Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
Fuel economy
12–13 mpgcombined; city 11–13, highway 13–14; 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 2016 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 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 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
Air bags
2
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
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 4 recall campaigns for the 2016 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.
Communication
NHTSA campaign 19V787000 · reported Nov 1, 2019 · 24,226 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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.
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
Risk: An inaccurate vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.
NHTSA campaign 17V713000 · reported Nov 14, 2017 · 8,043 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ESP control unit software, free of charge. The recall began on December 6, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2017110012.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016-2017 G550 4Matic, G63 AMG, and G65 AMG vehicles. A malfunction of the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), while Distronic Plus is engaged, may cause the engine to not reduce power, regardless of the vehicle's speed, driving situation or brake application.
Risk: Increased braking effort and/or shifting to neutral would be needed to stop the vehicle, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 17V250000 · reported Apr 11, 2017 · 10,832 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering coupling, free of charge. The remedy is currently unavailable. Interim notifications informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.(MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2016 G550 and G63 AMG vehicles and 2016 G65 AMG vehicles. The steering coupling may have been insufficiently tightened, resulting in the steering connection wearing.
Risk: The steering coupling wear may cause a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 17V178000 · reported Mar 14, 2017 · 26 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners and dealers will replace the cable that connects the inner door handle and the door lock on all four doors, free of charge. The recall began on April 28, 2017. Owners can contact Mercedes-Benz customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 G550 4MATIC and G63 AMG vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the cable that unlatches the door when the inner door handle is pulled may break if the door is difficult to release, such as could occur after a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
Risk: If the cable breaks and the door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle after a crash, the occupant is at an increased risk of an injury.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 118 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2016 G-Class, the latest on Sep 22, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (39), engine (14), service brakes (14), structure (11), exterior lighting (9).
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 2016 G-Class.
EPA class: standard sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 1 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
AMG G63 4-Wheel Drive
5.5 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic 7-spd
Premium Gasoline
12 / 14 / 13
AMG G65 4-Wheel Drive
6.0 L, 12 cyl, turbo
Automatic 7-spd
Premium Gasoline
11 / 13 / 12
G550 4-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic 7-spd
Premium Gasoline
13 / 14 / 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