Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
Fuel economy
15–21 mpgcombined; city 13–19, highway 18–24; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$19,160–$26,830U.S. average; Ohio $18,060–$25,280 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 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 GLS-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
Engine
2
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
1
Power train
1
0
0
0
Unknown or other
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 2 recall campaigns for the 2026 GLS-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.
Seat belts: rear/other
NHTSA campaign 26V353000 · reported May 29, 2026 · 203 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the rear seat belt bolts and replace any missing bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 5, 2026.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2026 AMG GLS 63 4MATIC+, AMG GLE 63 S 4MATIC+ COUPE, AMG GLE 63 S 4MATIC+, AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ COUPE, AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+, GLE 450 4MATIC COUPE, GLE 350 4MATIC, Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC, GLS 580 4MATIC, GLS 450 4MATIC, GLE 580 4MATIC, GLE 450E 4MATIC, GLE 450 4MATIC, and GLE 350 vehicles. The bolts for the rear seat belts may not be tightened properly.
Risk: A loose seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
NHTSA campaign 26V199000 · reported Mar 27, 2026 · 932 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 12, 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 April 3, 2026.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2026 GLE 350 4MATIC, GLE 450 4MATIC, GLE 350, GLE 580 4MATIC, GLS 580 4MATIC, GLE 450 E 4MATIC, AMG GLE53 4MATIC, AMG GLS63 4MATIC, AMG GLE63 S 4MATIC, GLS 450 4MATIC, and GLS 600 4MATIC vehicles. The passenger air bag fabric may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 98 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 GLS-Class, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (42), visibility/wiper (10), service brakes (9), steering (9), suspension (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 2026 GLS-Class.
EPA class: standard sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 2–4 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
AMG GLS63 4matic Plus All-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
GLS450 4matic All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo, supercharged
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
19 / 24 / 21
GLS580 4matic All-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
14 / 20 / 16
GLS600 4matic Maybach All-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
13 / 18 / 15
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