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

The transmission with the Auto Start/Stop 48v system is very clunky and not smooth at low speeds. I'm unable to park in my garage or parallel park with the Auto Start/Stop feature enabled which is by default for reduced emissions. I fear hitting pedestrians/people at crosswalks, causing damage to my house inside my garage when parking, and/or other vehicles when parallel parking because the transmission is so clunky, it causes the vehicle to surge or lurch forward very harshly in such a way that I could cause damage to another vehicle or even hit a pedestrian or person at a crosswalk. There's something inherently wrong with the 48V auto start/stop when it engages and disengages with the transmission causing it to surge or lurch forward uncontrollably and dangerously.

NHTSA ODI 11525053

I was driving and came to a stop sign. When I was getting ready to pull off my entire vehicle automatically went into park and shut off. I was almost rear ended by the vehicle behind me. People were blowing at me. I just restarted the vehicle after a few attempts it started and I drove off. Also my entire dash went black while I was driving. I also felt water on my feet why on the passenger side ( like a light mist).

NHTSA ODI 11515152

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.

NHTSA ODI 11509485

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 $25,487. 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

NHTSA ODI 11504347

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).

NHTSA ODI 11502914

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.

NHTSA ODI 11498507

2020 MERCEDES BENZ GLE 350. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ILLUMINATED TIRE INFLATION ALERT.

NHTSA ODI 11497972

Vehicle (72,000 miles) sent an email message that the "starter battery is critical". Drove it to Mercedes Benz Cary (NC). Original battery replaced ($538). 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 (+/- $450). Evidently, Mercedes Cary performed some software updates. Waiting for final invoice and software details.

NHTSA ODI 11495164

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.

NHTSA ODI 11491479

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.

NHTSA ODI 11488292

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.

NHTSA ODI 11479258

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.

NHTSA ODI 11479257

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.

NHTSA ODI 11476213

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

NHTSA ODI 11475894

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.

NHTSA ODI 11474795

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.

NHTSA ODI 11468794

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.

NHTSA ODI 11455508

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.

NHTSA ODI 11451827

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.

NHTSA ODI 11449255

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.

NHTSA ODI 11442181

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

NHTSA ODI 11437650

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.

NHTSA ODI 11435476

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.

NHTSA ODI 11416111

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?

NHTSA ODI 11414342

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

NHTSA ODI 11413991