2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 problems
NHTSA has received 90 complaints about the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300, and 23% of them involve engine. After that come backover prevention (8%) and forward collision avoidance (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 90 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 23% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 4 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 7 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 21,000 miles 20 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 10 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 5 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 3 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 2 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 0 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 20 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 21,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 4 complaints mention a crash; 7 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2020 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 10 model years of the Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 with enough data (84 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 16 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
On August 15, 2025, I was driving my Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC on the freeway under normal conditions. Without any warning lights, error messages, or prior signs of mechanical issues, the vehicle suddenly and completely lost power. The accelerator pedal became unresponsive and felt locked, and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop in the middle of an active freeway, in the second lane from the left. I had no ability to control or prevent the stoppage.
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC300. The contact stated that upon driving through an intersection at 40 mph, another vehicle had run a stoplight. The contact swerved in an attempted to avoid the vehicle, however, she had hit the vehicle's rear driver side tire weld. The contact stated that the driver-side airbag did not deploy upon impact; however, the passenger-side airbag, where her mother was seated, did deploy.
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC300. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a reverse mirror image. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V232000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC300. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated, indicating that the front passenger’s side seat air bag was inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.