Selling a dead or junk Mercedes-Benz GL-Class

We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Complaints and recalls by model year

NHTSA's records on October 10, 2026 show 618 owner complaints about the GL-Class. Lots of GL recalls span more than one year, which is why adding the recall column gives more than the GL's 12 campaigns. A few complaints are filed under 2006 and 2017, years outside the GL's EPA run.

The first generation: 2007-2012 (X164)

Wikipedia says the X164 GL debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show and was the first full-size, seven-seat SUV built by a German automaker. Mercedes-Benz's own Wikipedia entry lists the GL-Class among the models built at its U.S. plant.

These six model years hold 469 complaints, three of every four on file. Each year has its own story:

• 2007: seats and fire. Seats lead with 35 complaints, then the electrical system (19) and power train (14). The 2007 also has 34 complaints that report a fire, out of 48 across every GL year.
• 2008: steering. Steering tops the list with 31 of 87, with suspension next at 9.
• 2009-2012: air bags. Air bags lead all four years, 138 complaints in total. Recall 16V081000 covers driver frontal air bag inflator modules on these years. Its 711,159 vehicles also include ML, R-Class and E-Class models and some Chrysler vehicles, so that number is far bigger than the GL alone.

The brake booster recalls cover 2007-2012 GLs. Campaign 22V315000 counts 350,294 vehicles and 24V298000 counts 15,604, both across the ML, GL and R-Class. Dealers remove a rubber sleeve and inspect the booster. Separately, Wikipedia's Mercedes-Benz article notes that in June 2022 the company recalled almost one million vehicles built between 2004 and 2015 over possible "advanced corrosion" in the braking system.

The second generation: 2013-2016 (X166)

The X166 went on sale in September 2012, Wikipedia says, with an engine start-stop system, drive-by-wire steering and new turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines. It added the GL63 AMG with the hand-built M157 engine. After a 2016 facelift the model was renamed GLS.

Complaints drop a lot here, to 146 over four years, and engine trouble leads on the 2013 (12), 2014 (9) and 2015 (10). Their recalls are mostly small, targeted campaigns:

• 13V166000: bolts on the second-row seat belt anchor fittings on 2013 GLs built May 15 to October 4, 2012. Dealers check and tighten them. 256 vehicles.
• 14V158000: the second-row seat pan, tied to the child seat latch strap, on 69 GLs built in November 2013.
• 18V272000: front suspension oil that can foam out of the reservoir on 2013-2016 GLs. Dealers correct the oil level and replace the reservoir cap. The 9,725 vehicles also include ML and GLS models.
• 16V900000: axle carrier bolts on 48 vehicles, 2015-2016 GL and ML.

The 2016 sits in seven recall campaigns, more than any other GL year, though several of them, such as 17V241000 for the power steering connector, mainly list GLE models.

Fix it or sell it?

1. Look up the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup before anything else. If a brake booster recall is open, have it towed to a dealer rather than driving it.
2. Air bag light on a 2009-2012? Ask a dealer whether 16V081000 was done on your truck before you price a repair.
3. 2013-2015 GL with engine trouble? Get the shop's price on paper, then see what a running GL of similar year and miles sells for. If the two numbers are near each other, selling tends to win. Our bad brakes guide and open recall guide cover the other two common reasons a GL ends up parked.

How to sell your GL whole

1. Write down your GL's VIN, mileage and the problem, and note if the recall work got done.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where the GL sits. It's a big, heavy SUV, so mention a tight driveway, a garage or a dead battery that keeps it in Park.
4. Leave it as it is, third-row seats, wheels and all. Say if anything has already been pulled.
5. At GL pickup, hand the driver the title and show your photo ID. Whether the GL's plates stay with you or go back is up to your state. After you sell has the rules.

Comparing other big Mercedes SUVs? See the ML-Class, GLS-Class and R-Class, or every Mercedes-Benz model.