Most common 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350 problems
Share of the 22 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercedes-Benz GL350 complaints by model year
Best GL350 years: 2017, 2016, 2014. Years to avoid: 2010, 2012, 2011. Compare all years →
2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350 recalls (3)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML, GL, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML-Class, GL-Class, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 ML320 BlueTec 4Matic, GL320 BlueTec 4Matic and R320 CDI 4Matic, 2011 E350 Cabriolet and E550 Cabriolet, 2009-2011 ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML550 4Matic, ML63 AMG, and C63 AMG, 2010-2011 ML450 4Matic Hybrid, E350 Coupe, E350 4Matic, E550 Coupe, E550 4Matic,…
Remedy: MBUSA will their notify owners, and Fiat Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350:
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350 owners say
Air bags
The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V081000 (Air Bags) and 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I received a letter from Mercedes Benz USA giving me a date the replacement parts for a airbag recall replacement will be available around March 31, 2018. It is June 26 and the parts are still not available. Waiting for almost 12 months to have the airbag recall replacement parts. This is a serious safety hazard to wait almost a year to be repaired.
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with turbo failure. The contact was informed that the turbo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the repair could not be covered under the warranty. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred almost two years prior, and the repair was covered under an unknown recall. The contact also stated that the repair was completed with a refurbished turbo charger. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Mercedes Benz settled with U.S Government the diesel emission scandal. There are about 122k class members. Under the settlement, Mercedes gave 122k class members 4 year/48k miles warranty. Under the warranty, MB replaced the timing chain in May 2022 but on April, 2023 while driving on I-95 in Massachusetts, the engine completely got shut down while driving 55 miles per hour. Luckily, no one got injured. But the car was not controllable. I barely pulled to the side of the hwy and called the towing. Brought it to MB of Westwood. MB Westwood did a diagnostics.Below is the note Mercedes Benz of Westwood: The car is still at the dealership if you want to send an investigator, Engine Rebuild/Replace: after further tear down found that timing chain guide rails broke, which then got chewed up from chain and gears into smaller pieces. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350 a good car?
Based on 22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 GL350 rates use caution: 2.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the GL350 at the same age. It is one of the GL350 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350?
The air bags — 13 complaints, 59% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (5) and brakes (1).
How many recalls does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350, the most recent from April 26, 2024 (vacuum). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mercedes-Benz GL350?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2017, 2016 and 2014. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2010, 2012 and 2011. See the full Mercedes-Benz GL350 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 99,000 miles; 29% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.