Most common 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 problems
Share of the 15 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercedes-Benz GL550 complaints by model year
Best GL550 years: 2016, 2017, 2010. Years to avoid: 2011. Compare all years →
2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 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 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550:
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 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 owners say
Air bags
Takata recall - its been over a year and nothing has been done about this. The online system says that the part is not available. The dealer would not take the car in as a trade as they said they cant sell it.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V081000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Mercedes-Benz of littleton (8070 s broadway, littleton, co) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 a good car?
Based on 15 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 GL550 rates use caution: 2.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the GL550 at the same age. It is one of the GL550 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 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550?
The air bags — 12 complaints, 80% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (1) and fuel & propulsion system (1).
How many recalls does the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550, 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 GL550?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2016, 2017 and 2010. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2011. See the full Mercedes-Benz GL550 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 69,000 miles; 33% 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.