2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC300. While driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. The gasoline odor was also outside the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was not under recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V961000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was 38,000.

NHTSA ID

11723953

Incident

Dec 10, 2025

Mileage

38,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered severe rusting and corrosion to the rear subframe of the vehicle, near the rear axle area. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 126,800.

NHTSA ID

11696022

Incident

Oct 28, 2025

Mileage

126,800 mi

PUTTING THIS CAR INTO PARK WILL NORMALLY AUTOMATICALLY SET THE PARKING BRAKE. EARLIER THAT DAY, IT DID NOT SET THE BRAKE. I ASSUMED I MUST HAVE HIT SOME BUTTON OR SOMETHING ON MY DASH TO CAUSE THAT. BUT THEN ON THE FREEWAY, THE CAR (FOR WANT OF A BETTER TERM) STARTED WIGGLING AND I FOUND IT HARD TO CONTROL IT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. IT STOPPED DOING THAT FOR A FEW SECONDS, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY HAPPENED AGAIN. AS I STARTED TO CHANGE LANES TO MOVE TOWARD THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, IT DID IT A THIRD TIME BUT IT WAS WORSE AND I HAD NO CONTROL AT ALL. IT WAS MOVING TOWARD THE RIGHT BUT OUT OF CONTROL AND WENT UP ON AN EMBANKMENT AND THEN BACK DOWN AGAIN. WHEN I LOOKED INTO IT, I REALIZED IT WAS DOING EXACTLY WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN A RECALL FOR THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR WHEN THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM CONTROL GOES BAD. BUT MY VIN IS NOT IN THE SERIES THAT WAS RECALLED. PERHAPS IT IS WORTH LOOKING AS TO WHETHER THE VIN NUMBERS SHOULD BE EXPANDED, ESPECIALLY IF OTHER VEHICLES ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I WAS LUCKY. ALL OTHER CARS MANAGED TO SWERVE OUT OF MY WAY AS I WENT ACROSS THE LANES OF TRAFFIC, BUT I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. YOU ASKED IF THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT. I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY TOOK DOWN. BUT THERE WAS CALIF HWY PATROL THERE, A FIRE TRUCK, AND AN AMBULANCE. AND AUTO CLUB HAS THE INFORMATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

11323374

Incident

Mar 12, 2020

Mileage

51,000 mi

I BOUGHT A NEW 2016 MODEL (FEB. 2016), AROUND NOV 2016, THE ROTORS STARTED MAKING SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN BACKING UP, SO I TOOK TO DEALER TO DIAGNOSE. AT FIRST, THEY COULDN'T FIND THE ISSUE BUT AFTER READING ON THE MERC FORUM, I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DEALER (JAN. 2017), ASKED TO CHECK THE ROTORS (NOT JUST THE BREAKS), FOUND THE ISSUE AND I PAID FOR THIS REPAIR. FAST FORWARD, JAN 2018, BROUGHT THE CAR BACK BECAUSE THE SAME SQUEAKING SOUND CAME BACK. I CALLED MERC CUSTOMER SERVICE, S/W "IRENE", AND SHE SAID THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND SHE WILL WORK WITH DEALER TO SEE IF THEY CAN FIX W/O FEE. SO LONG STORY SHORT, NEITHER THE DEALER NOR MERC ARE WILLING TO ADMIT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND WON'T PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THEY ARE WILLING TO GIVE ME "15%" DISCOUNTS. SO, I AM WRITING TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF OTHER OWNERS HAVE SAME ISSUE, SHOULD THIS BE AN OVERALL RECALL?

NHTSA ID

11065248

Incident

Jan 19, 2018

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM MERCEDES IN MARCH 2017 STATING THAT THE STARTING LIMITER MAY OVERHEAT RESULTING IN FIRE. AS OF THIS DATE, JULY 13, 2017, MERCEDES HAS NO IDEA WHEN IT WILL HAVE THE PART (S). THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

NHTSA ID

11005138

Incident

Mar 10, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 300. THE CONTACT FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V114000 (ENGINE, TRANSMISSION) PERTAINING TO HER VEHICLE. THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

10958812

Incident

Mar 4, 2017

BRAKES AND BRAKE ROTORS SCREECH EXCESSIVELY WHEN MOVING FROM PARK, FORWARD OR BACKWARDS AND WHILE BRAKING AT STOP LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS. REPORTED TO DEALER AND MERCEDES - NO ACTION. CONCERNED THAT BRAKES MAY FAIL AT A CRITICAL TIME OR THAT ROTORS WILL BE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND CAUSE FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10936611

Incident

Dec 1, 2016

Mileage

8,000 mi

I GOT MY BRAND NEW MERCEDES BENZ GLC 300 TWO WEEKS AGO. AFTER DRIVING FOR 6 DAYS & LESS THAN 300 MILES IN TOTAL THE SUV STOPPED RESPONDING ABRUPTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY CRUISING AT A SPEED OF 70 MPH WITH A TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION ERROR FLASHING. WITH NO POWER IN THE CAR, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PULL IT FROM THE LEFT MOST LANE TO THE RIGHT CURB BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY TO EXPERIENCE THE SITUATION OF AN IRRESPONSIVE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DIAL WERE LIT UP WITH A TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION ERROR IN RED. TRIED TO SHUT OFF THE CAR USING THE ON/OFF PUSH BUTTON BUT IT DID NOT RESPOND. AFTER OPENING & CLOSING THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, TRIED TO SHUT DOWN THE CAR AGAIN & THE ENGINE REVVED UP. IT WAS SURPRISING AS THINGS WERE ACTING OPPOSITE. I AM HAVING SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THIS NEW CAR, IF IT STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AGAIN & IF WE WOULD BE LUCKY NEXT TIME TO PULL OVER SAFELY. THE SUV IS AT MY DEALERSHIP FOR THE LAST ONE WEEK. THEY HAVE CITED SOME FAULTY TRANSMISSION PARTS AS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10816305

Incident

Dec 18, 2015

Mileage

260 mi