Home · 2018 Mercedes-benz Gle-class Hybrid · Complaints

What 56 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Mercedes-benz Gle-class Hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (56)Crash / fire / injury (10)Transmission & drivetrain (10)Electrical system (9)Brakes (8)Speed control (6)Fuel system (5)Body & structure (4)Lights (4)Steering (4)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (3)Fuel System, Diesel (3)

Newest first · 56 complaints · page 2 of 3

Jun 20, 2023BrakesWheels

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while entering the dealer, the over-the-thread detector provided an alert. There were no warning lights illuminated. While at the local dealer, the contact was informed that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead (2799 Piedmont Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305) where it was diagnosed that the brake pads had separated and were not engaged. The brake pads and rotors were replaced but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the rear passenger’s side wheel was scraping and there was an abnormal pattern on the rotor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 37,873.

NHTSA ODI 11527851

May 17, 2023Transmission & drivetrain

Was not able to change automatic transmission gear to R (Reverse) w/o restarting the engine. (the brake pedal is firmly pressed for sure) For all three cases: 1) D (Drive) to R or 2) P (park) to R or 3) N to R. The only way to change to R was: 1) move gear to P 2) shutoff the engine, 3) restart the engine, 4) and then able to change the gear to R. This has happened several times in this year, 2023.

NHTSA ODI 11522545

Mar 8, 2023Fuel systemFuel System, DieselBody & structure

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that water had intruded into the connector and the fuel pump control unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, after the vehicle was retrieved, the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact then stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, she noticed that water had collected in the wheel well and caused the wheel well to rust. Additionally, the contact stated that she noticed that water had collected in the spare tire, the battery, and the body of the vehicle. The contact also stated that the water caused mold and rust throughout the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a specialist where the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact then stated that she was not made aware of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V955000 (Fuel System, Diesel, Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the dealer was handling the recall, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11510855

Jan 30, 2023Fuel systemFuel System, Diesel

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V955000 (Fuel System, Diesel, Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced not a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11504519

Nov 27, 2022Brakes

when i tried to apply brakes on Nov 27th, 2022, the brakes were not applying for 4-5 seconds inspite of pushing the brake few times. After 5 seconds the brakes were working. to avoid collision i had to change the lane quicKly and luckily there was no one in the next lane. Please note that i have changed the front and rear brake pads few months back (Aug 2022). As my brake pads are new, i assume there is some fault in the overall brake system which I would like to bring notice to the United States transportation Department and to the Mercedes company. Please advise on how to proceed from here to ensure my car is safe.

NHTSA ODI 11495045

Sep 4, 2022Transmission & drivetrain

Cannot shift gear to Reverse or Neutral, after car is completely stopped by pushing brake pedal and keep firmly pushing the brake pedal. After firmly press the brake pedal, tried to move hear selector to Reverse or Neutral, but did not work. Tried to above step more than five times at the moment of incident, but did not work. If takes off the foot from the pedal, the car Restart the engine, then I was able to move the gear to Reverse or Neutral The case has occurred three times, an year ago (Summer, 2021), Aug 2022, Sep 3, 2022. Q:How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? When incident happened, after trying changing the gear to Reverse, take off the foot from the pedal then car moved to forward instead of backward, then immediately braked the car again to stop moving the car. Q:Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. Have not brought the car to the dealership yet. Cannot reproduce it most of the time. Q:Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Cannot reproduce it most of the time. Q:Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There seems a message that "Cannot change the gear to Reverse".

NHTSA ODI 11482825

May 13, 2022Transmission & drivetrainCrash

The contact owned a 2018 Mercedes-Benz 350 GLE. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light at an intersection, the vehicle began to lunge forward while the brake pedal was still depressed. The vehicle lurched into the intersection and struck another vehicle. The contact stated he did not notice any warning lights being illuminated. The contact's vehicle struck a vehicle on the driver's side door with his front end. The vehicle's grill was crushed and shattered all the windows on the other vehicle's driver's side. There were no injuries. The police were on the scene and wrote a report. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was placed in the body shop and repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,500. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11464519

May 28, 2021Tires

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where he was informed that the thread on three of his tires (tires unknown) were critically low and needed replaced. The contact then received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V123000 (Tires). The contact had made an appointment and brought the vehicle back to the same dealer where he was informed that tires on the vehicle were not included in the recall. The dealer suggested that the tires be replaced out of pocket. The contact attempted to reach the manufacturer but was unsuccessful in reaching a representative. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11418866

Apr 6, 2021Brakes

AFTER 20K OF DRIVING, THE BRAKE PAD ON THE CALIPER OF THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WENT METAL TO METAL. THERE WAS NO INDICATION ON THE DASH TO LET ME KNOW THAT THE LEFT REAR INNER PADS WERE LOW AND THEN THAT THE PAD AND ROTOR WERE METAL TO METAL, BECAUSE THERE IS NO INDICATOR SENSOR ON THE LEFT SIDE ONLY ON THE RIGHT REAR.

NHTSA ODI 11406735

Feb 15, 2021LightsBrakes

WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT IS HARD TO SEE IF YOU LIGHTS ARE ON IS VERY DIFFICULT DRIVING WHEN SOME STREET DON'T HAVE ANY LIGHTS ON. SOMETIMES I HAVE USE HI LIGHTS TO MAKE SURE I DONT CRASH OR HIT PEDESTRIAN ID DONT HAVE PICTURES BUT I HOPE PEOPLE ARE AWARE

NHTSA ODI 11396268

Feb 15, 2021Wheels

WHEN DRIVING WITH SNOW THE CAR TRIED TO LOOSE CONTROL EVEN DRIVING AT 30 MILES IT SUPPOSED TO BE ALL WHEEL DRIVE IN SOME OCCASIONS IS HARD TO CONTROL THE CAR I AM NOT SURE IF THE TIRES IS ARE MADE TO DRIVE IN THE SNOW. YOU LOOSE TRACTION EVEN DRIVING VERY SLOW MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE

NHTSA ODI 11396269

Sep 26, 2020Suspension

1. WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN BETWEEN 65-70 MPH AND HITTING A PUDDLE, THE REAR END SWAYS VERY STRONGLY AND EXCESSIVELY, IT SCARED ME TO DEATH. 2. WHEN DRIVING ON A DRY ROAD OVER SEWAGE CAP, THE REAR END SLIDES LEFT AND RIGHT TO A DEGREE OF NOTICIBLE AND DISCOMFORT. 3. STINKY SOUR/MOLD SMELL FROM AC UNIT

NHTSA ODI 11361276

Sep 14, 2020Speed controlWheelsCrash

I WRITE YOU TO REPORT A SERIOUS MERCEDES BENZ SAFETY HAZARD. THE GLE 43 WITH PIRELLI PZERO TIRES RESPONDS ADVERSELY (WITHOUT REASONABLE CONTROL) IN SNOWY CONDITIONS. IN EVEN MILDLY SNOWY CONDITIONS, THE TIRES PLANE ON THE SNOW AND ACT MORE AS SKIS THAN TIRES. IN 2018, AFTER LEASING MY GLE 43 I EXPERIENCED LOSS OF CONTROL, SLIDING SIDEWAYS, WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT 5-10 MPH IN A PARKING LOT. FOLLOWING THAT EXPERIENCE I PURCHASED SNOW TIRES AND THE CAR HANDLED MUCH MORE FAVORABLY. IN 2018 WHEN I LEASED THE CAR, I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT ONLY THE SPORT TIRES WERE AVAILABLE FOR THE SIZE TIRE I REQUESTED. CLEARLY I WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE SNOW TIRES THE SAME YEAR AND I SUSPECT, BUT HAVE NOT CONFIRMED, ALL WEATHER TIRES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE. MERCEDES MISTAKENLY DID NOT OFFER (OR MAKE THE STANDARD) ALL WEATHER TIRES. THIS WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY MISTAKE WITH THE GLE 43. ON 07 SEP OF THIS YEAR (2020), DRIVING EAST ON I-70 IN COLORADO DURING A MILD SNOW STORM, I WAS REQUIRED TO COME TO A TRAFFIC STOP. CONDITIONS OFFERED AMPLE ROAD TO STOP. THE GLE SPEED WAS ~40-50 MPH WHEN I APPLIED BREAKS TO STOP THE CAR. INSTEAD OF RESPONDING WITH CONTROL, THE GLE FISHTAILED AND SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. I FINALLY SLID TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THREE LANES OF STOPPED TRAFFIC AFTER AT LEAST ONE 360 DEGREE SPIN. MY FAMILY AND I WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE ESCAPED INJURY OR DEATH. OTHERS AROUND US COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN INJURED OR KILLED. THE GLE'S PERFORMANCE WITH PIRELLI PZERO TIRES WAS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. I BELIEVE MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS SAFETY CONCERN AND TAKE REASONABLE STEPS TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING TO OTHERS. SPECIFICALLY, I REQUEST THE FOLLOWING: 'MAKE THE PIRELLI PZERO SAFETY CONCERN IN WINTER CONDITIONS KNOWN TO ALL GLE OWNERS AND OFFER ALTERNATE TIRES 'REPLACE THE TIRES ON MY GLE WITH ACCEPTABLE ALL WEATHER TIRES 'REPAIR THE DAMAGE CAUSED TO

NHTSA ODI 11355025

Jun 15, 2020

MY CAR STILL HAS THE MOLDY SMELL BEING ADDRESSED BY BENZ BUT NO ONE HAS ASK MY PROBLEM TO FIX THE MOLDY AIR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11328978

Mar 31, 2020SteeringElectronic Stability Control (esc)

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE CAR SEEMINGLY WENT OUT OF CONTROL FROM THE DRIVER. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR BEGAN TO SWERVE UNCONTROLLABLY AND WAS UNABLE TO BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL FOR A FEW SECONDS. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS ONLY TO BE TOLD NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11319892

Mar 30, 2020Body & structure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MERCEDES BENZ GLE350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE SUNROOF SHATTERED WITHOUT IMPACT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER MERCEDES BENZ OF THE SOUTH MISSISSIPPI LOCATED AT (11619 BOBBY ELEUTERIOUS BLVD, D'IBERVILLE, MS 35940) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000.

NHTSA ODI 11319701

Mar 7, 2020Electronic Stability Control (esc)Brakes

WHILE DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD CLOSE TO MY HOUSE, THE VEHICLE STARTED SHOWING LOT OF ALERTS AND SUDDENLY THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ENGAGED AUTOMATICALLY WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY, THE VEHICLE SPEED WAS VERY SLOW AS IT WAS EVENING AND RAINING WITH GOOD AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC ON THE LOCAL FORD ROAD. THIS WAS VERY SCARY, AD THINKING IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE MB ANN ARBOR MI DEALERSHIP WHICH IT WAS WORKED ON FOR ALMOST A MONTH. THE ISSUE WAS CONFIRMED, PLEASE SEE ATTACHED, BUT THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT SEEM TO TAKE THIS ISSUE SERIOUSLY AS MANY OTHER ISSUES WERE DETERMINED AND STILL BEGGING DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE ISSUES.

NHTSA ODI 11316741

Feb 29, 2020Tires

AROUND 1/24/2020, TIRE LOSS PRESSURE TO 32 PSI FROM 38 PSI. TIRE WAS INFLATED TO 38 PSI, BUT ONE WEEK LATER, THE TIRE LOST PRESSURE AGAIN. AFTER INFLATION, THIS TIME IT MAINTAINED THE PRESSURE A LITTLE BIT LONGER. BUT ON 2/21/2020, TIRE LOST PRESSURE AGAIN, AFTER INFLATION TO 38 PSI THIS TIME, THE SIDEWALL BUBBLE APPEAR.

NHTSA ODI 11315337

Feb 6, 2020Electrical system

ONGOING ISSUE WITH THE INFORMATION MONITOR FREEZING, PARTICULAR TO THE NAVIGATION FUNCTION. SHUTS DOWN AND ATTEMPTS TO REBOOT REPEATEDLY. MB ATTEMPTED A FIX RE SOFTWARE, HOWEVER, ISSUE CONTINUES. SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE, LEAVING PARKED FOR AN HOUR OR TWO DOES NOT CORRECT THE SYSTEM. MAY OCCUR SHORTLY AFTER BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE OR SHORTLY AFTER BEGINNING TO DRIVE. OVERNIGHT PARKING SEEMS TO CORRECT THE IMMEDIATE ISSUE. DURING THIS TIME, ONLY OTHER FUNCTION THAT OPERATES IS THE RADIO; CANNOT USE VOICE COMMANDS, TELEPHONE BLUETOOTH, ETC. HAVE ALERTED MB DEALER IN SAN ANTONIO WITH COPY TO MB USA, HOWEVER, NO RESPONSES. GOOGLE SEARCH HAS INDICATED VARIOUS MODELS MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR ISSUES OVER SEVERAL YEARS, HOWEVER, NO INDICATIONS OF CORRECTIVE ACTION. PRUDENT TO ALSO CARRY A GPS ALTERNATIVE SUCH AS A MAP, GARMIN OR OTHER BRAND IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE WHILE ON A TRIP. THIS OCCURRED IN LATE NOVEMBER 2019 AND AGAIN JANUARY 2020.

NHTSA ODI 11307432

Apr 3, 2019Brakes

I GOT 9000 MILES ON MY 2018 MERCEDES BENZ GLE AMG 63S COUPE I AM GOING FOR MY SECOND SET OF BREAKS

NHTSA ODI 11193713

Feb 21, 2019Visibility & wipers3 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE43 AMG. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMALLY LOUD BOOM SOUND AND THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUN ROOF WAS NOT STRUCK BY ANY DEBRIS OR FOREIGN OBJECT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS GLASS IN HER HAIR, ON HER FACE, AND ON THE CHILDREN SEATED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE MINOR INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF HOUSTON NORTH (17510 NORTH FWY, HOUSTON, TX 77090, (281) 305-8970). THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUN ROOF MAY HAVE SHATTERED BY A ROCK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

NHTSA ODI 11181513

Jan 30, 2019Speed controlCrash

CAR WAS STOPPED IN THE PARKING LOT,AND JUST BEFORE SWITCHING THE IGNITION OFF,IT ACCELERATED WITHOUT INTENTION, HITTING THE RESTAURANT WALL CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE AND LITTLE PHYSICAL INJURY. AFTER HITTING THE WALL CAR STOPPED WITH MAJOR DAMAGE TO FRONT. AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ODI 11172997

Dec 17, 2018Brakes

BRAKES NEED REPLACING AFTER ONLY 11 MONTHS OLD AND 14,000 MILES. LOUD SQUEALING FROM BRAKES UPON APPLYING THEM. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR IN JAN. 2018. REPORTED TO DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL. NOW THEY WANT ME TO PAY TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI 11161939

Dec 2, 2018Lights

LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS ARE VERY POOR AND I AM NOT ABLE TO DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT. I GOOGLED ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND I SEE LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE ON MERCEDES GLE. I AM WILLING TO PAY MONEY TO FIX THIS ISSUE, BUT DEALER SAID HE CAN NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT NOW. I TALKED TO MERCEDES AND THEY ALSO SAID THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ENOUGH COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT.

NHTSA ODI 11155427

Nov 30, 2018Lights

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE350. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE ADEQUATELY. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF DURHAM (919-794-7077, LOCATED AT 110 KENTINGTON DR, DURHAM, NC 27713) AND THE BULB LOCATIONS WERE ADJUSTED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE PERFORMING AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

NHTSA ODI 11154922

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Working with the data? Download all 56 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2018 Mercedes-benz Gle-class Hybrid verdict →