Mercedes-Benz GLC vs Toyota Highlander

Which used car has the cleaner record?

We line up what owners actually reported to NHTSA — complaints and recall campaigns — for both cars, so you can compare their paper trail before you buy.

Last updated: June 28, 2026

Side by side	GLC	Highlander
Body type	SUV	SUV
Years sampled	2016, 2020, 2024	2016, 2020, 2024
Owner complaints	215fewer	452
Recall campaigns	0fewer	14
NHTSA investigations	0fewer	5
Overall safety (NHTSA, US)	n/a	5/5
Combined economy (EPA, US)	8.1 L/100km	9.4 L/100km

Body type

GLC: SUV
Highlander: SUV

Years sampled

GLC: 2016, 2020, 2024
Highlander: 2016, 2020, 2024

Owner complaints

GLC: 215fewer
Highlander: 452

Recall campaigns

GLC: 0fewer
Highlander: 14

NHTSA investigations

GLC: 0fewer
Highlander: 5

Overall safety (NHTSA, US)

GLC: n/a
Highlander: 5/5

Combined economy (EPA, US)

GLC: 8.1 L/100km
Highlander: 9.4 L/100km

The quick read

Over the sampled model years, the Mercedes-Benz GLC has 215 complaints and 0 recalls, and the Toyota Highlander has 452 complaints and 14 recalls. Lower numbers point to fewer reported issues, but always confirm the exact car with a VIN check.

Check a GLC VIN Check a Highlander VIN

NHTSA (US) owner-complaint and recall counts over recent model years. A reliability signal, not a check of any one car. Always run the VIN.