Used Mercedes GLS 2015-2020 reliability

This is a huge car that will have been used in urban areas and on the school run so check the bodywork carefully for scuffs and dents, and also the alloy wheels for any kerb damage. Check the condition of the interior carefully, as this will have been used enthusiastically by families and children on their way to rugby practice.

Make sure all electrical extras fitted work as they should, and check the air suspension. Also be wary of any suspension-related warning messages on the dashboard, such as ‘Please wait, car is rising’, which might come up when you start the car. These could point to leaks, which will take a bit of time to sort and could lead to a costly burnt-out compressor.

Other than that, we haven’t heard of any major issues to be concerned about with the GLS, but these are complicated cars, so you’ll want to check that all the electrics function, the sat-nav does its job properly and there are no concerning warning lights on the dashboard.

It also pays to inspect the underside of your prospective purchase, to look for signs of off-road use such as scrapes or old mud. If it has such signs, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but be aware of the potential for damaged components; you might want to get the underside professionally inspected before signing on the dotted line.

The GLS didn’t figure in our latest reliability survey, so we can’t draw any conclusions on the model’s reliability. However, Mercedes as a manufacturer didn’t get a particularly glowing score, coming 22nd out of the 30 manufacturers included.