Mercedes-Benz GL-Class: deaths and injuries the manufacturer reported to NHTSA

Mercedes-Benz reported 109 incidents alleging a death or injury in a Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, model years 2007–2016, in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21), through 2026 Q1. Each is a claim the manufacturer received, not a finding; NHTSA does not verify them.

Photo: Dmitrii Filatov / Unsplash

109 incidents reported

13 deaths, as claimed

138 injuries, as claimed

2007–2016 model years named

By model year

Source: manufacturer EWR death and injury reports and production reports

Model year	Incidents	Killed	Injured	Built	Per 100,000 built
2007	23	0	23	—	—
2008	4	5	8	—	—
2009	8	1	8	—	—
2010	8	0	9	—	—
2011	12	1	12	—	—
2012	12	1	12	—	—
2013	15	0	21	—	—
2014	10	2	13	—	—
2015	10	3	20	—	—
2016	7	0	12	17,707	40

The model year is the one the manufacturer named in the report. A model year with its own page links to it. “Built” is the manufacturer’s cumulative production for the model year from its latest Early Warning production report; the rate is incidents per 100,000 of them.

By the system the claimant named

Source: as the manufacturer reported it

System named	Incidents	Killed
Air Bags	29	2
Fire	28	4
Seats	28	0
Electrical System	25	0
Structure	14	0
Service Brake System	14	6
Power Train	11	0
Seat Belts	10	2
Vehicle Speed Control	7	5
Other	6	0
Parking Brake System	5	0
Rollover	4	0
Latch	4	0
Steering System	3	0
Tires	2	0
Forward Collision	2	0
Suspension System	2	1
Fuel System	1	0
Visibility	1	0
Lane Departure	1	0
Service Brake System, Air	1	0
No System/Component Specified	1	0

An incident naming several systems is counted under each. “Fire” and “Other” are categories in the rule, not systems.

Every one of these, dated and numbered

The defect dossier for the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class puts each report beside the recalls, investigations, bulletins and owner complaints on the same system, as a PDF and two CSVs: the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, one system, every model year, numbered as exhibits.

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The incidents

Source: VIN shown as NHTSA publishes it: the first eleven characters

Incident	Model year	State	Killed	Injured	Systems named	Reported
2021-05-26	2012	TN	0	1	Air Bags	2021 Q2
2020-09-07	2015	OH	0	7	Air Bags	2020 Q3
2020-07-19	2014	NY	0	3	Fire	2020 Q3
2020-03-22	2016	CA	0	1	Tires · Rollover	2020 Q2
not reported	2016	TX	0	1	Air Bags	2020 Q1
not reported	2015	PA	0	1	Steering System	2020 Q1
not reported	2016	NC	0	1	Fuel System · Structure	2019 Q4
2019-10-10	2016	CA	0	1	Electrical System	2019 Q4
2019-09-19	2010	MA	0	1	Air Bags	2019 Q3
not reported	2012	NJ	0	1	Seat Belts	2019 Q3
not reported	2013	GA	0	4	Visibility	2019 Q2
2019-05-25	2015	MI	2	1	Fire	2022 Q1
2019-01-02	2013	GA	0	1	Structure	2019 Q1
2018-12-07	2010	GA	0	1	Service Brake System · Vehicle Speed Control · Power Train	2018 Q4
2018-11-05	2013	VA	0	1	Air Bags · Fire	2018 Q4
2018-09-18	2014	MA	0	1	Structure	2018 Q3
2018-08-23	2016	CA	0	5	Electrical System · Lane Departure · Forward Collision	2018 Q4
2018-08-23	2010	IA	0	1	Air Bags · Rollover	2018 Q3
2018-08-16	2010	NJ	0	2	Air Bags	2018 Q3
2018-08-10	2015	FL	0	2	Fire	2018 Q3
2018-08-05	2013	VA	0	2	Air Bags	2018 Q3
2018-05-25	2016	WA	0	2	Air Bags	2018 Q2
2018-05-25	2012	NJ	0	1	Structure	2018 Q2
2018-05-11	2015	TU	1	0	Seat Belts	2018 Q2
2018-04-21	2011	TX	0	1	Air Bags	2018 Q2
2018-02-12	2009	MO	0	1	Air Bags	2018 Q1
2017-12-08	2012	NY	0	1	Air Bags	2017 Q4
2017-11-16	2013	FL	0	2	Air Bags · Seat Belts	2017 Q4
2017-11-15	2009	LA	0	1	Suspension System · Air Bags · Rollover	2018 Q4
2017-09-13	2016	NY	0	1	Steering System · Service Brake System	2018 Q4
2017-07-22	2014	NY	0	3	Parking Brake System · Power Train	2017 Q3
2017-05-24	2009	NV	0	1	Structure · Latch	2017 Q2
2017-04-01	2013	AL	0	1	Parking Brake System · Power Train	2017 Q2
2017-03-29	2012	NJ	0	1	Parking Brake System · Power Train	2017 Q3
2017-03-08	2015	MA	0	1	Service Brake System · Air Bags	2017 Q1
2017-02-16	2015	CA	0	2	Air Bags · Rollover	2017 Q1
2017-02-04	2010	CA	0	1	Seat Belts	2017 Q2
not reported	2007	UT	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2016 Q4
2016-11-05	2013	CA	0	1	Air Bags · Seat Belts	2016 Q4
2016-09-27	2007	CO	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2016 Q3
2016-09-25	2015	NY	0	4	Steering System · Service Brake System, Air · Air Bags · Forward Collision	2016 Q3
2016-09-25	2007	VA	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2016 Q3
2016-09-17	2013	IL	0	1	Structure · Latch	2016 Q3
not reported	2011	CA	0	1	Structure	2016 Q3
2016-08-19	2014	CA	0	1	Tires	2016 Q3
2016-08-09	2015	NH	0	1	Structure · Latch	2016 Q3
2016-07-02	2014	NY	0	1	Seat Belts	2016 Q3
2016-06-13	2010	IL	0	1	Air Bags	2016 Q4
2016-05-15	2013	CA	0	2	Service Brake System · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control	2016 Q3
2016-05-05	2014	TX	0	1	Structure	2016 Q2
2016-04-11	2007	CO	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2016 Q2
2016-04-01	2012	TX	1	1	Seat Belts	2017 Q3
2016-03-27	2015	FL	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2016 Q2
2016-03-23	2012	NC	0	1	Service Brake System · Parking Brake System · Power Train	2016 Q1
2016-03-01	2007	DC	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2016 Q2
2016-02-01	2008	IL	0	3	Air Bags	2016 Q1
2015-12-22	2011	GA	0	1	Air Bags	2016 Q1
2015-11-07	2011	FL	0	1	Service Brake System · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control	2018 Q3
2015-10-12	2010	SC	0	1	Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control	2015 Q4
not reported	2012	FL	0	1	Structure	2015 Q3
2015-08-29	2011	SO	1	0	Suspension System	2015 Q3
2015-07-28	2014	PA	0	1	Electrical System · Latch	2015 Q3
2015-07-06	2014	WA	0	1	Structure · Seats	2015 Q3
not reported	2013	NY	0	1	Air Bags	2015 Q2
not reported	2009	CA	0	1	Air Bags	2015 Q1
not reported	2007	CA	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2015 Q1
not reported	2007	CO	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2015 Q1
not reported	2007	CA	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2015 Q1
not reported	2007	CA	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2015 Q1
2015-02-03	2012	MO	0	1	Air Bags	2016 Q2
2015-01-20	2014	IN	2	0	Air Bags · Fire	2015 Q1
not reported	2013	NY	0	1	Seats	2014 Q4
not reported	2007	WI	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2014 Q4
2014-11-19	2007	CA	0	1	Electrical System · Structure	2015 Q2
2014-11-06	2013	FL	0	1	Service Brake System · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control	2015 Q1
2014-10-04	2007	GA	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2014 Q4
2014-09-21	2013	CA	0	1	Structure	2014 Q4
not reported	2014	NY	0	1	Seat Belts	2014 Q2
not reported	2007	NJ	0	1	Electrical System · Fire	2014 Q2
not reported	2007	IL	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2014 Q1
not reported	2007	CA	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2014 Q1
not reported	2007	TX	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2014 Q1
2014-01-08	2012	CA	0	1	Service Brake System · Power Train	2014 Q1
not reported	2013	PA	0	1	Seat Belts · Other	2013 Q4
not reported	2007	NY	0	1	Seats · Fire	2013 Q4
2013-10-11	2008	MO	0	1	Service Brake System · Power Train	2013 Q4
2013-09-26	2007	CA	0	1	Electrical System · Seats	2013 Q3
not reported	2012	LA	0	1	Other	2013 Q3
not reported	2011	WI	0	2	Electrical System · Air Bags · Seats	2013 Q3
not reported	2011	CA	0	1	Other	2013 Q3
not reported	2009	SC	0	1	Seats	2013 Q2
2013-05-21	2010	TX	0	1	Parking Brake System	2013 Q2
not reported	2013	CT	0	1	Electrical System · Seats	2013 Q1
not reported	2011	NY	0	1	Structure · Other	2013 Q1
not reported	2007	CA	0	1	Seats · Fire	2013 Q1
not reported	2007	GA	0	1	Seats · Fire	2013 Q1
not reported	2012	NJ	0	1	Service Brake System · Other	2012 Q4
not reported	2011	NY	0	1	Service Brake System · Vehicle Speed Control	2012 Q4
not reported	2008	NY	5	3	Service Brake System · Vehicle Speed Control	2012 Q4
not reported	2007	CA	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2012 Q4
not reported	2007	PA	0	1	Seats · Fire	2012 Q4
2012-10-12	2011	PA	0	1	Electrical System · Seats · Fire	2014 Q3
2012-10-09	2008	CA	0	1	Air Bags	2012 Q4
2012-09-05	2009	CO	0	2	Air Bags	2012 Q3
2012-08-15	2011	MT	0	1	Air Bags · Other	2012 Q4
2012-01-28	2007	TX	0	1	Seats · Fire	2012 Q1
2011-11-04	2011	CA	0	1	Service Brake System · No System/Component Specified	2011 Q4
2010-04-21	2009	NI	1	0	Service Brake System	2010 Q2
2010-01-12	2009	GA	0	1	Seat Belts	2010 Q1

Each row above is a claim or notice Mercedes-Benz received alleging a death or injury in a Mercedes-Benz GL-Class and reported to NHTSA as 49 CFR 579.21 requires; NHTSA does not verify it, and a GL-Class that sold more will have more rows. All Mercedes-Benz models · What these reports are, and are not.