What 122 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Mercedes-benz GLE

Campaign No. 2022030003, April 2022 My vehicle is experiencing the exact same issues, but the VIN was not tagged as one of the affected.

NHTSA ODI 11621997

There is a leaking valve seat in the cylinder head 3. This causes the cylinder to lose compression, the car to lose power, and the vehicle fails to move from a full stop.

NHTSA ODI 11619104

The rear shock absorbers failed at approximately 33,000 miles. The issue presented with a rattle in the rear end of the car. A certified mechanic diagnosed the issue as the rear shock absorbers were leaking potentially due to improper sealing of the shock absorbers. The certified mechanic presented a document related to a Recall Campaign that is directly correlated to the rear shock absorber issue (please see attached file). The Recall Campaign specifically mentions the vehicle in question ( 2020 Mercedes GLE350) , but my vehicle VIN is not included in the recall campaign. Therefore, the dealership will not fix the issue under the recall campaign. I would like to investigate the remedies available under the current situation.

NHTSA ODI 11619167

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE450. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera was inoperable. The message "Active parking Assist and Parktronic inoperative - See Operator's Manual" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown software update was performed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that an unknown wiring harness had experienced an electrical short due to water entry underneath the floorboard. The dealer informed the contact that the parts were not available for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that parts were not available. The failure mileage was 26,994.

NHTSA ODI 11607283

This is a known issue with GLE 450 48v batteries over heating and causing loss of power and all function to control the vehicle. , For an unknown reason my vehicle was not part of a recent recall and probably should have been. I experienced the issue today and escaped tragedy. My battery light came on, then off, then a bright red battery light came on across the dashboard…then all of a sudden, my car lost all power with no warning. All while driving on the freeway 394! Luckily traffic was light and I was able to coast halfway up an off ramp. Then I got an overheating message. Reports show all cars were recalled, however mine wasn’t part of the recall!! I would like an investigation to include all cars in the years and models not just some of them.

NHTSA ODI 11603504

Watch this report: [XXX] There was less than 1/2 a pound of refridgerant in my vehicle. The dealership - Mercedes Benz of Boerne inspected it. They extracted the refridgerant from the vehicle and hooked up leak system and monitor the gas to see if there is a leak and picked up in the center vent and the hose that goes to the vehicle's AC evaporator. There is a leak from the evaporator. This is a recurring problem that has popped up due to a recall in 2019: "The issue stems from air-conditioner drain hoses that may have been incorrectly installed, causing water to drain into the passenger compartment. Water intrusion into the footwells may cause corrosion or short circuits to electrical components, increasing the risk of fire. Furthermore, the emergency call feature may be disabled and the doors may not unlock, increasing the risk of injury. And as a final consequence, the engine may not start or may enter a limp-home mode, increasing the risk of a crash. To fix this potentially long-reaching issue, dealers will inspect and reinstall the drain hoses, as necessary, for free. Owner notification letters will be sent May 16, but those with further questions can contact Mercedes at 800-367-6372, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236, or visit its website to check their vehicle identification number and learn more." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11603189

The cylinder head which lead to engine problems after the repair it lead to a failure of the positive crankcase valve.

NHTSA ODI 11597059

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air conditioner failed to operate. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the A/C evaporator and A/C receiver drier needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the issue was a known failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

NHTSA ODI 11587883

This past week, I went to the dealer for an intermittent engine light issue. The problem was minor and was fixed (faulty charcoal sensor). I asked to have my spark plugs replaced as well. The service department called me, and said that the engine harness is brittle and if they accessed.. it could break. This was not considered an immediate issue. Quote was $7300 to replace it. This seemed like a defect rather than an standard wear issue (even though I drive a lot, @ 170K highway miles). My car drives like new, and has had no major issues whatsover. In fact, it is only now that I need to have my rotors replaced. Had I not mentioned that I wanted new spark plugs, the issue would not have came up during the service. I hope that you can look into this, as other Mercedes GLE 450 owners make have the same issue as I. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11583127

1)Wiper does run smoothly right from the time the car was purchased. 2) recently the glass window of passanger seat at the back opens very slowly when the button is pushed to pull the glass down.

NHTSA ODI 11578490

There were two incidents that had similar symptoms: one before the dealership said they fixed and one afterwards. The issue is that while driving I would get three warning, all at the same time: coolant too hot, 48v battery malfunction, shut the engine off. The first time it happened immediately after I turned on the vehicle and within 5 minutes of leaving a parking lot. The second time it happened after about 3 hours of driving at highway speeds. After the first time it happened dealership said they fixed the issue by upgrading the software (battery software?). Both times it happened on the highway. The first time on the uphill, and vehicle immediately shut off and could not make it up the ramp. The second time in the tunnel on the flat road, could not make it to the exit. Both times created extremely dangerous situation as I had no time to take the exit and vehicle shut off about 30 seconds after warning popped up. The second time in the tunnel was especially dangerous as there was no shoulder and i had to stop in the middle of the right lane as cars were going at 60 mph by me. I was really worried for myself and my family. I have to trust that Mercedes is capable of fixing the issue and providing a reliable vehicle I can depend on and trust for the safety of my family.

NHTSA ODI 11575432

Component or system failed: P030385 Combustion misfiring of cylinder 3 has been detected. There is a signal above permissible limit value. P030085 Combustion misfiring has been detected. There is a signal above permissible limit value. P1CEF85- Injector injection quantity adjustment for cylinder balancing has almost reached upper limit value at least one cylinder. There is a signal above permissible limit value. P1CE577- Injector injection quantity adjustment for uniform mixture formation has detected an excessively lean mixture in at least one cylinder. The command position cannot be reached. P219E77- Mixture formation (Cylinder 3) is irregular. The command position cannot be reached. I have taken the vehicle into an independent service provider to be evaluated, which is where I received the information for the codes above. The vehicle is now at the dealership being evaluated. A check engine light has been present. There has not been a complete mechanical failure or safety issue due to this specific concern; however, this is a growing concern with this engine, and there is already a similar complaint with these exhaust valve components in other Mercedes models.

NHTSA ODI 11574330

Car has an automated start stop and ruined my starter a lot of ppl have had similar issues

NHTSA ODI 11564520

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE450. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling in traffic, the check engine and battery warning lights illuminated along with the message to "Do not Drive Vehicle". The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed and determined that the fuel tank and fuel delivery module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V572000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 29,201.

NHTSA ODI 11562001

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly hesitated. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the cylinder head was damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 49,000.

NHTSA ODI 11559200

Hear a clicking sound when I drive the vehicle - like a metronome. It happens randomly and I am not able to recreate it when I take the car in for service. I recorded a video of it when it happened and showed it to the dealership service department - They said they hear the sound but cannot do anything about it unless they can hear it when they take it for a test drive. This has been happening for atleast two years now from when the car had 25000 miles to even now when it has 61,000 miles. It does not matter what speed I am driving it. Once it starts it continues till I stop the car and turn it off .

NHTSA ODI 11557537

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes Benz GLE350. The contact stated that the Back Over Prevention camera image would display a glitchy or a blank image while in use. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V354000 (Back Over Prevention, Electrical System). The vehicle was initially taken to Mercedes-Benz of Westmont (200 E Ogden Ave, Westmont, IL 60559) for the recall repair; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to Sears Imported Autos Mercedes-Benz (13500 Wayzata Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55305) where it remained in the possession of the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11554323

The adaptive cruise on the Mercedes has a habit of harsh braking during stop and go traffic. It's not a natural braking manev8, instead it's jarring and I feel like it could cause a rear end with how jarring it is. Many other users are experiencing the same.

NHTSA ODI 11543347

The GLE350 windows trim bar flew out from the rear window frame . Driving Speed Range (75-82mph). Fortunately no accident or damages occurred. This so so dangerous . If the trim bar flew into vehicle or pedestrian resulting injury or death.

NHTSA ODI 11542785

After driving for 2 1/1 hours,we changed drivers and shortly there after lane assist, blind spot and active brake assist limited warnings come on along with engine decellerating from 70 mph with no acceleration allowed-had to pull off busy freeway(4 lanes), cut off engine and restart. Everything working fine until about 20 minutes later exact thing happened as well as 2 more times. Parked for night and exact thing happened after about 2 1/2 hours into trip. Very dangerous fighting traffic struggling to get to place to pull over and reset . MB dealership cannot find anything wrong- Safety issue to drive again not knowing if/when it might happen again

NHTSA ODI 11540575

I receive a passenger airbag warning message every time I start the vehicle. Took to Mercedes dealer 2/10/2023 and they diagnosed the airbag problem as being caused due to the failure of the weight sensor in the passenger seat. NO ETA on a part to fix the weight sensor in the seat and was given the vehicle back to drive as normal, despite the passenger airbag being disabled (vehicle is still under factory warranty period). Have returned the vehicle to the dealer again on 4/20/2023 and 5/30/3023 to try and expedite a fix but both times was told there was no ETA on a part to fix the weight sensor in the seat and was given the vehicle back to drive as normal, despite the passenger airbag being disabled. I opened an escalation with Mercedes Benz USA (ERM - Executive Referral Management team) on 7/7/2023 and they called the Mercedes dealer to confirm the airbag issue and tie to the bad weight sensor in the seat. The dealer re-confirmed with Mercedes Benz USA that they do not have an ETA to fix the passenger seat weight sensor, hence no way to fix the airbag malfunction. As I submit this on 8/14/2023 I still do not have a functioning passenger airbag and no ETA to get this issue resolved, despite trying for over 6 months. This has and continues to pose an incredible safety concern for passengers that ride in this vehicle as the airbag won't deploy if in an accident. Another unintended consequence is that the chime/ding to remind passengers to fasten their seat belt is disabled as it's also tied to the malfunctioning weight sensor in the seat. This is my only vehicle and I don't have any alternatives given I cannot sell this vehicle without a working airbag.

NHTSA ODI 11538406

The Mercedes Connect app started showing a partially charged battery. The Battery voltage is 11.9 to 12.29 in the AM when it should be 12.6V. The iphone charging area is warm to hot to the touch when the car is off all night. The Westminster Mercedes dealership cannot find the problem. I am concerned for afire hazard.

NHTSA ODI 11531401

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound of moving water underneath the front seats. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that rainwater had leaked into the body of the vehicle due to a clogged sunroof drainage tube. The contact stated that several electrical components were submerged in the water and had to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 43,000.

NHTSA ODI 11526646

Air Conditioning failure with low free on measurement. Apparently there was an A/C leak that created water damage in the front footwells, causing corrosion and potentially short-circuiting electric components, resulting in a fire hazard. The car was inspected by Mercedes Benz of Tampa and could not explain the source of water in the car, neither can I as the owner. The electronic components are being replaced at cost of the owner and insurance company. However, still concerned about the source of water in the footwells and potential re-occurence. This would put at risk not only my life as the driver but also the life of my toddler who is usually by me in the car. The failure of the A/C was followed by failure of lights, plantronics, central computer system which prompted me to go promptly to the dealership. Please help me investigate why my car is not under recall when it goes through the same symptoms described on expansion of recall numbers 21V-288 and 19V-587

NHTSA ODI 11525883

An additional problem with a current recall of the air-conditioning hoses hoses ~ I have been diagnosed with toxic mold poisoning and I need my car inspected due to condensation issues asap

NHTSA ODI 11525884