Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
Fuel economy
22–27 mpgcombined; city 19–24, highway 26–32; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,910–$18,290U.S. average; Ohio $14,050–$17,240 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 2026 GLC-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 7 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 GLC-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
Electrical system
5
0
1
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Engine
1
0
1
0
Power train
1
0
0
0
Service brakes
1
0
0
0
Structure
1
0
0
0
Unknown or other
1
0
1
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 3 recall campaigns for the 2026 GLC-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.
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
NHTSA campaign 26V281000 · reported May 1, 2026 · 144,049 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Dealers will update the infotainment control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 29, 2026. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2026050004. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 8, 2026.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2024-2026 AMG GT, C-Class, E-Class, SL, CLE, and GLC vehicles. The infotainment control unit may reset while the vehicle is in motion and cause the instrument panel display to go blank.
Risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer and warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 26V172000 · reported Mar 20, 2026 · 20 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the center rear seat belt assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2026. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 27, 2026.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2026 AMG GLC43 4MATIC, GLC 300 4MATIC, GLC 300, and GLC 300 4MATIC Coupe vehicles. The center rear seat belts may have been installed without the child seat protection function and fail to lock a child restraint properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and FMVSS number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Risk: In the event of a crash, an insufficiently restrained child has an increased risk of injury.
NHTSA campaign 25V533000 · reported Aug 20, 2025 · 3,749 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the steering coupling bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 6, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2023-2026 EQE and GLC vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. The steering coupling bolt may have been improperly tightened, allowing the steering coupling to loosen from the steering rack.
Risk: A loose steering coupling can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 121 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 GLC-Class, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (61), power train (12), visibility/wiper (10), steering (8), structure (7).
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 2026 GLC-Class.
EPA class: small station wagons. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
AMG GLC43 4matic All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
19 / 26 / 22
GLC300 Rear-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
24 / 32 / 27
GLC300 4matic All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
23 / 31 / 26
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