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What 52 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Mercedes-benz GLC

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (52)Crash / fire / injury (7)Engine (15)Electrical system (12)Transmission & drivetrain (9)Suspension (6)Seats (5)Brakes (4)Fuel system (4)Steering (4)Airbags (3)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (3)

3 of 52 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 20, 2020SteeringTransmission & drivetrainElectrical system2 injuries

WE PURCHASED THE 2013 GL 550 FIVE MONTHS AGO. WHEN WE WERE DRIVING HOME THE VEHICLE SHIFTED ITSELF INTO PARK WHILE IN WAS IN DRIVE. THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STOPPED AND VIOLENTLY JERKED THE CAR AND OUR FAMILY WAS INSIDE IN TRAFFIC APPROACHING A FOUR WAY STOP LIGHT. WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR BACK INTO DRIVE AND PULL OFF THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED ITSELF INTO PARK AGAIN WHILE WE WERE DRIVING. THIS HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC AT A LIGHT. POLICE WERE CALLED. CAR WAS TOWED. WE'VE SINCE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR FAULTY INSTALLATION OF THE EIS FOR THE MODEL YEAR RIGHT BEFORE OURS, 2012. APPARENTLY THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED AND WAS PASSED ON, BUT MERCEDES BENZ FAILED TO WARN CONSUMERS NOR ISSUE A RECALL. WE ARE GETTING NO HELP WITH REPAIRS EVEN THOUGH THIS IS AN ONGOING SAFETY ISSUES OCCURRING IN SEVERAL OF THEIR CARS. WE'RE ASKING NHTS FOR ASSISTANCE WITH FORCING MERCEDES BENZ TO FIX THIS VERY DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE PROBLEM. ## VIN PASSED ## MERCEDES-BENZ 2013 GL 550 ##

NHTSA ODI 11365435

May 15, 2019Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel system1 injury

OIL LEAK PERSISTENT FROM OIL COOLER IN DIESEL BLUETEC ENGINE SPRAYING OIL OUTSIDE GASKET ONTO FUEL LINES, OIL PAN, AND ONTO THE GROUND EMITTING HIGH LEVEL OF SMOKE WITH TARRY BURNT TOXIC NOXIOUS CHARCOAL SMELL FUMIGATING THROUGH THE CABIN AND OUTSIDE WITH VISIBLE BLUE SMOKE WHILE DRIVING MODERATE TO LONG DISTANCES. BLACK TARRY RESIDUE LEAKAGE VISIBLE ON DRIVEWAY AND STREET UNDERNEATH CAR WHEN PARKED OVERNIGHT OR FOR SHORT TIME WITH PAN LEAKED.

NHTSA ODI 11207874

Jul 3, 2018Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel systemFire1 injury

OIL LEAK PERSISTENT FROM OIL COOLER IN DIESEL BLUETEC ENGINE SPRAYING OIL OUTSIDE GASKET ONTO FUEL LINES, OIL PAN, AND ONTO THE GROUND EMITTING HIGH LEVEL OF SMOKE WITH TARRY BURNT TOXIC NOXIOUS CHARCOAL SMELL FUMIGATING THROUGH THE CABIN AND OUTSIDE WITH VISIBLE BLUE SMOKE WHILE DRIVING MODERATE TO LONG DISTANCES. BLACK TARRY RESIDUE LEAKAGE VISIBLE ON DRIVEWAY AND STREET UNDERNEATH CAR WHEN PARKED OVERNIGHT OR FOR SHORT TIME WITH PAN LEAKED.

NHTSA ODI 11105432

Working with the data? Download all 52 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Mercedes-benz GLC verdict →