YearToAvoid

2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

86/100

#2 most-complained of 8 GL550 years

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 ranks 2nd worst of 8 model years, with a Complaint Index of 86 and an Avoid verdict. Airbags account for 80% of its 15 complaints, tied to a Takata recall with reported repair-part delays, plus two do-not-drive brake recalls.

Complaints
15
Recalls
3
incl. Do Not Drive
Crashes / fires
0 / 0
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
14
13 city / 17 hwy

Top 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags12 (80%)
  2. Brakes1 (7%)
  3. Electrical System1 (7%)
  4. Fuel System1 (7%)
  5. Other1 (7%)

What owners report

  • Owners report long delays getting the Takata airbag recall (campaign 16V081000) completed, with parts unavailable for a year or more after notification.
  • Some owners state the dealer could not give a timeframe for the airbag repair despite repeated contact.
  • One owner reported the key fob intermittently failed to engage the ignition, with no dash lights and the engine sometimes shutting off while driving.
  • One owner reported the vehicle jerked while accelerating, linked to a diesel fuel system recall (11V496000), with median mileage at failure of 150,000 miles.
  • One owner reported an abnormal hissing sound from the brake pedal during reversing, tied to the 22V315000 brake recall, at a median mileage of 22,000 miles.
2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 complaints: complaints filed per month4Oct 2016Apr 2017Nov 2017Jun 2018Aug 2019May 2023
16 complaints filed with NHTSA from Oct 2016 to Nov 2025; peak Nov 2017 (4).

2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 24V298000Apr 26, 2024Brakes15,604 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    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.

    Risk: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.

    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. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MMUSA's number for this recall is 2024050001/2. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-315.

  2. NHTSA 22V315000May 9, 2022Brakes350,294 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    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.

    Risk: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.

    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. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2022050014, 2022050015 2022090006, & 2022090007.

  3. NHTSA 16V081000Feb 11, 2016Airbags711,159 vehicles

    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, and E63 AMG, 2011-2012 GL350 BlueTec 4Matic and R350 BlueTec 4Matic, 2009-2012 GL450 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and R350 4Matic, 2007-2008 SLK280, SLK350, and SLK55 AMG, 2011-2014 SLS AMG Coupe, 2012 SLS AMG Cabriolet, 2013-2014 SLS AMG GT and SLS AMG GT Cabriolet, 2005 C230 Kompressor and C320, 2006-2007 C230, 2006-2011 C350, 2008-2011 C300 and C300 4Matic, 2010-2012 GLK350 and GLK350 4Matic and 2007-2008 Chrysler Crossfire vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    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. This recall began November 2016. Mercedes-Benz owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372 and Chrysler owners may contact Fiat Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.

2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
13 MPG
Highway
17 MPG
Combined
14 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$5,700
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2011 compared with other GL550 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)025507510020102011201220132014201520162017
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010No verdict7133 !14
2011Avoid86153 !14
2012Avoid10083 !14
2013Caution576315

All Mercedes-Benz GL550 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL550 a good year to buy?
NHTSA data ranks it 2nd worst of 8 GL550 model years, with a Complaint Index of 86 and an overall Avoid verdict relative to other GL550 years.
What is the biggest problem with the 2011 GL550?
Airbags make up 80% of the 15 complaints, mostly tied to a Takata recall (16V081000) where owners reported extended waits for replacement parts.
Does the 2011 GL550 have any do-not-drive recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists two do-not-drive brake recalls, 24V298000 and 22V315000, both about moisture-related corrosion in brake components.
How does the 2011 GL550 compare to other years?
Its Complaint Index of 86 is higher than 2013 (57), 2014 (43), and 2015 (29), which are rated Good or Caution, but lower than 2012's 100.
What mileage do airbag problems show up at on the 2011 GL550?
The median mileage at failure for airbag-related complaints is 69,000 miles.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.