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2013 Mercedes-benz Gl-class

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

52 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 26, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Engine problems dominate (29% of complaints, typically reported near 70k miles).

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.

Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#104 of 541Among the 2013 models with a matured record, the 2013 Mercedes-benz Gl-class ranks #104, scoring higher than 78% of them. See the 2013 ranking →

Complaint volume96
Severity75
Recall load100
Trend86

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20132026 YTD

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.

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 2013 Mercedes-benz Gl-class, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miEngine~70k mi · 15 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Electrical system (12) · Transmission & drivetrain (9) · Suspension (6) · Seats (5)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint. Treat them as a rough guide.

Engine

29%

15 complaints · typically near 70k mi · 1 in the last 2 years

The engine failed under 100k miles after being properly maintained according to the manufactures guidelines.

Read the engine complaints →

Electrical system

23%

12 complaints

SUROUND CAMERAS ARE NOT ABLE TO SEE AT NIGHT AND BACKUP LIGHTS NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE.

Read the electrical system complaints →

Transmission & drivetrain

17%

9 complaints

While driving on the highway approximately 70 mph the car stalled. I slowly came to a stop, unable to restart the car. After getting towed to a nearby Mercedes service…

Read the transmission & drivetrain complaints →

Suspension

12%

6 complaints

Unknown:The road adaptive tire pressure sensors are off and the air suspension is malfunctions.At the cost of this model I would expected a little more class of safety…

Read the suspension complaints →

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.

miles

We can place 1 of this model's commonly reported problem areas against a mileage. Nothing is stored.

Read all 52 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 7 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:

  1. Owners of this model report engine problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 70k miles). Has this car shown any engine symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  2. Owners of this model report electrical system problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any electrical system symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. 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)?
  4. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  5. 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 2013 Mercedes-benz GL-CLASS beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2013? See how every Gl-class model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2013 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.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2013 Mercedes-benz Gl-class as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.