What 62 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Mercedes-benz Glc350e

Engine runs rough and activates a flashing engine light. Sounds like the engine is misfiring. On two occasions the engine stalled,(no power steering, brakes...) luckily not in a dangerous situation. No engine codes were visible to a technician when try to diagnose. Car seemed to run fine again after restart.

NHTSA ODI 11682158

FIRE! NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complaint – Mercedes-Benz GLC300 Complainant Information: [XXX] [XXX] Phone: [XXX] Email: [XXX] Vehicle Information: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4MATIC VIN: [XXX] Purchase Location: Missouri Incident Location: St. Louis, MO Date of Incident: [XXX] Date of Report Submission: July 12, 2025 Summary of Incident: On [XXX] , my 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4MATIC spontaneously caught fire while parked. I immediately contacted Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance, and the vehicle was towed for inspection. Mercedes-Benz later claimed the fire originated in the engine compartment, yet took no accountability and cited “missing components” as an excuse to avoid liability. Photographic evidence shows that the parts were present immediately after the fire. Mercedes-Benz denied that NHTSA Recall 21V961000 applied to this vehicle, despite clear similarity in symptoms (fire risk due to fuel or electrical issues). I was also never notified of any fire risk. Furthermore, towing coordination failures led to my vehicle being sent to a third-party lot, incurring unauthorized fees. Safety Concern: The spontaneous combustion of this vehicle presents a serious public safety risk. I am concerned this issue may be more widespread and underreported. Mercedes-Benz’s failure to take accountability and deflecting blame could endanger other consumers. Desired Action: 1. Federal investigation into similar fire-related complaints involving 2019 GLC300s. 2. Reconsideration of eligibility under Recall 21V961000 or related campaigns. 3. Consumer safety alert or expanded recall if defect patterns are confirmed. Attachments Provided: - Mercedes-Benz USA denial letter dated July 11, 2025 - Photos of the fire damage - Letters and written communications Signature: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11672995

- My transmission is malfunctioning. It is available for inspection. - My car is not allowing me to shift from reverse to drive. When I try to put it in drive, it gets stuck in neutral. My safety is at risk as I was trying to do a quick 3-point turn and got stuck in the lane. - Yes, the problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. There was a recall by Mercedes Benz for the same issue in 2020, but for some reason my car isn't included. - The vehicle has been inspected by an independent service center - No warning lamps or messaged prior to the failure which first appeared on Thursday, June 5.

NHTSA ODI 11666765

Faulty Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve. Seems a very common failure which causes poor emissions and potentially further engine damage.

NHTSA ODI 11650016

The error code is P052E and it is a PCV Code Crankcase Ventilation Oil Separator. It's a time-consuming and expensive repair that seems to be regularly occurring on a lot Mercedes Benz that have this installed. And it happens often on cars with under 50K miles on them and when it's just been out of warranty this is a small inexpensive part that the customer funds through the cost of labor. Not that mechanics don't deserve their labor costs, but Mercedes ought to fix this is issue as it is borne by the consumer of a high end vehicle for a consistent, faulty part that they have engineered.

NHTSA ODI 11589246

P052E71 Engine Separator and actuator malfunctioning. Was told this fails several times on Mercedes vehicles. I will not pass emissions with this issue. Over $2K to repair and engine light along with code appears. I have videos of the engine light coming off and on. Car has been inspected by Firestone and Mercedes Service Center.

NHTSA ODI 11572879

Had the Crankcase valve error, PCV valve, (P052E) trigger engine problem several times at 58.000 miles mark. The dealer says its a $2000 repair and not covered under warranty. The crankcase valve affects emission controls to not perform properly. It should be covered under NJ CCR 2037 up to 70.000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11557373

Cracked piston due to a faulty wrist pin installed in the MBZ M274 engine. Yes, available for inspection. Car began shaking and I would not have been able to control it if I had been driving at a higher speed. Yes, the problem is well known amongst MBZ and the service manager admitted to this engine having resulting cracked pistons. The "check engine" light did not come on until the day after the severe shaking of the vehicle. This should have been a safety recall years ago.

NHTSA ODI 11556722

P052E system replacement needed at 52880 miles

NHTSA ODI 11546233

The Crankcase ventilation valve has a malfunction. The actuator is blocked. Code #052E71. The manufacturer has inspected the vehicle and confirmed the issue. The same issue has happened repeatedly to numerous Mercedes owners. The car is not safe to drive with this issue because it could cause engine problems.

NHTSA ODI 11538269

While driving on the interstate (65mph) in traffic, there was a sudden loss of power causing deceleration and the inability to maintain speed. A collision was barely avoided both from being rear-ended and from trying to safely move to the shoulder while other traffic passed. A certified mechanic later determined the piston in cylinder 2 broke, the spark plug broke and the piston rings pulled to the top. The mechanic also said, "Replacement of engine required." The vehicle has 52,839 miles (2,839 miles above the 50,000 warranty). There were no warning lamps or messages and no symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A COMMON OCCURENCE WITH THESE VEHICLES. WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR A FORCED RECALL?

NHTSA ODI 11470529

I was going through drive thru waiting in line, when suddenly the car started to accelerate sharply, I put two feet on the brakes to stop the forward motion of vehicle - could not stop or place in park or neutral. their was ample room from the vehicle in front.. slightly removed feet from brake, suv lunged at vehicle in front kept on lunging then came to a halt...vehicle went back to normal operation.

NHTSA ODI 11443463

2:19 PM ARRIVED POMPANO MERCEDES-BENZ TO PICK UP MY SERVICED VEHICLE ( 10,000 MILE SERVICE). 2:23 PM RETURNED MERCEDES-BENZ LOANER PROVIDED BY DEALERSHIP. 2:30 PM SERVICE ADVISER BRINGS CAR INSIDE THE SERVICE AREA, AND PROVIDES ME A RECEIPT OF THE SERVICE PERFORMED. 2:30 PM I LEAVE THE INSIDE SERVICE AREA AND GO TO DRIVE-THROUGH MC DONALDS (IN THE SAME COMPLEX AS DEALERSHIP). I DID NOT STOP, OR GET OUT OF THE CAR. 2:35 PM I LEAVE THE MC DONALDS DRIVE-THROUGH IN THE SAME COMPLEX AS MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND ENTER THE I-95 SOUTH TOWARDS HOME/OFFICE.2:35 PM ' 2:58PM DRIVING I95 SOUTH FOR 20 OR SO MINUTES, I CAME TO A STOP IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. UPON STOPPING I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND MOVED TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL WARNINGS OR READINGS FROM THE CAR. I PULLED THE HOOD LATCH ON THE INSIDE, AND GOT OUT AND APPROACHED THE FRONT OF THE CAR TO PULL THE LEVER AND OPEN THE HOOD. I HEARD A 'POP' IN THE ENGINE, AND SMOKE INTENSIFIED, AND WAS GETTING DARKER, SO I BACKED AWAY FROM THE CAR (MOVING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD) AND BEGAN FILMING WITH MY PHONE. 2:59 PM I PHONED 911 FEARING A FIRE. I TOOK A VIDEO OF LIQUID DRIPPING FROM UNDER THE ENGINE, WITH SMOKE GROWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. 2:59 PM (AGAIN)I PHONED 911 AGAIN BECAUSE THE SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD IS DARKER, AND I TOOK ANOTHER VIDEO WHILE WAITING. AS I WAS CALLING 911, THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD, AND INSTANTLY THE FLAMES BECAME HIGHER THAN THE HEIGHT OF THE CAR. 3:00 PM VIDEO OF CAR FIRE INTENSIFYING AS I STEPPED AWAY FROM CAR (WITH 911 ON SPEAKER AS I REPORT IT'S A FULL FIRE AT THIS POINT). 3:02PM (PHONE TIME STAMP) I RAN A SHORT DISTANCE FROM CAR AND CONTINUED TAKING (2) VIDEOS OF THE INCIDENT. FLAMES HAD MOVED FROM THE ENGINE, TO THE INTERIOR IN THIS SHORT TIME. CONTINUED MULTIPLE VIDEOS UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED 3:13. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE.

NHTSA ODI 11300570

TL THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC350E4. WHILE DRIVING AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD BEFORE IT STOPPED. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE ALSO OVERHEATED, WHICH CAUSED THE COOLING SYSTEM NOT TO WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FLETCHER JONES MOTORCARS (949-718-3000, LOCATED AT 3300 JAMBOREE RD, NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO FAILURE WITH THE VEHICLE. ON ONE OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE OVERHEAT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE AND WAS LATER DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE SAME DEALER AND WAS INFORMED TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER SENT A TOW TRUCK AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT WAS BLOCKED. THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED, BUT THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OVERHEATING DID NOT COMPLETELY STOP. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11241048