Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
14–20 mpgcombined; city 13–18, highway 17–24; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$23,170–$28,750U.S. average; Ohio $23,470–$27,080 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
Owners have filed 87 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 GL-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
Steering
35
1
0
1
Suspension
17
1
0
2
Engine
9
1
0
1
Unknown or other
9
1
0
1
Air bags
7
0
0
0
Electrical system
7
2
1
2
Power train
5
2
0
3
Service brakes
5
1
0
1
Service brakes, hydraulic
5
1
0
1
Seats
4
0
0
0
Structure
4
0
0
0
Wheels
4
0
0
0
12 more parts
Exterior lighting
3
1
0
1
Visibility
3
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
2
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
2
0
0
0
Seat belts
2
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
2
2
0
1
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, diesel
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Traction control system
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
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 2 recall campaigns for the 2008 GL-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.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML, GL, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Risk: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MMUSA's number for this recall is 2024050001/2. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-315.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML-Class, GL-Class, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Risk: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2022050014, 2022050015 2022090006, & 2022090007.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 68 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2008 GL-Class, the latest on Sep 22, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (12), exterior lighting (11), power train (8), equipment (6), structure (6).
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 2008 GL-Class.
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
GL320 CDI 4matic 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic 7-spd
Diesel
18 / 24 / 20
GL450 4matic 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
4.6 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 7-spd
Premium Gasoline
13 / 18 / 15
GL550 4matic 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
5.5 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 7-spd
Premium Gasoline
13 / 17 / 14
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 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