2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Mar 27, 2026 · 42 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other GL450 years
More complaints than other years 5th of 11 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450. That ranks 5th out of 11 GL450 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (21 complaints, 50%), typically at around 110,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire, 1 injury. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450 problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Air Bags21 · ~110,000 mi
Electrical System5 · ~71,020 mi
Service Brakes5 · ~135,000 mi
Suspension5 · ~70,673 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic3 · ~122,042 mi
Exterior Lighting2 · ~54,020 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)1 · ~77,000 mi
Power Train1 · ~67,000 mi
Service Brakes, Air1 · ~150,000 mi
Steering1 · ~69,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags2150%110,000——
Electrical System512%71,020——
Service Brakes512%135,000——
Suspension512%70,673——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic37%122,042——
Exterior Lighting25%54,020——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)12%77,000——
Power Train12%67,000——
Service Brakes, Air12%150,000——
Steering12%69,000——
Unknown or Other12%———
Vehicle Speed Control12%77,000——
Visibility12%160,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 14 complaints
2013: 1201312015: 3201532016: 3201632017: 142017142018: 6201862019: 3201932022: 5202252023: 1202312024: 3202432025: 2202522026: 120261

n = 42 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450 recalls (3)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuumDo not driveApr 26, 2024 · NHTSA campaign 24V298000 · 15,604 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: 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.

Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuumDo not driveMay 9, 2022 · NHTSA campaign 22V315000 · 350,294 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: 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.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleFeb 11, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V081000 · 711,159 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: 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.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact depressed the brake pedal harder, and the vehicle responded as intended. There was no warning light illuminated…

Service Brakes, Hydraulic · received Mar 27, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11727442

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH and attempting to bring the vehicle of a complete stop, the vehicle slowed but failed to stop as expected. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard but was able to bring the vehicle…

Service Brakes, Hydraulic · received Jul 21, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11675105

The EIS module we have found has an issue with the part from Japan that does not have enough Sauder on a part of it, so when the temp drops below 50 degrees or less the ignition starts but all the safety features go off and the computer shuts down the vehicle. Reason is the metal contracts in cold…

Electrical System · received Jan 9, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11635038

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the contact heard a loud noise and opened the sunroof and became aware that the sunroof panel had detached, and the glass fell inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer to…

Visibility · received Dec 9, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11629732

brake line corrison and leak, results in no braking.

Service Brakes · received Dec 1, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11628185

Other Mercedes-Benz GL450 years

← 2009 GL450 · 2011 GL450 →

See all Mercedes-Benz GL450 problems by year, every Mercedes-Benz model, or the Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450?

Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, service brakes problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 21 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450?

Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other GL450 model years, the 2010 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.