Owners have filed 69 complaints
about the 2020 Mercedes Benz GLB 250 with NHTSA between 2020 and 2026.
The largest single group is the body & structure.
Across this model's run it ranks 1 of 4 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 91
Against the median year of the Mercedes Benz GLB 250. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 52
10.1% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 100
79% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
How 2020 compares with every other Mercedes Benz GLB 250
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
413.8%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
1241.4%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
620.7%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
413.8%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
310.3%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Mar 2020peak 4Mar 2026
Complaints that involved harm
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Jacksonville, FL1 injured
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Power Liftgate (via key fob – SmartKey). Mercedes GLB250. Was told by Mercedes employees that all cars operate the same. oSensor that automatically stops liftgate if it detects an obstruction does not retract to allow someone reaching in the trunk to safely exit the trunk. oThe liftgate stops, but it does not do so until it has hit/touched the objection or obstruction. oWhen you press the trunk button on the key fob, the liftgate only raises slightly (maybe 2 inches). oIf you press the key fob again, the liftgate just continues to go up and down within those few inches and continues to hit/touch the object/obstruction each time you press the button. Half of my body was trapped in the trunk. Suffered injury to shoulder and hand. oI was taking grocery bags out of the trunk and had the key fob in my pocket. oAn item fell out of the bag so I reached into the trunk to grab it. oAs I leaned in, the body of the car must have come into contact with the key fob and the trunk came down (closed). oI did not have time to exit the trunk and ½ of my body became trapped in the trunk. oI had just enough space to move my right hand to take the key out of my pocket. oI pressed the trunk button, but the liftgate did not fully retract. It went up slightly and came back down hitting/touching my body. oI did not have enough room to get out of the trunk. oI was in a garage where no one could hear me scream for help. oI had to push up with my left hand and use excessive force with my back and right shoulder to lift the heavy trunk. Mercedes inspected the car and said nothing is wrong. Letter provided. oSeveral Mercedes employees at the dealership were present when I demonstrated the issue. They had no explanation. oSales manager stated that he tested the trunk (cars located at the dealership) and they do retract but understood my concerns as it only retracts slightly. oNo one seems to understand that serious risk this possesses, unless they were to be trapped i
NHTSA complaint #11597573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
los Angeles, CACrash2 injured
SEAT BELTS
Driver hit at or around 35 MPH while making a left turn. Side airbags failed to deploy and did not protect driver from head/neck/shoulder injury. Upon impact, the seat belt did not restrain driver's body from thrashing against driver's car door.
NHTSA complaint #11486681 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
los Angeles, CACrash2 injured
AIR BAGS
Driver hit at or around 35 MPH while making a left turn. Side airbags failed to deploy and did not protect driver from head/neck/shoulder injury. Upon impact, the seat belt did not restrain driver's body from thrashing against driver's car door.
NHTSA complaint #11486681 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 22,300 milesParkland, FLCrash
STEERING
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes Benz GLB250. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at approximately 45 mph and merged to the left, the driver was losing control of the steering and crashed into the meridian. The contact noticed that the front axle fractured and detached from the vehicle. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was damaged. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21v99000 (steering, suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 22,300.
NHTSA complaint #11451402 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 22,300 milesParkland, FLCrash
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes Benz GLB250. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at approximately 45 mph and merged to the left, the driver was losing control of the steering and crashed into the meridian. The contact noticed that the front axle fractured and detached from the vehicle. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was damaged. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21v99000 (steering, suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 22,300.
NHTSA complaint #11451402 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Dallas, TX
ENGINE
Diagnostics performed and found electrical/component fault and possible wire damage to fuel pump. NECC to drain tank and inspect replace fule pump if necc. Oringally took one week prior and diagnostics led to the possiblility that the cylinder head was malfunctioning, which was a manufacturing defect and covered under an extended warranty, but now advised otherwise. Quote $2200.00. Mileage on vehicle 23,660.
NHTSA complaint #11726066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dallas, TX
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Diagnostics performed and found electrical/component fault and possible wire damage to fuel pump. NECC to drain tank and inspect replace fule pump if necc. Oringally took one week prior and diagnostics led to the possiblility that the cylinder head was malfunctioning, which was a manufacturing defect and covered under an extended warranty, but now advised otherwise. Quote $2200.00. Mileage on vehicle 23,660.
NHTSA complaint #11726066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Clanton, AL
STRUCTURE:BODY
I am submitting this formal complaint regarding a serious safety incident involving my 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB, which directly reflects the defect outlined in Recall 20V-480 (Rear Spoiler Detachment). Although my VIN is not officially included in the affected range, the exact failure described in the recall occurred on my vehicle. On or about June 16, 2025, at approximately 3:00 p.m., I was driving and I noticed an object in my rearview mirror that had become airborne and was causing vehicles behind me to swerve to avoid it. Moments later, two separate vehicles pulled up alongside me, and the drivers began waving their arms to get my attention. I exited the roadway and pulled into the Walmart parking lot, where a couple in a pickup truck approached me and informed me that the rear spoiler of my vehicle had flown off. I got out to inspect the vehicle, and indeed, the spoiler was completely gone. I returned to the area where I first saw the airborne object, attempting to locate the detached part, but was unsuccessful in recovering it. I contacted Mercedes-Benz USA and my local dealership on June 17, 2025, and was told that because my vehicle’s VIN is not listed under the recall, I would be responsible for the full cost of inspection and repair. Frankly, that position is unacceptable for the following reasons: - Recall 20V-480 describes a defect involving improperly welded rear spoilers on 2020 GLB250 models, which can detach while driving. That is exactly what happened to my vehicle under normal conditions. - The spoiler detached while the vehicle was in motion, creating a dangerous road hazard—just as outlined in the recall. - The vehicle has never been involved in a collision or sustained rear-end damage. It has not been subjected to outside interference. - My VIN has been included in at least five previous recalls, underscoring that my vehicle was part of broader quality issues during that production period.
NHTSA complaint #11678410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Clanton, AL
STRUCTURE:BODY
See attached document for complaint.
NHTSA complaint #11672392 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Escondido, CA
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V732000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Equipment); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11661522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Escondido, CA
EQUIPMENT
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V732000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Equipment); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11661522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Duluth, GA
SUSPENSION
Front and rear suspension/control arms appears to have squeaky noises when approaching a turn or going a speed bump.
NHTSA complaint #11652993 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sandy Springs, GA
WHEELS
CV joint axle. This car does not maintain its lane. Drives misaligned and sounds like there is a cracking noise like something is breaking under driverside steering wheel. Attention assist comes on often. This issue appeared shortly after purchasing 05/24. The vehicle had been inspected multiple times by Mercedes. Supposedly there were looks bolts underneath that were tightened. Problem persists every-time vehicle is driven.
NHTSA complaint #11633560 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sandy Springs, GA
STEERING
CV joint axle. This car does not maintain its lane. Drives misaligned and sounds like there is a cracking noise like something is breaking under driverside steering wheel. Attention assist comes on often. This issue appeared shortly after purchasing 05/24. The vehicle had been inspected multiple times by Mercedes. Supposedly there were looks bolts underneath that were tightened. Problem persists every-time vehicle is driven.
NHTSA complaint #11633560 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sandy Springs, GA
SUSPENSION
CV joint axle. This car does not maintain its lane. Drives misaligned and sounds like there is a cracking noise like something is breaking under driverside steering wheel. Attention assist comes on often. This issue appeared shortly after purchasing 05/24. The vehicle had been inspected multiple times by Mercedes. Supposedly there were looks bolts underneath that were tightened. Problem persists every-time vehicle is driven.
NHTSA complaint #11633560 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 50,307 milesSandy Springs, GA
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB250. The contact stated while the vehicle was at a stop light, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle lunged backward. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed by the dealer that the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,307.
NHTSA complaint #11631409 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 50,307 milesSandy Springs, GA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB250. The contact stated while the vehicle was at a stop light, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle lunged backward. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed by the dealer that the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,307.
NHTSA complaint #11631409 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bonne Terre, MO
ENGINE
Car constantly cuts out and loses power as well as occasionally shuts off for no reason. Causing very hazardous driving conditions. I have noticed that this is a common issue stated in online forums with this particular car as well. It is more times than not an issue with the engine head and valves.
NHTSA complaint #11617187 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 47,000 milesYork, SC
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB250. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the rear spoiler detached from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the spoiler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
NHTSA complaint #11615360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Jacksonville, FL1 injured
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Power Liftgate (via key fob – SmartKey). Mercedes GLB250. Was told by Mercedes employees that all cars operate the same. oSensor that automatically stops liftgate if it detects an obstruction does not retract to allow someone reaching in the trunk to safely exit the trunk. oThe liftgate stops, but it does not do so until it has hit/touched the objection or obstruction. oWhen you press the trunk button on the key fob, the liftgate only raises slightly (maybe 2 inches). oIf you press the key fob again, the liftgate just continues to go up and down within those few inches and continues to hit/touch the object/obstruction each time you press the button. Half of my body was trapped in the trunk. Suffered injury to shoulder and hand. oI was taking grocery bags out of the trunk and had the key fob in my pocket. oAn item fell out of the bag so I reached into the trunk to grab it. oAs I leaned in, the body of the car must have come into contact with the key fob and the trunk came down (closed). oI did not have time to exit the trunk and ½ of my body became trapped in the trunk. oI had just enough space to move my right hand to take the key out of my pocket. oI pressed the trunk button, but the liftgate did not fully retract. It went up slightly and came back down hitting/touching my body. oI did not have enough room to get out of the trunk. oI was in a garage where no one could hear me scream for help. oI had to push up with my left hand and use excessive force with my back and right shoulder to lift the heavy trunk. Mercedes inspected the car and said nothing is wrong. Letter provided. oSeveral Mercedes employees at the dealership were present when I demonstrated the issue. They had no explanation. oSales manager stated that he tested the trunk (cars located at the dealership) and they do retract but understood my concerns as it only retracts slightly. oNo one seems to understand that serious risk this possesses, unless they were to be trapped i
NHTSA complaint #11597573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 40,000 milesMendon, MA
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB250. The contact stated while opening the liftgate, the rear spoiler above the liftgate became loosened while raising and scratched the roof of the vehicle. The contact stated that the rear spoiler had not detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the failure was caused by external factors, unrelated to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V480000 (Structure), which had previously been performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
NHTSA complaint #11596906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Reston, VA
ENGINE
The engine made a knocking sound and i pulled over on the side of the road took the car to MB dealership to get the recall fixed but i was told the recall cannot be fixed until the engine is fixed. MBUSA refuses to replace the engine even though it is fully covered under warranty. Thus because i cannot get a recall done for my safety unless i get an engine replaced. This is absolutely horrible. MB knows they produced a bad engine and are forcing us to pay out of our pocket then they will fix the recall on the car.
NHTSA complaint #11594846 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fresno, TX
ENGINE
Engine failure. Engine has no compression which is causing injection fueler to fail. The head engine has gone bad at 50,000 miles. Head engine must be replaced and is on back order per Mercerdes Benz. After research on the issue I’ve noticed the Year/Make/Model this is issue is common at the 40k-50k mile mark. This is a manufactured issue that Mercerdes needs to fix if so common within the car and also unsafe. Not okay for a new car to have engine failure this early
NHTSA complaint #11575249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 45,000 milesEstacada, OR
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB250. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on three occasions however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
NHTSA complaint #11570269 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Charlottesville, VA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Since the beginning of the vehicle purchase, we heard fine metal rattling sound on the front driver side tire. Had it checked with the dealer and they recommended no repair. Now driven about 35K miles and started very loud metal scratching sound when wheels turned to right. Inspection showed bent brake cover that was wearing tire uneven. Dealer claims that we went over a large bump that bent the brake cover but no such thing happened and this location is where we have been hearing this fine rattling since buying new. Raising a possibility that the manufacturing and securing process of parts around this area was not done fully and eventually cause inappropriate contact induced brake covering damage and tire wear.
NHTSA complaint #11564012 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Charlottesville, VA
SERVICE BRAKES
Since the beginning of the vehicle purchase, we heard fine metal rattling sound on the front driver side tire. Had it checked with the dealer and they recommended no repair. Now driven about 35K miles and started very loud metal scratching sound when wheels turned to right. Inspection showed bent brake cover that was wearing tire uneven. Dealer claims that we went over a large bump that bent the brake cover but no such thing happened and this location is where we have been hearing this fine rattling since buying new. Raising a possibility that the manufacturing and securing process of parts around this area was not done fully and eventually cause inappropriate contact induced brake covering damage and tire wear.
NHTSA complaint #11564012 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Diego, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My GLB250 does not fall under recall 2020070009 however after taking it through the car wash the entire display instrument went out and car will not turn on and off. They are telling me the car had water damage and it is on me to fix?
NHTSA complaint #11545725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 35,000 milesSaint Petersburg, FL
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB250. The contact stated while opening the trunk of the vehicle, the rear spoiler detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear spoiler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V480000 (Structure) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
NHTSA complaint #11529163 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Far Rockaway, NY
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
There's a recall on the display monitor the screen will go black sometimes come back on sometimes never come back on there was a update to fix the issue if the update doesn't work they will have to change the display module or computer that controls it when I brought it to the dealer they want to charge me to replace the display or computer , I called the manufacturer and they refused to fix the recall problem
NHTSA complaint #11512281 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Far Rockaway, NY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
There's a recall on the display monitor the screen will go black sometimes come back on sometimes never come back on there was a update to fix the issue if the update doesn't work they will have to change the display module or computer that controls it when I brought it to the dealer they want to charge me to replace the display or computer , I called the manufacturer and they refused to fix the recall problem
NHTSA complaint #11512281 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.