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Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz GLC (X254).

2022–2026 · Petrol / Diesel / Plug-in hybrid · 5 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Mercedes-Benz GLC (X254), real photo of this generation
Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 5 of its engines.

  • 9G-Tronic harsh shiftingAutomatic gearbox
    Period mentioned
    2013–2026
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with the automatic gearbox described in the record.

GLC 200 / 300 · GLC 300 e / 400 e

GLC 200 / 300 (Petrol) · GLC 300 e / 400 e (Plug-in hybrid)

  • Camshaft adjusters on the M254 petrol engineTiming system
    Period mentioned
    2021–2025 (mainly 2021–2022)
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Same M254 engine with ISG as the C-Class W206; ask the dealer whether your engine has had the fix.

GLC 220 d

Diesel

GLC 43 AMG (2.0) · GLC 63 S E Performance (2.0)

GLC 43 AMG (2.0) (Petrol) · GLC 63 S E Performance (2.0) (Plug-in hybrid)

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Mercedes-Benz GLC (X254)
EngineDocumented faults
GLC 200 / 300Petrol22 with conditions
GLC 220 dDiesel21 with conditions
GLC 300 e / 400 ePlug-in hybrid22 with conditions
GLC 43 AMG (2.0)PetrolFewest documented11 with conditions
GLC 63 S E Performance (2.0)Plug-in hybridFewest documented11 with conditions

According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: GLC 43 AMG (2.0) (Petrol), GLC 63 S E Performance (2.0) (Plug-in hybrid).

By fuel, all versions have the same number of documented faults.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

We have no official recalls on record for this model. Our list is not complete: ask anyway, with the chassis number.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Mercedes-Benz dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 3 checked

AdBlue / DPF / EGR

  • Look out for: AdBlue or emissions warnings with a start countdown; particulate filter warning; power loss or rough idle from a dirty EGR.

    Ask them to check: Read AdBlue and NOx sensor codes with Xentry, check the particulate filter regeneration history and how the car is used (short trips).

Automatic gearbox

  • Look out for: Harsh or jerky shifts (especially 1st to 2nd and when cold), vibration, delayed shifts or limp mode; sometimes the gear will not engage from N to D. Codes P073E00 and P07B700.

    Ask them to check: Follow the Mercedes bulletin: reproduce the complaint, save the EEPROM, check the oil level, run the Xentry valve flush, update engine, gearbox and shift unit software and perform the standstill adaptation. If it persists, check the control unit.

Timing system

  • Look out for: Rattling on start-up, the engine warning light and camshaft-timing fault codes; in serious cases, engine damage.

    Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start; read the engine fault memory; ask for the service history with on-time oil changes and ask the dealer what fix exists for the adjusters.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

P073E00P07B700

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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