What 56 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Mercedes-benz GLB

The vehicle was operating normally the previous night. We drove it and parked it in the driveway that evening, and it was not used again after that. The following morning, we started the vehicle to allow it to warm up and then returned inside the house. Approximately 10 minutes later, we discovered the vehicle was on fire, with flames coming from under the hood. We immediately called 911. The fire department responded and was able to extinguish the fire; however, the vehicle was completely destroyed, and part of our home sustained fire damage. There were no prior issues with the vehicle. We had purchased it in September 2025, and it was in excellent condition. This incident could have resulted in far more serious consequences had it occurred while the vehicle was in motion or if emergency responders had not arrived as quickly as they did.

NHTSA ODI 11717145

Power Liftgate (via key fob – SmartKey). Mercedes GLB250. Was told by Mercedes employees that all cars operate the same. oSensor that automatically stops liftgate if it detects an obstruction does not retract to allow someone reaching in the trunk to safely exit the trunk. oThe liftgate stops, but it does not do so until it has hit/touched the objection or obstruction. oWhen you press the trunk button on the key fob, the liftgate only raises slightly (maybe 2 inches). oIf you press the key fob again, the liftgate just continues to go up and down within those few inches and continues to hit/touch the object/obstruction each time you press the button. Half of my body was trapped in the trunk. Suffered injury to shoulder and hand. oI was taking grocery bags out of the trunk and had the key fob in my pocket. oAn item fell out of the bag so I reached into the trunk to grab it. oAs I leaned in, the body of the car must have come into contact with the key fob and the trunk came down (closed). oI did not have time to exit the trunk and ½ of my body became trapped in the trunk. oI had just enough space to move my right hand to take the key out of my pocket. oI pressed the trunk button, but the liftgate did not fully retract. It went up slightly and came back down hitting/touching my body. oI did not have enough room to get out of the trunk. oI was in a garage where no one could hear me scream for help. oI had to push up with my left hand and use excessive force with my back and right shoulder to lift the heavy trunk. Mercedes inspected the car and said nothing is wrong. Letter provided. oSeveral Mercedes employees at the dealership were present when I demonstrated the issue. They had no explanation. oSales manager stated that he tested the trunk (cars located at the dealership) and they do retract but understood my concerns as it only retracts slightly. oNo one seems to understand that serious risk this possesses, unless they were to be trapped i

NHTSA ODI 11597573

Driver hit at or around 35 MPH while making a left turn. Side airbags failed to deploy and did not protect driver from head/neck/shoulder injury. Upon impact, the seat belt did not restrain driver's body from thrashing against driver's car door.

NHTSA ODI 11486681

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes Benz GLB250. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at approximately 45 mph and merged to the left, the driver was losing control of the steering and crashed into the meridian. The contact noticed that the front axle fractured and detached from the vehicle. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was damaged. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21v99000 (steering, suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 22,300.

NHTSA ODI 11451402