2021 Mercedes-Benz G 550 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2021 Mercedes-Benz G 550, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical327.3%
- Engine327.3%
- Driver assistance218.2%
- Brakes19.1%
- Fuel system19.1%
- Suspension19.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
Shortly after purchasing a new Mercedes Benz 2021 G550 on [XXX], the SUV started having electrical problems. During early 2022 the vehicle shut off while at a red light and would not restart until a few minutes later. No warning light or error message was seen and when taken to the dealership they could not find anything wrong. Several months later the vehicle stopped/stalled almost causing an accident on the highway. This time the dealership did find something wrong and repaired or replaced it. Not sure exactly what it was but they mentioned something electrical Several months after this error messages began to appear on the dashboard and the car would not start. A tow truck had to take it back to the dealership. The vehicle has now been at the dealership for 4 months since February 8, 2024. They tell us they are awaiting parts or some type of harness from Germany . We are requesting more detailed repair reports from the dealership. The car only has 12,000 miles driven. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Driving 2021 Mercedes-Benz G-550 for approximately 8min. Preceding East on a 3 lane South Florida Highway no more than 40 mph. Gas tank 75% full with V-Power From Shell. (filled-3 days prior). Proceeded from the middle lane to the right lane in-order to make a sharp right handed turn onto up coming Shopping Center, that was two lights away. I had turned on my 21 MB G550 air conditioner to auto (off prior). While I was attempting to switch on my turn signal the car suddenly turns-off completely in mid-drive. All warning lights illuminated, steering this 6,000 lbs Mercedes-Benz Beast of a SUV became extremely difficult, as I was already in the sharp right handed turn! I immediately switched on my Mercedes-Benz hazards. I couldn’t apply my breaks immediately, because other vehicles were less then a car length behind my G550 in this single right handed sharp turn with no exterior lighting. I had to wait until my G-Wagon came to a complete stop on it’s own! It lost momentum pretty fast. If I would have panicked & had hit the breaks, I would have gotten into a very serious accident! Luckily, there was no one in front of my G 550 path! I then restarted my Mercedes-Benz-G, placed my 2021 G550 into drive! I proceeded to accelerate but my benz wasn’t moving! Less than 15 secs from the restart my Mercedes G550 jerked, then proceeded to get momentum again. G550 engine yellow light remained on until I got home! When I had restarted my Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon for the MBUSA tow truck, no engine light Illuminated! Then Decided to get towed in the am instead. Was extremely shaken-up, even hours later. An hour earlier that evening, My Mercedes G Wagon was parked for about 8 hours. When I started my Mercedes-Benz G 550, it had died before I could close the door! A month prior, 110 miles less, my Mercedes G550 died in mid-Drive twice in one day while attempting to stop for a red light (Engine auto on/off was enabled) Then died again while I was attempting to park.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
Shortly after purchasing a new Mercedes Benz 2021 G550 on [XXX], the SUV started having electrical problems. During early 2022 the vehicle shut off while at a red light and would not restart until a few minutes later. No warning light or error message was seen and when taken to the dealership they could not find anything wrong. Several months later the vehicle stopped/stalled almost causing an accident on the highway. This time the dealership did find something wrong and repaired or replaced it. Not sure exactly what it was but they mentioned something electrical Several months after this error messages began to appear on the dashboard and the car would not start. A tow truck had to take it back to the dealership. The vehicle has now been at the dealership for 4 months since February 8, 2024. They tell us they are awaiting parts or some type of harness from Germany . We are requesting more detailed repair reports from the dealership. The car only has 12,000 miles driven. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Driving 2021 Mercedes-Benz G-550 for approximately 8min. Preceding East on a 3 lane South Florida Highway no more than 40 mph. Gas tank 75% full with V-Power From Shell. (filled-3 days prior). Proceeded from the middle lane to the right lane in-order to make a sharp right handed turn onto up coming Shopping Center, that was two lights away. I had turned on my 21 MB G550 air conditioner to auto (off prior). While I was attempting to switch on my turn signal the car suddenly turns-off completely in mid-drive. All warning lights illuminated, steering this 6,000 lbs Mercedes-Benz Beast of a SUV became extremely difficult, as I was already in the sharp right handed turn! I immediately switched on my Mercedes-Benz hazards. I couldn’t apply my breaks immediately, because other vehicles were less then a car length behind my G550 in this single right handed sharp turn with no exterior lighting. I had to wait until my G-Wagon came to a complete stop on it’s own! It lost momentum pretty fast. If I would have panicked & had hit the breaks, I would have gotten into a very serious accident! Luckily, there was no one in front of my G 550 path! I then restarted my Mercedes-Benz-G, placed my 2021 G550 into drive! I proceeded to accelerate but my benz wasn’t moving! Less than 15 secs from the restart my Mercedes G550 jerked, then proceeded to get momentum again. G550 engine yellow light remained on until I got home! When I had restarted my Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon for the MBUSA tow truck, no engine light Illuminated! Then Decided to get towed in the am instead. Was extremely shaken-up, even hours later. An hour earlier that evening, My Mercedes G Wagon was parked for about 8 hours. When I started my Mercedes-Benz G 550, it had died before I could close the door! A month prior, 110 miles less, my Mercedes G550 died in mid-Drive twice in one day while attempting to stop for a red light (Engine auto on/off was enabled) Then died again while I was attempting to park.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
Authorization failed Limited access is the reason there recalled I can't pair ⁶
While pulling away from a red light, the vehicle jolted a small amount, then it shut down, only providing power to the dashboard, which produced an array of safety warnings. Power steering and throttle were completely dead leaving me powerless in traffic. I pulled to the shoulder of the road, placed the vehicle in park (as it seems that the failure put the car into neutral). I was able to restart the vehicle and continue driving home with no warning lights or issues. (Several other owners are having this same issue-I found them by googling the problem). My vehicle has under 5k miles on it and is always stored indoors in a climate controlled environment.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The brakes locked up in the vehicle and computer system nearly causing deadly accident.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
Driving 2021 Mercedes-Benz G-550 for approximately 8min. Preceding East on a 3 lane South Florida Highway no more than 40 mph. Gas tank 75% full with V-Power From Shell. (filled-3 days prior). Proceeded from the middle lane to the right lane in-order to make a sharp right handed turn onto up coming Shopping Center, that was two lights away. I had turned on my 21 MB G550 air conditioner to auto (off prior). While I was attempting to switch on my turn signal the car suddenly turns-off completely in mid-drive. All warning lights illuminated, steering this 6,000 lbs Mercedes-Benz Beast of a SUV became extremely difficult, as I was already in the sharp right handed turn! I immediately switched on my Mercedes-Benz hazards. I couldn’t apply my breaks immediately, because other vehicles were less then a car length behind my G550 in this single right handed sharp turn with no exterior lighting. I had to wait until my G-Wagon came to a complete stop on it’s own! It lost momentum pretty fast. If I would have panicked & had hit the breaks, I would have gotten into a very serious accident! Luckily, there was no one in front of my G 550 path! I then restarted my Mercedes-Benz-G, placed my 2021 G550 into drive! I proceeded to accelerate but my benz wasn’t moving! Less than 15 secs from the restart my Mercedes G550 jerked, then proceeded to get momentum again. G550 engine yellow light remained on until I got home! When I had restarted my Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon for the MBUSA tow truck, no engine light Illuminated! Then Decided to get towed in the am instead. Was extremely shaken-up, even hours later. An hour earlier that evening, My Mercedes G Wagon was parked for about 8 hours. When I started my Mercedes-Benz G 550, it had died before I could close the door! A month prior, 110 miles less, my Mercedes G550 died in mid-Drive twice in one day while attempting to stop for a red light (Engine auto on/off was enabled) Then died again while I was attempting to park.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
Authorization failed Limited access is the reason there recalled I can't pair ⁶
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .