Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
Fuel economy
12–13 mpgcombined; city 11–12, highway 13–15; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$30,960–$33,540U.S. average; Ohio $29,170–$31,600 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2011 G-Class. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 G-Class. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Structure
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
What the columns count
Complaints: complaints that name that part. One complaint can name several parts, so the rows overlap and don't add up to the total.
Crashes and Fires: complaints that report one. Two owners can file about the same event, and NHTSA doesn't link them, so these count reports, not events.
Injuries: the number of people the complaints say were injured.
None of these columns shows that a part caused a crash, fire or injury: they're what owners reported, unverified.
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2011 G-Class over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Structure
NHTSA campaign 12V380000 · reported Aug 6, 2012 · 189 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Mercedes-Benz will notify owners, and dealers will reinforce the connection between the molding strip and air bag cover flap, free of charge. The safety recall began on October 26, 2012. Owners may contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.
Mercedes-Benz is recalling certain model year 2011 G550 and G55 (AMG) vehicles manufactured from September 20, 2010, through April 27, 2011. During the front passenger air bag deployment, parts of the molding strip could potentially become loose and become a projectile in the passenger compartment.
Risk: In the event of the passenger airbag deployment, if the molding strip comes loose, there is an increased risk of personal injury.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 89 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2011 G-Class, the latest on Sep 22, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (35), structure (11), equipment (10), exterior lighting (9), back over prevention (5).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2011 G-Class.
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
G55 AMG 4-Wheel Drive
5.4 L, 8 cyl, supercharged
Automatic 5-spd
Premium Gasoline
11 / 13 / 12
G550 4-Wheel Drive
5.5 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 7-spd
Premium Gasoline
12 / 15 / 13
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data