Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 NHTSA Looks Into Alleged 48V System

Previously known as the GLK-Class, the GLC-Class went live in 2015 for the 2016 model year. The second generation followed in 2022 for 2023 with hybrid-only powertrains, ranging from mild hybrid for the GLC 300 to plug-in hybrid in both diesel and gasoline flavors.
 

Over in the United States, the owner of a 2023 model year GLC 300 petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over a problem with his compact-sized Gelandewagen. More specifically, the Office of Defects Investigation is currently looking into an alleged defect involving the mild-hybrid system of the vehicle.
 
As per the petitioner, the 48-volt setup triggers the frequent illumination of the engine warning light. Whatever the problem may be, it also results in the inability to start the vehicle. The NHTSA’s database contains three owner complaints for the 2023 model year GLC 300, of which two allege the described problem.
 
Complaint number 11529864 alleges an unexpected shutdown while driving. The owner tried and tried to restart it for a whole hour and 40 minutes, yet the engine warning light illuminated until the next morning. Said vehicle had 2,400 miles (3,862 kilometers) on the odo at the moment of the reported shutdown.
 
The owner behind Complaint number 11525409 alleges that all lights and alarms came on when starting the vehicle. They experienced it four times, and the car wouldn’t start after an hour or two on three occasions. The service manager told the owner that similar issues had been reported by other owners of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300.
 
The Office of Defects Investigation is currently evaluating whether the defect petition is worth investigating or not. In case of an investigation, the NHTSA may demand Merc to recall 8,000 examples.
 
Back in 2022, the German automaker delivered a grand total of 65,531 units in the United States market, including previous-gen models and the coupe-styled version of the GLC-Class. In the first six months of 2023, the luxury compact utility vehicle sold 17,901 units in this part of the world, which is 50.4 percent worse than the 36,059 sold in the first half of 2022.
 
Codenamed X254, the second generation is currently produced in Germany and China. Those coming to the United States are made in Deutschland, hence their VINs beginning with the uppercase letter W.
 
Excluding the destination charge, the 2023 model starts at $47,100. Prospective customers are presented with either the rear-drive GLC 300 or all-wheel-drive GLC 300 4MATIC. The latter is $3k more at press time.
 
The GLC 43 and GLC 63 aren’t available in the United States at the moment of reporting. Both of them rely on 2.0-liter engines, namely the M139l in two different states of tune. For the mild-hybrid 43 series, the numbers are 310 kW and 500 Nm, which means 416 horsepower and 369 pound-feet. Step up to the 63 series, and you’re presented with a plug-in hybrid setup lifted from the 671-hp C 63 S E Performance sedan and wagon.