The Used Car Index

2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS 550 problems

NHTSA lists 6 complaints for the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS 550, 0 of them mention a crash and 0 mention a fire. 0 complaints mention an injury, with 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-09.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 550.

At a glance

Complaints
6
With crash
0
With fire
0
With injury (complaints)
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0
Recalls
3
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
1,292,258
Investigations
0
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
87

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. No sales source is available for this record.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
UNKNOWN OR OTHER233.3%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM116.7%
POWER TRAIN116.7%
SEAT BELTS116.7%
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR116.7%
SUSPENSION116.7%
VISIBILITY/WIPER116.7%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
SERVICE BRAKES, AIRDISC1

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags

These labels are model-generated, not NHTSA data.

Failure modes
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
mechanical failure233.3%0.83
electrical electronic116.7%0.67
fluid or fuel leak116.7%0.60
restraint or airbag116.7%0.99
structural or corrosion116.7%0.49
Severities
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
moderate583.3%0.71
low116.7%0.82

Model: typesafe/jev-1.13-20260917; schema version: tag-v1. 6 tagged complaints of 6 complaints (100.0%).

Confidence is the model's own probability for the label it chose (0 to 1), not accuracy.

Model-generated labels on tagged complaints only. Model years 2013 and newer are tagged in full; 2012 in part (see tagged_share); earlier model years have no tags. NHTSA's own flags remain separate in the complaints block.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

3 recalls.

21V058000

Date: 2021-02-05. Systems: COMMUNICATION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Defect: 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 model details. The software design of the communication module may fail to communicate the correct veh (excerpt)

Consequence: Failure of the eCall system may result in emergency responders being dispatched to the wrong location, increasing the risk of injury following a crash. (excerpt)

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and the communication module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. The recall began March 12, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021020025. (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

18V539000

Date: 2018-08-16. Systems: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC.

Defect: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 4Matic, GLE350, GLS450 4Matic, GLS550 4matic, GLE43 AMG 4Matic, GLE63 AMG 4Matic, GLE63S AMG 4Matic, and GLS63 AMG 4Matic vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may not have been correctly coated, causing gas to become temporarily released into the rear brake hydraulic circuit, reducing braking perfo (excerpt)

Consequence: Reduced braking performance can increase the risk of a crash. (excerpt)

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the rear axle brake system, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2018080013. (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

17V816000

Date: 2017-12-18. Systems: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES.

Defect: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017 GLE400 4Matic, GLE350 4Matic, GLE350, GLE550e 4Matic, GLE43 AMG 4Matic, GLE63 AMG 4Matic, GLS450, GLE63S 4Matic, GLS63 4Matic, S550e, S600, S63 AMG 4Matic, S65 AMG, S550, Mercedes-Maybach S600, Mercedes-Maybach S550 4Matic, GLE43 AMG 4Matic Coupe, GLE63S 4Matic Coupe, 2017-2018 GLS550 4Matic, S550 4Matic, 2018 S450, and S63 AMG 4Matic vehicl (excerpt)

Consequence: If the door appears to be locked, the door may be unintentionally opened, increasing the risk of injury. (excerpt)

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left rear door lock, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in January 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691. (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

Investigations

0 investigations; 0 open.

Manufacturer communications

87 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM25
POWER TRAIN22
EXTERIOR LIGHTING13
SUSPENSION8
STRUCTURE5
EQUIPMENT4
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING3

11038187

Date: 2026-09-26. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

Complaint Customer complaints relating to automatic transmission 725.0 (NAG3 Classic /9Ga TRONIC automatic transmission) and 725.1 (NAG3 facelift/9Ga TRONIC automatic transmission facelift) For faster, more effective and more targeted diagnosis, Intelligent Predictive Repair (IPR) has been develop

11038186

Date: 2026-09-22. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: SERVICE BRAKES.

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 vibra

11037987

Date: 2026-09-14. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

Complaint Only vehicles with a variable transfer case are affected. This can be identified through control unit N45 or N15/7 in the quick test. When accelerating with light load, vibrations or jolting sensation may come from the drivetrain. It may be mistaken for a harsh shift. Cause Modified oil qu

11037616

Date: 2026-09-04. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

Complaint Customer complaints relating to automatic transmission 725.0 (NAG3 Classic / 9Ga TRONIC automatic transmission) and 725.1 (NAG3 facelift/9Ga TRONIC automatic transmission facelift) For faster, more effective and more targeted diagnosis, Intelligent Predictive Repair (IPR) has been develo

11037228

Date: 2026-08-28. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STEERING.

Complaint During part of the steering movement, it feels heavier or more difficult to steer in the same spot every time. OR i??Rattling, humming, dry sliding/gravel noise from the electric steering system when steering (see attachment). Complaint does not impact the ability to safely steer or contro

11036999

Date: 2026-08-15. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.

Dear Mercedes-Benz Owner: In our continuing efforts to ensure the proper performance of Mercedes-Benz products and to enhance the satisfaction of our customers, Mercedes-Benz USA is extending the warranty coverage for the Diagnostic Module for Tank Leakage Detection ("DMTL") on your vehicle from the

11036101

Date: 2026-08-06. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

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. a ? If the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and if necessary

11036190

Date: 2026-08-06. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

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 al

11036077

Date: 2026-08-05. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

Complaint This document is intended as a pre-case diagnostic reference for transmission related concerns. It will also ensure that if a case is necessary, all supporting documentation is available. This should not be used on its own as justification for creating a TIPS case. Cause The root cause wil

11035780

Date: 2026-08-04. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

Complaint Mercedes-Benz USA is currently experiencing limited availability of transmission fluid specification ATF 236.17 due to a global supply constraint. 236.17 ATF 1L and 5L (PNs: A002989060312 and A002989060313) bottles are out of stock or in limited supply at Zep. This LI has been created with

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
GLS 5506

Same model, other years

All model years | All Mercedes-Benz models

Other Mercedes-Benz models, 2018

Sources

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