AutoUtility currently tracks 41 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS. Electrical System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 8 complaints (19.5% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 1 filing cites a crash, 5 cite a fire, 2 report one or more injuries. The 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS belongs to the 2nd Generation / GL Facelift (X166) platform.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
8 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
6 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
6 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
5 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"I was driving around and my [XXX] daughter was complaining that the seat was getting super hot . I told her to stop playing with the seat warmer she then replied she was not . I kept driving and then she again told me it was burning her so i pulled over and saw that her leg was super red and i saw..."
"Car did not brake when going about 5-7mph and crashed into another car."
"The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS450. The contact heard an abnormal humming sound when the vehicle was started, and the humming sound grew louder over time. The contact believed that the humming sound was coming from the driver's side headlamp. The contact stated that the headlamp was..."
"My 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 is experiencing serious and unpredictable transmission behavior related to the valve body and shifting mechanism. The transmission sometimes fails to engage Park, shifts on its own without driver input or attempts to engage Reverse unexpectedly. On multiple occasions..."
"On July 23, 2025, I drove my Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 to a medical appointment. After arriving, I parked near the valet station, turned off the car, and went inside to check in at LabCorp. Within two minutes, witnesses reported black smoke from the hood — followed by a violent explosion that shook the..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2017–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS Current Page | 41 | 1 | 8 | Current |
| 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS | 22 | 1 | 4 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLS | 27 | 1 | 3 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS | 38 | 3 | 24 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLS | 37 | 2 | 12 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS | 15 | 2 | 10 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLS | 10 | 0 | 5 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLS | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLS | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2026 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 19 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS is Electrical System, appearing in 8 records (19.5% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Exterior Lighting (6) and Fuel & Propulsion System (6).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 41 consumer defect complaints and 8 safety recall campaigns for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS, 1 filing cites a crash, 5 cite smoke or fire, and 2 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.