2020 Mercedes Benz Gls 450: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2020 Mercedes Benz Gls 450
On the 2020 Mercedes Benz Gls 450, the failure owners report most often is other electrical problem, with 12 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 5,000 miles. Overall it scores 86 out of 100, severe risk for a 2020.
Severe risk for a 2020 — 2nd riskiest of the 235 2020 vehicles we can rate. 64 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What breaks on the 2020 Mercedes Benz Gls 450
Owners have reported 22 named failure modes on the 2020 Mercedes Benz Gls 450, and the three most-reported carry 33% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other electrical problem leads with 12 reports and about 1.8 per 1,000 vehicles.
Software fault or failed update follows with 5 reports.
Overheating follows with 4 reports.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (14), adas (9) and engine (7).
When these failures get reported
Too few of the reports on this year carry an odometer reading to describe the timing: 5 of them do. The mileages quoted elsewhere on this page come from the modes that have enough of them.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 22. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 8 mention a crash, 3 a fire and 3 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.55, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, software fault or failed update at $0–$600, overheating at $400–$3,500 and backup camera failure at $250–$1,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
22% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 12 | 2 | — | 7k | — | 1.8 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Software fault or failed update | software | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.8 | $0–$600 | Moderate |
| Overheating | cooling | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 4 | 1 | — | 4k | — | 0.6 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 4 | 1 | — | 4k | — | 0.6 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.5 | $200–$900 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.5 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Head gasket failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $1,400–$4,000 | Critical |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Automatic braking for no reason | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $0–$1,500 | Critical |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 1 | 1 | — | 1k | — | 0.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.5 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2020 Mercedes Benz Gls 450 draws about 9.7 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 90th percentile of complaint rates among 2020 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 6,566 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2020 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
Recalls on the 2020 model year
NHTSA has issued 20 recall campaigns covering the 2020 Mercedes Benz Gls 450, affecting an estimated 36,654 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover electrical system:wiring, power train:automatic transmission:control module:software, visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system and seats:mid/rear assembly. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
116,020 vehicles 2024-03-15- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2023-2024 GLE 350, 2020-2024 GLE 450, 2020-2023 GLS 580, GLE 580, 2019-2023 GLS 450, 2021-2023 Maybach GLS 600, AMG GLS 63, 2021-2024 AMG GLE 53, AMG GLE 53 Coupe, and AMG GLE 63 S vehicles. A 48-Volt ground connection under the passenger seat may not be secured properly, resulting in the ground connection overheating.
- Consequence
- An overheated ground connection can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and tighten the 48-Volt ground connection as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 3, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024040002.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
105,071 vehicles 2024-02-16- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2020-2023 GLE 450 and GLS 450 vehicles. The transmission may not fully downshift in certain conditions, causing the engine to stall.
- Consequence
- An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the transmission control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
61,450 vehicles 2023-03-17- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2020-2021 GLE350, GLE450, GLS450, GLS580, 2021 AMG GLE53, AMG GLE63, Maybach GLS600, AMG GLS63, and 2020 GLE580 vehicles. The air conditioner drain hoses may have been incorrectly installed, causing water to drain into the passenger compartment.
- Consequence
- Water intrusion into the foot wells may cause corrosion and/or short circuits to electrical components, increasing the risk of fire. In addition, the emergency call (eCall) feature may be disabled and the doors may not unlock, increasing the risk of injury. Also, the engine may not start or may enter a limp-home mode, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and reinstall the air conditioner drain hoses, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 28, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall is an expansion of recall numbers 21V-288 and 19V-587. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2023030014 and 15.
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
59,574 vehicles 2022-09-30- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2021 AMG GLS63, 2020-2022 GLS450 and GLS580 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the locks on the third-row seatbacks may fail in the event of a crash.
- Consequence
- A seat with a seatback lock failure may not properly restrain occupants, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the third-row seatback, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022100011.
STRUCTURE:BODY
161,000 vehicles 2022-09-12- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2020-2022 GLE350, GLE450, GLS450, 2021-2022 AMG GLE53, 2020-2021 GLE580, GLS580, and 2021 GLE400e, AMG GLS63, AMG GLE63 S, and Maybach GLS600 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the rear door window trim bars may detach.
- Consequence
- Detached trim bars may cause a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and secure the rear window trim bars, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 1, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022090010.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
81 vehicles 2022-07-01- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 and GLS 580 vehicles. The front air bag wiring harness may be routed incorrectly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Consequence
- An air bag that does not deploy properly can increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will correct the wiring harness routing, free of charge. Owners notification letters were mailed August 22, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022070006.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
242,722 vehicles 2022-05-20- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2022 CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, AMG GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL-Class, GLC-Class, CLS-Class, GLB-Class, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. An error in the communication module's SIM card software can cause a mobile network connection failure, disabling the emergency call (eCall) system.
- Consequence
- A disabled eCall system would prevent a vehicle occupant from contacting the emergency services call center in an emergency, potentially delaying emergency responders and increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- The communication module software will be updated through an Over-the-Air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2022. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on July 8, 2022, May 17, 2024, July 29, 2024, and September 27, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's numbers are for this recall is 2022060005 and 2023110006.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
21,306 vehicles 2022-04-08- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2020-2022 GLE450, GLS450, 2021-2022 AMG GLE53, 2020-2021 GLE580, GLS580, 2021 AMG GLE63, Maybach GLS600 and AMG GLS63 vehicles. A ground cable bolt for the 48V ground connection under the front passenger seat may not be secured properly, which can cause the electrical cable to overheat.
- Consequence
- An overheated electrical cable can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and tighten the ground cable bolt, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022040017.
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION
126,443 vehicles 2022-04-08- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2018-2021 CLA-Class, GLE/GLS-Class, A-Class, C-Class, E-Class, E-Class Coupe/Convertible, GLA/GLB-Class, GLC-Class, and CLS-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The rearview camera may not display the rearview image due to a software error. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Consequence
- An inoperable rearview camera display reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022060007.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
139 vehicles 2021-12-13- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2019 AMG G63, C300, E300, G550, AMG GT63, AMG GT53, 2019-2020 A220, GLA250, GLC300, 2016 C300, 2020 AMG A35, AMG C43, AMG C63, CLA250, E350, E450, GLB250, GLE450, GLS450, GLS580, S560, and SL550 vehicles equipped with a gasoline engine. During the manufacturing process, particles may have been trapped between the fuel rail and injectors, which can cause a fuel leak.
- Consequence
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source, such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel rail and fuel injectors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 22, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for the recall is 2022030003.
SEATS
27 vehicles 2021-10-18- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2020 GLS450, GLS580, GLE350, GLE450, AMG C63, and 2021 AMG GLE53 vehicles. The seats may have been assembled incorrectly.
- Consequence
- Incorrectly assembled seats may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the seats, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 8, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021110010.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
343,191 vehicles 2021-05-14- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2021 CLA-Class, GLE/GLS-Class, A-Class, E-Class, E-Class Coupe and Convertible, GLA/GLB-Class, GLC-Class, CLS-Class, and AMG GT-Class 4-door Coupe vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The MBUX multimedia system software may cause the display to remain black, or reboot after startup. This could result in the rearview camera image not displaying properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number…
- Consequence
- A backup camera that displays a blank image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- The multimedia system software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 28, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6373. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021050012.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2020 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2020 compares with the other years
Severe risk for a 2020 — 2nd riskiest of the 235 2020 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 3 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2019 comes out best at 75 and 2020 worst at 86, with 2020 itself at 86.
If the model year is negotiable, 2019 and 2018 score lower than 2020 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2018–2020 generation specifically, 2019 is the strongest year at 75 and 2020 the weakest at 86.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Within the 2018-2020 generation, 2019 Mercedes Benz Gls 450 scores best at 75 and 2020 Mercedes Benz Gls 450 worst at 86.
What this page cannot tell you
64 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 64 reports, 5 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 8% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Mercedes Benz Gls 450?
The most-reported failures are other electrical problem (12 reports, median 5,000 miles), software fault or failed update (5 reports) and overheating (4 reports). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2020 Mercedes Benz Gls 450 reliable?
It scores 86 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 2nd riskiest of the 235 2020 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2020 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Mercedes Benz Gls 450 is best?
Within the 2018–2020 generation, 2019 scores best at 75 out of 100 and 2020 worst at 86. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed