
Complaint Creaking noise, in irregular sequence when driving slowly in combination with slight steering movements and/or Creaking/crackling noises from the area of the wheel bearing on the front axle when cornering/…
- Complaint After successful commissioning of the HERMES control unit (N112/9) with XENTRY Diagnosis DVD…
Complaint After successful commissioning of the HERMES control unit (N112/9) with XENTRY Diagnosis DVD 03/2026, the message "SOS - service not activated" appears on the instrument cluster. In addition, the following…
- Complaint The customer requests deactivation of the N112/9 HERMES communication module Note
Deactivation of the HERMES control unit (N112/9) is not supported for gray-market vehicles. Cause Before deactivating the HERMES control unit (N112/9), it must be clarified by the legal department of the respective MPC…
- Dear Mercedes-Benz Owner
The purpose of this letter is to advise you of additional benefits that Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (“MBUSA”) is providing to you regarding your vehicle ownership. This warranty extension is fully independent of all…
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC will provide an Extended Modification Warranty for each vehicle that has received…
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC will provide an Extended Modification Warranty for each vehicle that has received the Approved Emission Modification. The Extended Modification Warranty period shall be the greater of: (i) 10…
- Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain…
Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain Model Year (“MY”) 2012-2016 Mercedes-Benz Model 212, 221, X204 and 166 vehicles (E250 BLUETEC, E250 4MATIC BLUETEC…
- This NCU replaces the prior NCUs issued on May 18, June 25, 2020 and October 1, 2020 and contains…
This NCU replaces the prior NCUs issued on May 18, June 25, 2020 and October 1, 2020 and contains important workshop instructions on how the HVAC Service Warranty repair must be carried out. To enhance the satisfaction…
NHTSA lists 65 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, exterior lighting, visibility. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (25%), windows, sunroof (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL350?
NHTSA lists 65 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL350 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2016 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.