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2011 Mercedes-benz Gl-class
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
97 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 26, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Airbags problems dominate (58% of complaints).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
Score breakdown, by factor
Full methodology →#173 of 502Among the 2011 models with a matured record, the 2011 Mercedes-benz Gl-class ranks #173, scoring higher than 64% of them. See the 2011 ranking →
Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.
1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2011 Mercedes-benz Gl-class, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Airbags (56) · Suspension (11) · Brakes (11) · Engine (7)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint. Treat them as a rough guide.
Airbags
58%56 complaints
“STILL WAITING FOR DEFECTIVE TAKATA AIRBAG REPLACEMENT. HAVE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS.”
Suspension
11%11 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“MY 2011 GL450 MERCEDES SUV IS DRIVING SIDEWAYS ONE FRONT AND ONE BACK SUSPENSION AIRBAGS ARE NOT WORKING I FEEL LIKE MY CARE IS GOING TO FLIP OVER WHEN I TURN. THIS IS…”
Brakes
11%11 complaints · 4 in the last 2 years
“The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the message for brake and traction control failure was intermitte…”
Engine
7%7 complaints
“The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL350. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated continuously. Th…”
Check it against this car’s mileage
Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.
Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.
Read all 97 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 6 crash/fire/injury reports →
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
Questions to ask the seller
Questions worth asking the seller of this Mercedes-benz before you buy, drawn from its public record:
- Owners of this model report airbags problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any airbags symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
- How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
- Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2011 Mercedes-benz GL-CLASS beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2011? See how every Gl-class model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2011 Mercedes-benz Gl-class against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.