All models / Family & large SUVs / Mercedes GLC / What to check

What to check: Mercedes GLC

CBy age

CBy miles

Ranked across all years of the Mercedes GLC, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this modelDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 9.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.9%

Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this modelOn full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 1.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

Warning lights on ignitionRuns high on this modelTurn the ignition on without starting the engine and watch the dash. Every warning light should appear, then go out once it is running. Be more suspicious of a light that never comes on at all than of one that stays on; warning bulbs have been known to vanish before a sale.Recorded on 1.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%

Coil springsLook through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 1.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.4%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 26.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%

Pads and discsLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 10.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 8.7%

Windscreen and wipersScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

At low speed, turn the steering to full lock and feel or listen for judder or the front wheels hopping.Judder at full lock on an early car points to the known crabbing/steering knuckle fault.

Check ride height at all four corners, especially on cars with optional Airmatic suspension.A corner sitting noticeably lower than the others means an air suspension leak.

Start a diesel from cold and listen before the revs settle.A rattly chain noise for the first few seconds suggests timing chain or tensioner wear.

Drive an automatic through stop-start traffic, pulling away repeatedly from a standstill.Hunting for gears or a shove into first gear matches the reported 9G-Tronic hesitation.

Pair a phone by Bluetooth or CarPlay and cycle through every COMAND menu.Freezes, reboots or a screen that won't wake are signs of the reported infotainment glitches.

Ask when the car last sat unused for more than a few days and whether it needed a jump start.A history of flat batteries points to the reported parasitic drain.

Read the full MOT history for repeat suspension advisories, not just the overall pass or fail.Suspension is the class-level signature fault for this model, so recurring advisories here matter more than elsewhere.

Full Mercedes GLC reliability report