2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC300: complaints, problems and recalls

STARTER MOTOR FAILURE IN "ECO START" MODE AT INTERSECTION. WAS IN AN INTERSECTION WHEN CAR STALLED AND THREW A CODE. STARTER MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED IN FULL. VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 1,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS 3 WEEKS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT.

Owner-reported narrative. 900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10853024 at NHTSA ↗

THREE WEEKS AFTER BUYING THE GLC300 4MATIC THE ENGINE MISFIRES, GOT STRANDED IN AC NEW JERSEY, THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALER FOR 3 WEEKS, THEY REPLACED ALL FUEL INJECTOR/COILS AND IT KEPT HAPPENING, THEN THE FUEL MODULE GOT REPLACED AND IT RAN FINE FOR 4 WEEKS AND THE PROBLEM CAME BACK, GOT STRANDED IN BOSTON, THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALER FOR 2 WEEKS, THIS TIME THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT (TODAY 4-22-16), I'M PICKING IT UP TOMORROW. I OWN THE CAR FOR 12 WEEKS AND ONLY BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE IT 7 WEEKS, SO DISAPPOINTED IN MERCEDES BENZ.

Owner-reported narrative. 1,450 miles reported. Look up ODI 10861027 at NHTSA ↗

DATE: 06/06/2016: RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2016 MERCEDES GLC300 AND WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE FACT THAT THE ECO MODE IS THE DEFAULT AND IT HAS TO BE TURNED OFF MANUALLY EACH TIME YOU START THE ENGINE. I CALLED MBUSA AND THEY SAID THERE IS NO WAY TO TURN IT OFF COMPLETELY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD WITH SERIOUS RISK OF BODILY INJURY OR DEATH. WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED THE ENGINE TURNS OFF AND WILL START IF ONE PRESSES THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN TURNING LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION IT IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO KNOW THAT THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF AS YOU START TO P…

Owner-reported narrative. 16 miles reported. Look up ODI 10872784 at NHTSA ↗

MESSAGE: DATE: 06/07/2016: RECENTLY, I PURCHASED A 2016 MERCEDES GLC300 AND WAS VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE FACT THAT THE ECO MODE IS THE DEFAULT AND IT HAS TO BE TURNED OFF MANUALLY EACH TIME YOU START THE ENGINE. I CALLED MERCEDES AND THEY SAID THERE IS NO WAY TO TURN IT OFF COMPLETELY. I BELIEVE THIS PRESENTS A HIGH RISK FOR STALLS THAT COULD POSSIBLY RESULT IN SEVERE BODILY HARM AND EVEN DEATH. WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED THE ENGINE TURNS OFF AND WILL START IF ONE PRESSES THE GAS PEDAL. FOR EXAMPLE; WHEN TURNING LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION IT IS VERY UNC…

Owner-reported narrative. 16 miles reported. Look up ODI 10872883 at NHTSA ↗

AT 7:30 AM ON JUNE 10, 2016, WHILE DRIVING NORTH ON RTE. 495 IN DELAWARE IN OUR 5-MONTH-OLD MB - GLC 300, THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING EXPLODED AND SHATTERED OUTWARD. THE SOUND WAS AS LOUD AS A BOMB. AS SHOWN IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS, NEARLY ALL THE SUNROOF WAS BLOWN OUT, WITH ONLY A LITTLE GLASS REMAINING AROUND THE FRAME. THE SHATTERED GLASS FRAGMENTS EITHER FLEW OFF OR SETTLED ON TOP OF THE SHADE SCREEN. WE WERE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND THERE WERE NO CARS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US OR BEHIND. WE HAD THE AIR C…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10874285 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED MY NEW VEHICLE DEC 2015. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP 2 TIMES FOR AN ESTIMATED TIME OF 3 TO 4 WEEKS. 1ST MY STEERING MECHANISM LOCKED UP AND WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO MOVE MY STEERGING WHEEL UP OR DOWN. IN OR OUT. THEN, AT THE SAME TIME, MY CAR WAS SHIFTING ERRATICALLY. IT WOULD FEEL LIKE IT WAS IN 5TH GEAR, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY DROP TO 1ST GEAR. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WHEN THEY HAD THIS VEHICLE AND THEY HAD IT FOR ABOUT 5 DAYS. NOW, MY ENGINE BLEW. THEY STATED VIA TEXT MESSAGE THAT THE CAM SHAFT BROKE AND PUT A LARGE HOLE I…

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10882435 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ON A MAJOR THREE LANE EACH DIRECTION HIGHWAY IN SUBURBAN IL, WHEN I STARTED TO GO AFTER THE LIGHT CHANGE THE CAR STUTTERED AND TURNED OFF. IT WAS RENDERED COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE RADIO AND WINDOWS WORKED, BUT NO OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WORKED (E.G. DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK).

Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10899666 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MERCEDES BENZ GLC 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO REMEDY DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,500.

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10916712 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2016-03-10 (March 10, 2016)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2016 GLC 300 vehicles manufactured June 16, 2015, to November 3, 2015, and 2016 GLC 300 4Matic vehicles manufactured July 16, 2015, to November 3, 2015. The steering columns in the affected vehicles may have the wiring harness for the switch module incorrectly routed. As a result, the harness may chafe and the air bag may unexpectedly deploy or the engine may stall.

Consequence: An unexpected air bag deployment or engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiring harnesses, properly rerouting them as necessary. Any damaged harnesses will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2016. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Reported: 2016-08-16 (August 16, 2016)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2016 GLC 300 SUV, GLC 300 4Matic SUV, C300 Sedan and C300 4Matic vehicles manufactured February 8, 2016, to May 18, 2016. The affected vehicles may be equipped with an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) control unit that may have been damaged before being installed.

Consequence: A damaged ESP control unit may inadvertently activate the stability control altering the vehicle's path. Additionally, the electronic parking brake may not function. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ESP Hydraulic control units, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in October 2016. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Reported: 2017-02-23 (February 23, 2017)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2015-2017 C300 4Matic, C300, CLA250, CLA250 4Matic and CLA45 AMG vehicles, 2017 C300 4Matic Cabrio, C300 4Matic Coupe, C300 Cabrio, C300 Coupe, E300, E300 4Matic, E400 4Matic Wagon, E43 AMG 4Matic, GLA250, GLA250 4Matic and GLC300 4Matic Coupe vehicles and 2016 C350e and GLC300 vehicles and 2016-2017 C450 4Matic AMG Sport and GLC300 4Matic vehicles. In the event that the engine or transmission cannot turn over, the starting current limiter may overheat from the repeated attempts of the starter motor attempting to start the vehicle.

Consequence: If the starting current limiter overheats, the surrounding components can melt, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional fuse in the electrical line to the starter, free of charge. The recall began August 31, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2017080002.

Reported: 2017-03-14 (March 14, 2017)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 AMG GT-S, GLC300, CLA250 and GLE300d 4Matic vehicles, 2013 C250, E350 BlueTec and G63 AMG vehicles, 2008-2014 C300 vehicles, 2013-2014 C300 4Matic and ML350 4Matic vehicles, 2009 C350 vehicles, 2014 CLS550, E350 4Matic, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E350 Wagon 4Matic, GLK350 and SL550 vehicles, 2012 CLS550 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2016 E350 vehicles, 2016-2017 GL450 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2014 ML350 4Matic BlueTec vehicles, 2015 S550, S550 4Matic and C300 4Matic Sedan vehicles, 2015-2016 C300 Sedan vehicles, and 2017 SL63 AMG vehicles. Various control units on these vehicles may have been updated with incorrect software, potentially affecting the correct deployment of the air bags in the event of a crash.

Consequence: If the air bags do not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update software in the affected control units, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Reported: 2017-10-06 (October 6, 2017)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling these vehicles: 2014-2018 CLA250, CLA250 4Matic, CLA45 AMG 4Matic, 2015-2018 GLA250, GLA250 4Matic, GLA45 AMG 4Matic, C300 4Matic, C63S AMG, 2012-2014 C250, C350, C300 4Matic, E550 4Matic, 2013-2014 C63 AMG, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2013-2015 C350 4Matic Coupe, GLK250 4Matic BlueTec, GLK350, GLK350 4Matic, 2016-2017 C350e, C43 AMG, 2015 C400 4Matic, 2016-2018 C63 AMG, GLC300, GLC300 4Matic, 2017-2018 C300 Coupe, C300 4Matic Coupe, C43 AMG, C63 AMG Coupe, C63S AMG Coupe, C300 Cabriolet, C300 4Matic Cabriolet, C43 AMG Cabriolet, C63 AMG Cabriolet, C63S AMG Cabriolet, GLC300 4Matic Coupe, GLC43 AMG, GLC43 AMG Coupe, 2014 E350 Coupe, E350 4Matic Coupe, E350 Cabriolet, E400 Hybrid, 2015-2017 E400 Coupe, E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabriolet, 2014-2017 E550 Coupe, E550 Cabriolet, B250e, 2014-2016 E250 BlueTec, E63 AMG 4Matic Wagon, 2012-2013 E350 BlueTec, 2012-2016 E350, E350 4Matic, 2015-2016 E400, E400 4Matic, 2012 E63 AMG, 2014-2015 E250 4Matic BlueTec, 2013-2016 E350 Wagon, 2017 GLC300d 4Matic, and 2018 GLC350e 4Matic. The driver's air bag may unexpectedly deploy due to insufficient grounding of the steering components if an electrostatic discharge occurs and the air bag clockspring is broken.

Consequence: If the driver air bag inadvertently deploys, it can increase the risk of injury and a crash.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will add sufficient grounding to the steering components, free of charge. The recall began in December 6, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

Reported: 2017-12-18 (December 18, 2017)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016-2017 GLC300, GLC300 4MATIC and GLC43 4MATIC vehicles. These vehicles may have misadjusted headlights, possibly resulting in the low beam headlights insufficiently illuminating the roadway. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence: An insufficiently illuminated roadway may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlamp adjustment, adjusting it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 12, 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

Reported: 2018-03-15 (March 15, 2018)

Mercedes Benz USA LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2018 GLC43 AMG, 2016-2018 GLC300 4Matic, 2016-2018 GLC300, 2018 GLC63 AMG 4Matic, and 2018 GLC350e 4Matic vehicles. The seat belt latch plates (the parts that insert into the buckles) for the outboard rear seats may retract into the interior paneling, preventing the occupants from being able to use the seat belts.

Consequence: If the rear seat passengers cannot fasten their seat belts, they have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install a buffer to the c-pillar paneling, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 14, 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2018030012.

Reported: 2018-10-01 (October 1, 2018)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 and GLC300 4Matic, 2018 GLC350e and GLC63 AMG 4Matic and 2017-2018 GLC43 AMG 4Matic vehicles. The seat belt latch plates (the parts that insert into the buckles) for the outboard rear seats may retract into the interior paneling, preventing the occupants from being able to use the seat belts.

Consequence: If the rear seat passengers cannot fasten their seat belts, they have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install felt strips between the C-pillar and rear side paneling, free of charge. The recall began November 2, 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2018100002.

Reported: 2019-11-01 (November 1, 2019)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2017 vehicles due to a software fault that may cause the date and time for the emergency call system (eCall) to differ from the actual date and time, potentially relaying an inaccurate vehicle location. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V787-4620.pdf

Consequence: An inaccurate vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: MBUSA has initiated an Over the Air (OTA) remote update. MBUSA will also notify owners, and dealers will check software for a successful OTA or update the communication module software as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2019120008.

Reported: 2021-02-05 (February 5, 2021)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 - 2021 CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLS-Class, SL-Class, B-Class, GLB-Class, GLC-Class, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to the Part 573 report for specific vehicle model details. The software design of the communication module may fail to communicate the correct vehicle location for the emergency call system (eCall) in the event of a crash.

Consequence: Failure of the eCall system may result in emergency responders being dispatched to the wrong location, increasing the risk of injury following a crash.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and the communication module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. The recall began March 12, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021020025.

Reported: 2021-03-19 (March 19, 2021)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2020 C300 Coupe, C43 Coupe AMG, C43 AMG, 2015-2020 C300, GLA250, 2016-2018 C350e, CLA45 Coupe AMG, 2015 C400, S65 AMG, 2015-2019 C63 AMG, 2016 C450, 2015-2016 GLA45 AMG, S600, 2016-2020 GLC300, 2017-2019 GLC43 AMG, GLE43 Coupe AMG, 2014-2019 CLA250 Coupe, 2014-2015 CLA45 AMG, 2018 GLC63 AMG, 2014-2017 S550, 2018-2020 S450, 2016-2019 GLE63 Coupe AMG, 2016 GLE450 Coupe, 2014-2020 S63 AMG, 2018-2019 S560, and 2019 GLC350e vehicles equipped with a panoramic sunroof. The front roof panel located between the windshield and the panoramic sunroof may not have been bonded correctly to the vehicle during a prior repair.

Consequence: The adhesive bonding of the front panel might deteriorate, possibly causing the front panel to detach from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mercedes-Benz dealer will remove the bonded panel and will install a new front panel by following the detailed repair instructions and using the approved primer, cleaner and adhesive, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021 and October 26, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Reported: 2023-12-15 (December 15, 2023)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2014-2020 C-Class, CLA, GLA, S-Class, GLC, and GLE vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle details. The front roof panel located between the windshield and the panoramic sunroof may not have been bonded correctly to the vehicle during a prior repair, allowing the front panel to detach from the vehicle.

Consequence: A detached roof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the front panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 2, 2024. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on, March 22,2024, and August 2, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 21V-197.