In-depth reviews

Mercedes GLB SUV - Reliability & safety

The Mercedes GLB has a five-star safety rating

Carbuyer Rating

4.0 out of 5

Owners Rating
Be the first to review
Reliability & safety Rating

4.0 out of 5

Not only is the Mercedes GLB a new model, it also uses the latest raft of Mercedes technology, most of which was only launched with the latest A-Class. This newness means safety is much easier to assess than reliability, with the GLB already excelling in Euro NCAP crash-testing.

Mercedes GLB reliability

It might come as a surprise given its size, but the GLB is actually based on the same architecture as the Mercedes A-Class, and it also uses many of the same components and engines. Manufacturers like Mercedes and the Volkswagen Group have designed 'scalable' platforms to cut manufacturing costs that can be stretched in proportions to sit under everything from a family hatchback to a seven-seat SUV, without having to design everything from scratch. Hopefully this thinking will also result in improved reliability for buyers, because in our 2022 Driver Power survey, Mercedes finished a lacklustre 23rd out of 29 manufacturers, with 27% of cars suffering a fault within the first year. The GLB didn’t feature in our survey but the GLA-Class finished in 58th place out of the top 75 cars, with a solid result for build quality and reliability.

Safety

Independent crash-test experts Euro NCAP awarded the Mercedes GLB the full five stars in 2019, giving it strong scores across the board. It received 92% and 88% for adult and child occupant protection respectively, along with an impressive 78% in the Vulnerable Road Users category.

Standard safety kit includes a driver fatigue monitor, autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition and active lane-keeping assist to help keep the GLB from wandering out of its lane on the motorway.

Andy is Carbuyer's managing editor, with more than a decade of experience helping consumers find their perfect car. He has an MA in automotive journalism and has tested hundreds of vehicles.

Recommended

Top 10 best large family cars 2023
best large family cars
Best cars
4 Apr 2023

Top 10 best large family cars 2023

Mercedes GLB SUV review
Mercedes GLB SUV
In-depth reviews
16 Mar 2023

Mercedes GLB SUV review

Most Popular

Engine management light: top 5 causes of amber engine warning light
Engine warning light
Tips and advice
1 Dec 2023

Engine management light: top 5 causes of amber engine warning light

Tesla Cybertruck finally delivered: specs, prices and UK availability
Tesla Cybertruck side view
News
1 Dec 2023

Tesla Cybertruck finally delivered: specs, prices and UK availability

Best new car deals 2023: this week’s top car offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
1 Dec 2023

Best new car deals 2023: this week’s top car offers

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
20 Apr 2023

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide
Public EV charge point
Tips and advice
11 Jan 2023

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
12 Apr 2023

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors 2022
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors 2022

Top 10 best electric cars 2023
The best electric cars 2023
Best cars
15 Nov 2023

Top 10 best electric cars 2023

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2023
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
17 May 2023

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2023

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2023
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
18 Aug 2023

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2023