Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of bad manufacturing and run-arounds from auto companies. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
When buying a luxury SUV, customers expect to get every penny’s worth out of the vehicle. Since the automaker claims that the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE is “a more intelligent SUV,” expectations are insanely high. However, it doesn’t take long to see how dangerous this model actually is now that it is riddled with recalls.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2021
Contents
Don’t be stuck with a lemon. You have legal rights to cash, return or buyback.
The law makes Mercedes-Benz pay legal fees.
We've fixed thousands of lemon problems. Message or call 877-795-3666 today.
NHTSA Complaints for the 2020 Mercedes Benz GLE
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Engine | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Power Train | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Lane Departure: Assist |
Most Common Problems with the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE
There have been an astonishing 31 complaints and an equal number of recalls for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class SUVs. They represent problems in 22 of the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) complaint categories.
But it’s not always easy to spot exactly what consumers are finding wrong. It’s easy to see that the largest number of complaints in one category are about the electrical system. You will, though, have to read them all to find out that several of these relate to the 48V battery malfunctions and/or a warning light message that states, Coolant too hot shut engine off.
This is of considerable concern, because it’s become clear that the 48V battery issue affects a range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE Battery Problems
The ultimate problem with the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE model batteries is that they malfunction or fail. Typically, but not always, there’s a warning that states, Coolant too hot shut engine off.
As one complaint states, when this happens, there is nothing you can do. It “is unable to be fixed.” It happens when the vehicle is moving, and can result in the engine shutting itself off.
This particular complaint states that it happened “on a busy street. I was almost hit by another vehicle as I lost power.” His car “barely rolled into a parking lot.” He goes on to say that it could have been “a horrible (fatal) disaster had I been on the freeway.”
He reports that “malfunction”, “see operator’s manual”, and “48V battery see operators manual” all came on in rapid succession before the engine shut off.
Another complaint states that when the 48V battery malfunctioned, he was advised it wasn’t charging. He then got more messages including:
- the car was overheating
- to pull the car over and not drive it
“At that point I lost engine power and was unable to even drive the car up a slight hill.”
2020 Mercedes-Benz 48V Battery TSBs
There is a recent technical service bulletin (TSB) posted to the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class page that addresses the battery issue. It states that the Xentry battery Test doesn’t match the current state of the battery installed. It suggests what dealerships can do to overcome the problem.
There is another dated December 1, 2021 that points out “functional impairment of 48V on-board electrical system”.
There was also a previous TSB that was shared with NHTSA, as required by law, that mentions software tests. It also recommends replacement of 48V batteries.
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE Vehicle Speed Control Problems
The vehicle speed control system is designed to keep occupants safe from harm, but in the 2020 Mercedes Benz GLE350 it is simply a disgrace.
Here’s one review on the Edmunds website. “The Early Collision Warning system is a great technological addition to the vehicle, but there seems to still be a lot of “kinks” that need worked out. I’ve had to adjust the sensitivity several times but there is still a high number (5 or 6 instances in 7-8 months) where I’ll be sitting at a red light and all the sensors surrounding the vehicle turn red, and the warning sound blares for no reason. There was also a time when I was driving down a highway and the system registered the shadow on the road from an overhead highway sign as a car in front of me and slammed on the brakes. It was quite scary, as there was a car behind me at the time, but thankfully no accident occurred. Obviously driving across shadows is a regular occurrence, so I’m not sure what caused that particular issue, but that’s the same problem with the other times with the sensors going off when there is not any obstruction there; we were not able to determine what the causation was.”
It turns out that this system is currently being recalled. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V540000 says that there is a software error causing the radar-sensor control unit to malfunction and impair the functionality of the system’s Active Brake Assist. Considering how “intelligent” the GLE350 is supposed to be, it might be safe to assume that all other vehicles are just downright stupid.
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE Structural Problems
However, a majority of the complaints seem to be centered on the structure and manufacturing of the GLE350 itself.
Take a look at this Edmunds review. “The day I picked up my car I got a call to return for service. I had to drop my new GLE back to fix it. A couple of weeks later the rear windshield wiper came off. A month or so later I got a recall. The wires in the engine had been wound too tight. I had to take my car back for 24 hours to fix. Today I got another recall. Apparently the trim on the back windows can come off while driving and cause an accident. When I called to take in my car for the recall I mentioned to the receptionist that this is my 3rd recall. Her reply: yep, we are sending a lot of recalls these days.”
From here, we see numerous recalls that must be addressed. The first one, NHTSA Campaign Number 19V459000, says that there might have been a welding error that leaves a small hole in the floorboard. While this is not acceptable in a luxury vehicle at all, it’s more alarming that because of this defect, water can infiltrate the cabin and cause permanent damage. Talk about driving an expensive lemon.
The air bags also pose a problem, as outlined with NHTSA Campaign Number 19V458000. This states that when the temperature in the cabin gets higher, the front air bags might not deploy or could be delayed. Hopefully, customers never need to use the air bags, but the other recalls indicate that there’s a higher chance of accidents.
For example, NHTSA Campaign Number 19V572000 states that the connection located between the fuel tank and fuel filler pipe might not have been welded correctly. If this is the case, a fuel leak could occur. Wherever there is fuel, there is also a higher chance of a car fire.
In other structure-related recalls, there is NHTSA Campaign Number 19V587000. Within this recall, it is made clear that the air conditioner drain hoses were not installed correctly and water is draining into the passenger compartment. This water could lead to a short within the system and create massive problems. Plus, it destroys the resale value of the luxury SUV.
One final recall, NHTSA Campaign Number 19V709000, says that the rear door window trim might come detached because of a manufacturing error. This detached part can cause a road hazard and further proves that the GLE350 is falling apart at the seams. Whether the cabin is flooding or parts are falling off, no one wants to drive this “intelligent” SUV any longer.
Your Lemon Law Legal Rights
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Mercedes-Benz pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Complaint Data
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Feb 28, 2023 |
| State | AL |
| Description | While driving on the interstate in the right lane with adaptive cruise set at 70mph the cameras will occasionally read the off ramp/exit speed limit signs and brake hard to decelerate to the posted off ramp speed limit. This creates an opportunity for a rear end collision. Additionally, the adaptive cruise will “see†vegetation or guard rails on the opposite side of the road, while in a turn, and brake as if to avoid a collision when no hazard exists. Many instances of the two anomalies. |
| Category | Air Bags, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | Jan 30, 2023 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My 2020 gle350 met with an accident on 1/20/2023. My wife was driving this vehicle on the freeway at about 40-50mph and she rear ended a toyota camry that was ahead of her. Mt complaint is two fold - the airbags did not deploy - the active brake assist system failed to work the collision is a major one. You can see from the pictures. The body shop, an approved vendor for my insurance geico, has prepared an estimate for ,487. My vehicle has been in the body shop since the day of the accident. On 1/27/23, the estimate was prepared. I have to approve it and they will start the work anytime this week. This high repair cost is an indicator of a major collision. In such a major collision, I'd expect - airbags should have deployed. The camry's airbag did deploy, so should have ours. My wife suffered a strong whiplash. She has severe neck, shoulder, elbow pain and headaches. She is scheduled to undergo physical therapy. If the airbags deployed, these injuries could have been avoided. - the active brake assist system should have been activated during the rear end collision. It should have detected and avoided the collision. However, it failed to deploy too. Few times when I back up, this safety feature has been very useful. It will identify moving objects like pedestrians, vehicle crossing and automatically apply the brakes and prevent potential collision. However, when we needed it most, it failed to save us. The automatic braking didn't happen. There were no visual or acoustic warnings prior to the collision. One of the main reasons I bought gle350 was for this safety feature. I am so disappointed by this catastrophic failure and questioning whether I should drive this mercedes anymore. Because of these safety failures, I really worry about driving this vehicle and bringing to nhtsa's attention. Please investigate this safety failure. Year: 2020 make: mercedes benz model: gle350w4 mileage: 30k miles approximately |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 21, 2023 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The car makes a rumbling sound when the car is stopped and the brake is engaged. We took the car to the marietta dealer who indicated the motor mounts were wearing out. The manager provided a quote for replacement. The mileage is 62,xxx. The motor mounts should not be wearing out with only 62,000. The motor mounts wearing out could lead to other problems. Mercedes usa says it is up to the dealer to warranty the item. How dopes this make any sense when they did not build the car? I believe this could be a very dangerous situation. The service manager stated they change about 3-4 mounts every month. Please help, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6). |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Dec 22, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Engine light was on and take to dealer. Complaint about speed control when gas is applied the car didn't respond and engine stay dead. Car was supposed to be resetted. Drive another 30 days and car was taken to the dealer with the same issues. Dealer kept the car for over a week without getting the solution to the problem. |
| Category | Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems |
| Date | Dec 19, 2022 |
| State | MD |
| Description | 2020 mercedes benz gle 350. Consumer writes in regard to illuminated tire inflation alert. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 28, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Vehicle (72,000 miles) sent an email message that the "starter battery is critical". Drove it to mercedes benz cary (nc). Original battery replaced (8). Two days later, another "starter battery critical" message arrived. Vehicle wouldn't start. Mercedes roadside sent a flatbed, jump started the vehicle, loaded it and took it to mercedes cary. I was required to authorize two hours of diagnostic works (+/- 0). Evidently, mercedes cary performed some software updates. Waiting for final invoice and software details. |
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Oct 30, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | I was turning on to a busy street and the throttle became unresponsive. I verified the car was in drive. There was no engine noise when pressing the accelerator pedal. I stopped the car and shifted to park and then back to drive and the car responded normally. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Oct 07, 2022 |
| State | GA |
| Description | 1. After coming to a stop, foot placed on the pedal to accelerate through a neighborhood security gate, the car would not accelerate despite how hard I depressed the gas pedal. After approximately 3-4 seconds the car finally accelerated. 2. When coming to a stop the vehicle has a very hard “clunk†in the transmission to stop. Vehicle was taken to the dealership but they could not replicate the problem at the time so car was given back to me with “non replicable†issues. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Service Brakes |
| Date | Aug 14, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The brakes failed - at mercedes dealership for over a month my wife could have been killed on the highway going 70mph with no brakes the car was towed by mercedes over a month ago and never returned. No one will talk to me. Mercedes will not speak with me. Nor have they contacted the dealer - letter enclosed no warning - just brake failure. Prior to that we got a "your cameras are not working message" a week prior and the car would warn you another car was there. But there was no car. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Aug 14, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The brakes & emergency brakes - yes - the car was towed to mercedes how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The car could & did not stop has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Mercedes took the car over a month ago. No one ever calls me back and they gave 3 case numbers - I have made over 16 calls has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. The dealer where the car is says mercedes has not contacted them. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning - no avoidance - no brakes - the brakes got soft or like a sponge, you had to go to the floor - then they failed. - I did get a cameras not working warning at times - as well as the car swerving away from things that were not there. |
| Category | Engine, Unknown Or Other, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jul 27, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | 1. First message: 48v battery malfunction 2. Second message: stop the vehicle coolant is not working vehicle is overheating. 3. Lost power, I could only drive 10 miles per hour. I pulled to the side of the road and was almost rear ended by a semi truck. There are several online occurrences reporting these same messages. It is extremely dangerous when a vehicle loses all power while on a busy highway. The vehicle was inspected. Mercedes aware of a bulletin with this issue. |
| Category | Air Bags, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 26, 2022 |
| State | MI |
| Description | 1. Took the vehicle for leather cracking on both driver and passenger seats, mb of bloomfield reached out to mb hotline in us and germany, after week of trying to install the passenger seat new sensing sensor, kept getting failure message. They released the vehicle to me without tell me that the passenger air bag not functioning. They made me drive the vehicle for a week w/o air bag functioning. I found out where every time I start the engine kept getting msg of inoperative air bag. Called the dealer and was told keep driving the vehicle and bring it back when part become available, which took over a week 2. Picked up a vehicle after a repair, while I am driving the whole over head console fall off and almost ran into vehicle in front of me, called the dealer and they found out they missed a bin. Over head console is loose and one day it is going to fall again, it is a poor design |
| Category | Service Brakes, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 19, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Front brakes make a grinding metal noise during slow motion applying breaks. I been in to the dealer ship multiple times about the issue and they replace the breaks pad and rotor , still have the same issue time down the road. |
| Category | Tires |
| Date | Jun 11, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | The tire tread on the cooper 275/50r20 tires was worn down almost completely after 16,000 miles. The tires are the original tires that the vehicle was purchased with and are rated to 50,000 miles. When the dealer serviced the vehicle, they noted that the tires were not safe to drive on due to there being almost no tread left at just 16,000 miles. They also stated that they had seen multiple cars with the same cooper tires that lasted only 10,000-16,000 miles despite being rated to 50,000 miles. They also indicated that cooper has taken 6+ months to respond to requests for replacement tires under the warranty and vehicle owners have had to go out of pocket to buy replacement tires themselves since the worn out tires are unsafe to drive on and they can't wait 6+ months for a response from the manufacturer with replacement tires. Additionally, they flagged that the tires are dangerous since most vehicle owners don't check their tires after only 10,000-16,000 miles and have no idea that they are driving on tires with little to no tread that could fail at any time. The tires have been saved by the dealership and are available for inspection. Additionally, there is a video documenting the tires while still on the vehicle. These tires should be recalled for defective wear and cooper held accountable for failing to acknowledge and fix this huge safety issue. |
| Category | Back Over Prevention, Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 07, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 mercedes-benz gle350. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v354000 (back over prevention, electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Back Over Prevention, Electrical System |
| Date | Feb 14, 2022 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 mercedes-benz gle450. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v354000 (back over prevention, electrical system) however, the over-the-air software update was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the software update was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | Jan 28, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | 48 v battery malfunctioned, I was advised that it was not charging. Which led to additional messages including the car was now overheating, to pull the car over and not drive it. At that point I lost engine power and was unable to even drive the car up a slight him. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure: Assist |
| Date | Nov 30, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | While driving the car in "assist" mode I will get a warning that all assist devices are inoperable. This is not always apparent while driving until I notice the adaptive cruise control and lane assist are not responding. Obviously a safety risk. I have talked to the dealership and they cannot find a problem. I contacted mercedes headquarters and they responded with a customer service rep that began the conversation that he has no technical knowledge of the car (obviously not a big help). I told them I would complete a report to the nhtsa and he seemed very unconcerned. I have not seen a relationship between the "assist" becoming inoperable and anything else in the car or the driving conditions. All incidents so far (about five) have been on clear days or evenings on the freeway with no precipitation nor water on the road. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Power Train:automatic Transmission |
| Date | Oct 21, 2021 |
| State | IA |
| Description | The contact leased a 2020 mercedes-benz gle450. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and yielding to make a right turn, the vehicle would shut off with several warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that the “active blind spot assist inoperable" and "inoperable - see owner's manual" appeared on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer on several occasions however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000 |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Oct 04, 2021 |
| State | CO |
| Description | When my wife got into vehicle first thing in the morning after it sitting all night in the garage, she smelled a foul smell. As she was driving, she opened all the windows to dissipate the smell and turned in the heater because wit was cold that morning. After about ten to twelve minutes of driving, she noticed the check engine light came on and the car started shaking. She pulled over and exited vehicle. As soon as she got out the vehicle started smoking and caught fire. The vehicle is a total loss. |
| Category | Equipment |
| Date | May 11, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 mercedes-benz gle350. The contact was made aware of nhtsa campaign number: 21v288000 (equipment) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact called alfano motorcars mercedes benz sprinter (1423 calle joaquin, san luis obispo, ca 93405, (805) 543-5752) where it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. |
| Category | Electrical System, Power Train |
| Date | Apr 28, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Bought a dealer owned mercedes gle 350 with 8500 miles on it in november 2020. In few days we took back the car to get things fixed, which we noticed. We were told, as did not buy a new car we have to bear with few issues. We leased the car and wanted to be sure that we do not get into a problem because of the issues which we inherited, we put the problems on record. Upon completion of 10,000 miles, car was dropped for service and attending recalls on february 10th. 2021. It took more than 20 days for completing the update of software, for which whole dashboard display was replaced and had to be imported from germany, finally I got the car back on march 2nd, 2021. April 23rd, 2021, while going out for dinner, felt some vibration as if car is running at the edge of the road. I thought I hit a nail or something and got a flat tire, I suddenly applied break, luckily car behind me did not hit me form the back, I also heard some rubbing noise from the back of the car. Next day early morning I took the car to the service, I did feel the intermittent vibration and rubbing noise when I drove to the service. Today on april 28th. 2021, I am informed that drive shaft needs replacement, and it has to come from germany and will take 10 -12 days. I am advised to take my car back and bring back once the part arrives. I do not feel safe in doing so and want to seek your opinion. Is it safe , did I land up getting a lemon car? |
| Category | Seat Belts |
| Date | Apr 26, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The vehicle has a failed rear seatbelt - dealership advised that no parts are available till mid june 2021. In the meantime daimler on their q1 for investors advised that they did record new sales and production numbers, so lack of parts is not because of not enough parts buy because of over production |
| Category | Suspension, Wheels |
| Date | Mar 28, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Ever since I brought this vehicle in 2020 I feel the suv bounces as the vehicle hits a pothole causing it to sway & loose control which increases the risk of a crash or accident. I have brought this vehicle thrice to the dealers during this pandemic, but the problem hasn't been resolved. This also happens intermittently when making turns, or curves, it bounces & there is loss of control, it is very dangerous. |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 24, 2021 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Display indicated 'system suspended' twice today. Concerned ? But suv drove fine |
| Category | Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly |
| Date | Mar 11, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 mercedes-benz gle350. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, there was a loud abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled over and noticed that the sun roof glass was partially fractured. The contact opened the sun roof and several pieces of shattered glass fell inside the vehicle. The contact stated that she pulled over to the side of the roadway. While parked, a secondary vehicle pulled up behind her vehicle and the driver exited the vehicle and informed her that some of the glass from the shattered sun roof had struck their vehicle. There was no one injured. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was driven to mercedes-benz of laguna niguel (1 star dr, laguna niguel, ca 92677) where the contact was informed that an object had struck the sun roof causing the sun roof to shatter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 19,040. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | Mar 04, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I have had three instances I believe the collision avoidance system failed in my new car. The first instance was a wrong way driver coming towards me on a freeway offramp. I estimate that we were within about 30 feet of each other and traveling approximately 30mph when we both quickly swerved to avoid a collision. No warning and no automatic braking occurred. The next two instances both involved driving at night on surface streets in which I last minute braked to avoid hitting stopped cars in front of me. I would approximate my rate of speed at 30 mph. Fortunately, I was able to quickly brake in both cases and avoided the collisions. In both cases the red triangle flashed and an alarm went off but the car did not brake or make any evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision. I brought this to the attention of corporate mercedes but they referred me to the dealership without further comment. The dealership found no errors in the car. I believe the problem might be deeper; an error in software program. Thus the car had no errors as it was following a faulty algorithm. This system is designed to save lives and property if I fail to take quick action as a driver. I believe the system failed! |
| Category | Service Brakes, Suspension |
| Date | Feb 03, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The vehicle has e-active body control (e-abc), which has different drive modes that affect transmission shift points, steering input and suspension. The vehicle has the oe wheels and tires (cooper all-season tires). One drive mode is designated 'curve,' which controls body lean in curves. Depending on the setting, curve holds the body upright or slightly leans it into curves, like a motorcycle leaning into a curve. When in curve mode and driving in a curve, the vehicle's safety or accident avoidance mechanisms may unexpectedly intervene for no apparent reason, causing vehicle instability and an unexpected change in the direction of travel. The vehicle begins to yaw in one direction, giving the sensation of sliding on wet or icy pavement, and then the vehicle 'brakes' on one side, 'pulling' the vehicle to that side. Sometimes the driver's seatbelt will tighten and occasionally, the 'traction' lamp illuminates in the dash. The road surface is clean, dry and flat and no loss of traction or potential loss of traction occurred. This happens more during casual driving through curves than when aggressively driving through curves. This first time it happened, the vehicle was exiting a curve to the right and then abruptly yawed to one side and the vehicle crossed the center line, before straightening and recovery. On another occasion, the vehicle was entering a curve to the left and it abruptly yawed and was pulled toward the shoulder of the road before straightening and recovery. There have been more than a dozen other instances. The road surfaces have always been clean, dry and flat asphalt pavement. On one occasion a mercedes shop foreman was in the vehicle to witness the event, which he described as an 'intervention.' the mercedes benz dealer has not been able to determine the cause of these occurrences or to fix the problem. |
| Category | Tires |
| Date | Feb 03, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The vehicle is a 2020 mercedes benz gle 580, which has all-wheel drive. It has standard wheels and tires. The oe tires are cooper discoverer srx le, size 275/50r20. At 5,900 miles, both of the front tires began chunking, where chunks of tire tread began falling off. This occurred in the center of the tread, as well as at the edge of the tread where it meets the groove. The front tires were replaced by mercedes at 5,932 miles. Approximately 6,000 miles later, I noticed the front tires were chunking again. The rear tires wore out and were replaced at about 10,250 miles. If they also experienced chunking, it was not noticed. |
| Category | Seats |
| Date | Jan 26, 2021 |
| State | DC |
| Description | The car is equipped with power seats on the second row. My 2 year old son figured out how to use his right foot to move the seat forward and backward while traveling 65 mph on I-95. This caused his tethered car seat to slightly pivot because the right seat rubbed against the middle seat. I called mb usa in georgia to report. They said there was no possible way to lock the control so kids can't move the seats. They told me my only option was to move child to middle seat, which won't work when multiple young children are in the car. This is dangerous and an accident waiting to happen. If recommended I can also post on social media so that parents with young children are aware. I asked mb to buy back the car since this is a safety hazard but they declined. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | Jan 06, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | While driving in a parking lot at a low speed my car turned off by itself I kept pushing on the accelerator but I realized the car is not moving, it had shot off by itself. I turned the car on manually and then worked. It was a terrifying situation. I kept thinking what if I was on the freeway and my car had turned off while the moving traffic was about 70 miles. I contacted mercedez bez and I was told it might have been a glich and that they could not duplicate it. I feel that is a very dangerous glich. |
| Category | Seats, Structure:body, Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Dec 30, 2020 |
| State | MA |
| Description | The sensor for the power tailgate is not sensitive enough to open / close the tailgate. The front windshield has crack after the winter storm. I believe it was related to the extreme low temperature under massachusetts weather. It is not related to the damage by the highway rocks as I could not found any damage of dents on the glass. The driver seat left side edge appeared cracking after couple months of use. It is a mb tex material which it claims that it supposed to be more durable and care free than regular real leather but actually it wasn't on my car. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure: Assist, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Nov 28, 2020 |
| State | PA |
| Description | I was travelling on highway with adaptive cruise control on. When near the exit, I press the off button for the cruise control. To my surprise, the car didn't slow down, and instead maintain the engine power to keep the car in set speed. I tried the other settings (off, cancel, speed down) option but nothing is responsive. Since I am on the off ramp already, I have to step on the brake (this does finally stop the cruise control) to slow down the car. After I come to a stop at the stop light, I notice that the ar view camera has a condensation in the center of the camera lens (see first picture with 11/10 date). At the same time, multiple warning message appear on dash, including "adaptive cruise control inoperative", "active lane keep assist inoperative", and a few others. The cruise control indicator remain on and active on the dash (but system isn't working) until I got to a safe location to restart the car. All error message was cleared afterward. A few days later (11/16), I had the car at the dealer for inspection. I mentioned the issue but they said they are unable to find anything wrong and camera lens was cleared at that time. After I got home, I notice there are condensation again on the camera lens (see section picture with 11/16 date). |
| Category | Power Train, Wheels |
| Date | Nov 24, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I purchased a gle 580 in january 2020 with standard 20-inch wheels and tires on the front and rear. This tire/wheel combination is an available option on the gle 350, gle 350 4matic and gle 450 4matic. The operator's manual for all 2020 gle models (and presumably for earlier models) states: 1. Rotate front and rear wheels only if the wheels and tires are of the same dimensions. 2. On vehicles that have the same size front and rear wheels, rotate the wheels according to the intervals in the tire manufacturer's warranty book in your vehicle documents. If this is not available, rotate the tires every 3,000 to 6,000 miles (5,000 to 10,000 km), depending on the wear. The front and rear wheels are indistinguishable from one another and neither is marked 'front only' or 'rear only.' by chance, I discovered the rear wheels have an offset the front wheels do not have, which places the rear wheels further outboard than the front wheels. The offset makes rotating the tires dangerous. Only after I discovered this issue did mercedes tell me, 'due to the design of the drivetrain, the front and rear wheels have different offsets, offset is the distance from the hub of the wheel to the center line of the wheel. If you put the front tire/wheels in the back, it will sit further in and can affect the handling of the vehicle.' however, the operator's manual states tires and wheels of the same size front and rear should be rotated. This offset is not something one would expect with tires and wheels of the same size. I asked mercedes benz to agree to correct the operator's manual for gle models affected by this offset and to send notification of the offset issue to vehicle owners and it declined my request. This offset poses a safety risk if gle owners with 20-inch wheels rotate their tires in accordance with the instructions in the operator's manual. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | Oct 20, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Warning light "coolant too hot shut engine off" comes on repeatedly and this is unable to be fixed. Light comes on while vehicle is in motion. Was told by mercedes this was a faulty warning light. Yesterday this came on and my engine shut itself off while the vehicle was in motion on a busy street. I was almost hit by another vehicle as I lost power to the car on a main road. I barely rolled into a parking lot. Could have been a horrible (fatal) disaster had I been on the freeway. "malfunction" "see operator's manual" and "48v battery see operators manual" all came on within rapid succession before the engine shut off on me. |
| Category | Electrical System, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Sep 22, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Sudden acceleration - electrical system failures- 1) 03/21/20 complete electrical failure - all warning lights, exterior lights & brake lights stuck on, then would not start after local shopping trip-odometer 754 miles - vehicle towed to dealer - 'reprogrammed'. 2) 06/18/20 active speed control-cruise control (which reads speed limit signs and adjusts speed) was set at 50 mph - suddenly began to accelerate to 80 mph. Odometer 1641 miles. 3) active speed limit control often reads frontage road speed limit signs while on main highway, initiating braking. 4) active speed control when on cruise control will apply brakes when using turn signal for lane changes. 08/31/20-09/04/2020 returned to dealer- odometer 2361-'reprogrammed'. 5) 09/19/20 active speed limit control set at 15 mph suddenly began to accelerate to 80 mph. Odometer 2512. Was able to regain control by brake application to release cruise control after vehicle initiated hard acceleration without any driver input and had reached 30-35 mph. Same as 06/18/20 similar incident. Dealer was advised and 'updated software' mercedes benz-grapevine, tx invoice 511097. Mercedes gle 450 date of mfg. 10jan2020 - leased 25jan 2020. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Aug 29, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Driving down the highway at 70 mph and '48v battery malfunction' warning goes off, along with a yellow check engine light. A few seconds later a 'coolant' error message pops up and a red check engine light comes on. Car looses power completely and I'm unable to accelerate at all. Call flashes a message of 'pull over and turn the engine off'. Fortunately no one was behind me and I was able to coast safely to the side of the highway before the car stalled completely. Found out through several blog posts multiple other 2020 gle owners are having the same safety issue and there has been no recall by mercedes-benz and no resolution for the issue. Vehicles are spending months in the shop and eventually being bought back by the manufacturer or dealership. This is an incredibly dangerous issue to lose all power and control of the vehicles speed. I'm lucky no one was on the road near me when this happened, otherwise an accident almost surely would have occurred. Mercedes should be forced to address this safety issue immediately. |
| Category | Electronic Stability Control, Steering, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jul 21, 2020 |
| State | OH |
| Description | We were driving our mercedes gle 350 on I 80 near mile marker 203. 1, ohio on 7/11/2020 at 7 am. It was raining a bit in morning. The lane departure assist was on, and it was turning green and gray continuously. I keep lane assist on all the time for safety purpose. I was driving on the slow lane on right most lane at approximately 60 miles. Suddenly the vehicle lost control and started slipping on the road. I tried to control it, however it would not come under control. Finally the car drifted all the way to the left most lane, and rammed into the concrete divider on driver side. The driver side bags inflated and luckly no one was hurt seriously. I am a mechanical engineer from case western reserve university, and have worked in auto industry for a few years before. It almost felt that there was something that was mechanically wrong that caused the car to slip and loose control. Mercedes gle 350, 2020 model has a harsh reaction to lane departure and I have a feeling that it caused the car to hydroplane because the reaction is so sudden. Please look into the issue, so that no one get seriously hurt. This is my first accident in life and I am 42 years old. I think the lane departure system in mercedes dosen't work or needs to be fine tuned so that it dosen't cause accidents in slippery conditions. [xxx] redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6). |
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jul 05, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | I set the distronic cruise control to 45 mph. It suddenly reset itself to 70 mph and started to quickly accelerate to 70 mph while showing the speed limit to be 70 mph when the posted speed limit was 45 mph. I reset the cruise control to 45 mph. When the posted speed limit went to 50 mph, the car quickly started accelerating to 80 mph and showed the speed limit to be 80 mph on the dashboard digital display. I quickly slammed on the brakes to regain control. I finally figured out that under the square speed limit sign, was a round kilometer speed limit sign, and my cars cameras were erroneously reading the kilometer sign as a mph speed limit and adjusting the cruise control to the wrong, higher speed. Very dangerous as I almost went through a red light trying to adjust the speed down using the steering wheel buttons. I was caught off guard and didn't think to disengage the distronic cruise control. This happened today on ben hill griffin pkwy about 4 miles south of rsw (fort myers international airport) as I was driving my family to the airport. Note: my car has the mercedes driver assistance package |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | May 19, 2020 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Have had into dealership multiple times for radio/backup camera /navigation screen goes blank and does not appear for sometimes up to 1-2 days car had been turned off prior. *tr |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Mar 10, 2020 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 mercedes benz gle350. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light or at a stop sign, the vehicle stalled. The contact also stated that while shifting into gears, the vehicle lunged forward. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving on the highway at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that the failure became progressively worse and the vehicle was taken to mercedes-benz of princeton located at (2910 is-1, lawrenceville, nj 08648), where it was diagnosed however, the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000. |
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jan 30, 2020 |
| State | MN |
| Description | The problem happened on a business trip to and from kansas city mo. And minneapolis mn. The cruise control has a feature that can read road speed limit signs and change the set speed to match the indicated speed. This feature can be turned on or off by using the infotainment system. On this trip to kansas I had this sign recognition feature turned off. The problem is that on at least 12 occasions during this 900 mile trip the cruise control would arbitrarily change the set speed from 70 mph to 45 mph applying the brakes to reduce to the 45 mph speed. The mercedes dealer who I purchased the car from says that they cannot find any malfuction. I was nearly rear ended by a large truck that I had just passed and returned to the right lane. I can't believe that this system is working as designed. I guess this system has kill so mercedes owners before any thing is done. |
| Category | Parking Brake |
| Date | Dec 23, 2019 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 mercedes-benz gle350. While driving approximately 20 mph, the parking brake suddenly activated and caused the vehicle to abruptly stop. The parking brake would not deactivate and the vehicle was towed to mercedes of benita springs, fl (14610 tamiami trail, naples, fl) where it was diagnosed that the parking system was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure . The failure mileage was 600. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Oct 08, 2019 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 mercedes-benz gle350. While driving various speeds, the transmission made thumping and revving noises and also jolted when decelerating and shifting into first gear. The vehicle was taken to mercedes-benz of lancaster (5100 main st, east petersburg, pa) where the transmission was reprogrammed, and the valve body and transmission fluids were changed; however, the failures continued. The vehicle was later taken to mercedes-benz of atlantic city (6623 east black horse pike, egg harbor township, nj) where the transmission was replaced, but the failures continued. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 100. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jul 18, 2019 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Command control unit is faulty affecting navigation, voice control, bluetooth, and vehicle apps. Issue was present at the time of purchase and service technicians have been working on the issues for over a month. Issues are present when both stationary and driving. May affect other electrical and driving systems. |
Share your story
Does this ring a bell? Have you had a bad experience too? Sound off and share your experience with other visitors in the comment box below.
About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
See more posts from Brian Jones
Well, those Mercedes are build in the USA, so I am not wondering about the results. The chance that you guys get something right in first place is always just 50/50