Mercedes-Benz GLC: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
The Mercedes-Benz GLC has 10 model year(s) in the federal index and no scored complaint record yet, so this page carries the catalogue entry and the years we hold rather than a verdict.
Mercedes-Benz GLC: which years to avoid
Across 5 scored model years the Mercedes-Benz GLC ranges from 71/100 in 2016 to 92/100 in 2024 — a 21-point spread, so which year you buy matters.
Safest years: 2016, 2017, 2021, 2023, 2024 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the GLC changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2016–2017
Mean score 71/100. 10 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2023–2024
Mean score 90/100. The record improves by 19 points against the years before it. 1 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,480 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 92 | BUY | $3,420 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | 89 | BUY | $3,560 | 0 | 2 |
| 2022 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,200 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 91 | BUY | $4,190 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,480 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,620 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,760 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 71 | BUY | $4,900 | 0 | 12 |
| 2016 | 71 | BUY | $5,090 | 0 | 12 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the GLC, through the years →
GLC sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the GLC on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
FAQ
What are the best Mercedes-Benz GLC years to buy?
2016, 2017, 2021, 2023, 2024 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2024 at 92/100, on 0 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04