2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE Class

These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.

• 12/30/2025· POWER TRAIN

  According to the dealer, there are fault codes in the system for Transmission control unit failing. Thats what caused the vehicle to go into "limp" mode... That needs to be replaced. In an instant, the warning lights and reduction in power occurred simultaneously. The car slowed down and had to coast to shoulder of the highway crossing multiple lanes of traffic. The warnings that came on said “car cannot shift”, “battery failure warning” and when stopped; “do not restart the car.” The shoulder was very narrow and we could have easily been hit by the cars passing at high speeds on the beltway. We had to wait 2 hours for Mercedes roadside assistance to arrive. The dealer is saying it will be $6,000 to repair this.

• 12/30/2024· ENGINE

  DTC codr P219E is is a known issue for this Vehicle. Cylinder issue. This is a world wide known issue and Mercedes benz in Canada has sent out email giving out warranty extension for M260 cylinder head but here in the US, there is no recall or warrant for this issue making customers spend over 7k for repairs. Kindly look into this

• 12/20/2020· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  THE 48V BATTERY AFTER DRIVING NEW VEHICLE ONLY 230 MILES GOES DEAD. THE AUTO WILL NOT START AND CANNOT BE JUMP STARTED. RESULT IS BEING STRANDED ROADSIDE. REQUIRED A TOW. MERCEDES SAYS DEAD BATTERY (BRAND NEW) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. BATTERY WENT DEAD ON DECEMBER 10. DEALER TELLS ME NO BATTERIES ARE AVAILABLE IN THE US. A BATTERY IS PROMISED FOR DELIVERY FROM GERMANY ON OR ABOUT JANUARY 11, 2021.

• 12/18/2025· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  My vehicle suddenly started shaking and losing power, the check engine light came on and the problem continues to vibrate when idling, it will not shift into gear to go. Very unnerving and unsafe as it happened in a intersection. Sometimes it drives fine and then vibrates and goes into low gear and loses power. I took to a certified Mercedes dealer and they changed the spark plugs and 4 coils as well - After 4 weeks, I am told the CYLINDER HEAD needs to be replaced. It has 68k miles. The mechanic has already had 2 other 2021 GLE 350 with exactly the same issue. There are several similar cases discussed online as well.

• 12/11/2025· POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE

  Original owner of a 2021 GLE, purchased on April 21, 2021. The vehicle is currently 4 years and 6 months and 22 days old with approximately 49,000 miles. Despite meticulous adherence to all scheduled maintenance performed and no warning lights activated the vehicle suddenly shutdown and would not restart. According to MB maintenance department it suffered a catastrophic and complete engine failure. This type of premature and total engine failure in a properly maintained, low-mileage vehicle is clearly a defect in material or workmanship. This is a serious safety defect that rendered the vehicle completely inoperable with no warning. Issues are resulting from valve guide wear issues, camshaft codes, valve openness, and no-compression symptoms, camshaft, timing chain, etc.

• 12/10/2024· VISIBILITY

  The windshield wiper fluid will not pump out onto the front or back window, causing poor visibility. The pump is working, but the design of the strainer on the bottom of the pump causes a restriction and causes goo to build up and block the flow of the windshield wiper fluid. Mercedes refuses to cover this under warranty, even though the failure is caused by their bad design. I am unable to use the wiper fluid, and my visibility while driving is impaired. This is a safety issue. Mercedes' neglect of their responsibility to provide a safe vehicle and honor its warranty is endangering us, the American people. Google is full of similar complaints about the Mercedes windshield wiper pump design. The repair involves removing the front wheel of the vehicle, etc., and a repair cannot be done by the average driver; it requires a mechanic. My dealer said that it would cost about $300 to fix, and I'd have to wait for the approximately 2+ hours that the repair would take, even though my car only has 22,000 miles on it and is under the original manufacturer's warranty. PLEASE HOLD MERCEDES ACCOUNTABLE AND ISSUE A RECALL.

• 12/06/2024· ENGINE

  On August 6, 2024 my vehicle reported " The state of charge of the starter battery in the vehicle Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 SUV is very low". We took it to our local dealership to have the battery replaced but upon receiving the vehicle we started having issues. The vehicle would shake and loose power. Upon turning off and turning back on the vehicle would continue working properly. We proceeded to have a local shop diagnose it since our 2021 vehicle was about 10k over the covered warranty and our local MB dealership is not very efficient. They recommended remove and replace engine cylinder head assembly. The warning lamp was for the battery and what followed after the starter battery getting replaced was the engine light. The problem that was concerning was the loss of power driving on the expressway. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Vehicle diagnosis from shop available upon request.

• 12/05/2021· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  Recall 21V354 has not been completed. They have had since May 14. I have contacted MBUSA twice and they will not give me a completion date.

• 11/30/2021· POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE

  On two separate occasions recently, the vehicle suddenly lost all power without warning and stopped. Luckily, these incidents did not occur while driving in high speed traffic, and the car restarted once shut off. When it lost power, all warning lights came on at once. After the first incident, dealer "updated the 48v system and esp control modules and The vehicle is operating as designed." The first incident was on November 9, the second incident was on November 29.

• 11/26/2021· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  GLE53 would not start. The car threw an error stating 12v battery malfunction.(Impacted the 48V battery) This essentially disables the vehicle completely. This is 2021 GLE53 with less than 5000 miles. There is also an issue with the side-view mirror and wind noise.

• 11/18/2025· ENGINE

  we own a Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 model 2021. Our vehicles engine has stopped running on two different occasions, resulting in a very scary near miss accident situation. The first time this happened was it 22,000 miles, the engine shut off as a result of a failure in the engine cylinder head valve that burned up, causing the car to shut off in the middle of an intersection. The second incident happened at 56,000 miles where the vehicles engine shut off. This was also in the middle of an intersection, this time turning left in front of traffic. The reason why the engine turned off was because the lower part of the engine lost a rod bearing.this is what the dealership told us which cause the engine to have low compression and turn off. In both incidences, the check engine light did not come on. There was no warning. There are several people that have exactly the same problem with their vehicle and have also had the same two situations with two separate repairs made to their cars. People online are calling these Covid engines because the materials that were used to build the engines were made during Covid and they have defects. The GLA 350 model year 2021 appears to be the only year the GLE 350’s are having these issues. Mercedes-Benz refuses to acknowledge any of these issues and is not willing to help properly fix the engines. The only way to properly fix the engine is to completely replace it because it is full of defective parts and after the engine has failed the engines cannot be repaired.. This leaves us with no alternative to try and repair the vehicle ourselves so we are 100% relying on Mercedes to do the right thing and fix the problems that they caused to this 2021 model year GLE 350.

• 11/17/2025· ENGINE

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the cylinder head. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 74,000.

• 11/16/2023· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that the infotainment screen had gone blank and had failed to operate as needed. Due to the failure, the back-up camera failed to operate while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that an unknown liquid had spilled on the electrical unit connected to the infotainment screen. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and denied the contact’s claim to have the vehicle serviced under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

• 11/12/2024· LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that after exiting the vehicle, the doors unintendedly locked with the keys inside the vehicle. Additionally, the contact’s child was still inside the vehicle during the failure. The contact stated that the doors were not supposed to lock with the keys inside. The contact called a locksmith to have the vehicle unlocked. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,045.

• 11/12/2022· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  Driver side window detached inside door and will not come up.

• 11/05/2022· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE

  2021 MB GLE 53 AMG Coupe. Less than 7500 miles. Car wont start throws a red error saying see the operators manual. This is the second time in 5 months this has happened and is extremely frustrating given MB is fully aware of the issue. They say it is related to software but I just had my car at the dealer for another issue and all software was updated. This is a design flaw that MB needs to fix before someone dies. The issue can happen at any time, I have just been lucky enough that both times it was parked in my garage. I am now considering pursuing a full refund under lemon law, I no longer feel safe driving this car and each time it has been in the dealer for repair I am without a vehicle for 2 weeks. Very disappointing for a vehicle that cost almost 100k.

• 10/29/2024· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  Vehicle unexpectedly lost power on a major highway. Limped into a service station, called for a tow truck. Several days later vehicle was repaired with a bill of $2800. Four weeks later, while driving, check engine light comes on. Contact dealership that completed repairs, brought car in. Now it’s the 48V Hybrid battery needs to be replaced, $4000. Based on some cursory research, this is a known problem in these cars. Mercedes Benz needs to be held accountable. The car was purchased brand new three years ago.

• 10/24/2025· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle was skipping. The contact immediately veered towards an exit ramp. The contact noticed knocking sounds coming from the engine, and the vehicle stalled on the exit ramp. There was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had imploded and sustained a hole. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer took the engine apart and informed the contact that the cause of the engine implosion could not be determined even with the assistance of the engineers. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact then brought an independent mechanic to the dealer to inspect the vehicle. The mechanic inspected the engine and informed the contact that the failure had occurred due to a lack of engine oil; however, the contact stated that the dealer had performed an oil change on the vehicle 27 days prior to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance in covering the repair. The manufacturer informed the contact that the engineers had not yet determined the cause of the engine implosion. The failure mileage was 69,100.

• 10/24/2025· VISIBILITY

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that the floor mats were wet after it had rained, and mold had formed on the floor mats. The rear hatch door occasionally unlocked unintendedly, and the radio would change stations independently. The contact stated that other electrical malfunctions occurred suddenly and intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the sunroof drains were clogged and caused the water to build up, which then caused the electrical shortages inside the vehicle. The contact learned that the failure occurred due to the ends of the drainage system for the sunroof being tapered. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 49,200. The VIN was unavailable.

• 10/21/2025· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera screen was black and there was no image displayed, causing a visibility hazard for the driver. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who indicated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V354000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 29,000.

• 10/19/2023· ENGINE

  Complete engine failure in traffic. Prior to vehicle stopping it did not give me any message that the vehicle was having a problem. The total milage on the vehicle is 21,908. Other than being told the engine has to be replaced, I have been given no information upon what cause the failure. All service requirements have been done timely. The failure occurred on August 25th and as of Oct 19th I have not been able to get an ETA on when the replacement will arrive from Germany. I was on vacation to Las Vegas when the incident occurred. The vehicle is currently located at Fletcher Jones Import 7300 W. Sahara Ave Las Vegas NV. First noticed engine with slight miss as I was 70 miles from Vegas. Miss got worst until I started hearing a rattle from passenger side of engine. At time it shut down I was in traffic at stop light in Vegas.

• 10/18/2024· UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCECrash

  On [XXX], after I purchased the vehicle on [XXX] from Mercedes Benz Midlothian with 57,000+ mile, this occurred. I was driving south on [XXX] near Fairfield VA, when the SUV started popping, with the roaring of the wheels. Then the vehicle started to slow down no matter what I did with the gas pedal. I then pulled over to the grassy area of the [XXX] , and the vehicle completed died - like a brick. The engine would not start up at all. Safety: The issues for me are the facts that I was traveling 1:45 minutes from my home and I was almost smashed in the rear-end by the traffic behind me - due to a vehicle that totally STOPPED on the highway with a speed limit of 70 miles an hours - without any warnings. I traded in a 2014 ML350 with 279,000+ plus miles and had no major issues with the SUV it was a charm. Now I am dealing with a HUGE issues after purchasing a 2021 vehicle [in three days]. I do not know what the problems are - as the dealership has not diagnosis the issues during this writing. There are no reports from the police, dealership, or manufacturers, insurance at this time of writing. The only warning lights that I was grant was the power of the SUV left the vehicle totally. Just ridiculous. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• 10/14/2025· POWER TRAIN

  Location: Dallas, TX – Woodall Rodgers Freeway near North Hall Street exit Mercedes-Benz USA Case #: 18469650 What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle’s 48-volt electrical architecture appears to have failed, specifically the DC/DC converter or Integrated Starter-Generator (ISG) that provides 12-volt power to all control modules. When this component failed, it caused a total loss of propulsion and electrical power. The vehicle is currently at a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Dallas and available for inspection upon request by NHTSA or Mercedes-Benz USA (case #18469650). How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While driving approximately 50 mph on the Woodall Rodgers Freeway with my family in the car, the vehicle suddenly lost all engine power and throttle response without warning. The accelerator stopped responding, and the engine stalled completely within seconds. I was able to coast partially onto an exit ramp, but once stopped, the car would not restart and could not be shifted into Neutral. We were stranded in live traffic with limited steering assist and no way to move the vehicle, placing my family and other motorists at serious risk of collision. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The vehicle is currently at a Mercedes-Benz authorized dealer, and the failure has been logged with Mercedes-Benz USA under case #18469650. Initial findings point to a malfunction of the DC/DC converter or 48-volt system. Full STAR diagnostic data and fault codes are pending. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? Mercedes-Benz USA has been notified and opened case #18469650. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership’s certified technicians and is awaiting official diagnostic reporting and possible engineering review through Mercedes’ Technical Assistance

• 10/11/2023· STRUCTURE

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that when the vehicle was powered on the interior panels did not illuminate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the control module needed to be replaced due to corrosion from a leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 18,500.

• 10/11/2021· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Issue-The car brakes aggressively using cruise control (Mercedes Distronic) with no driver intervention. This dangerous condition can cause an accident. Using my advanced cruise control…the issue is my set speed was changed along with acceleration or braking when a traffic sign is misread. I have turned off the only setting controls Traffic Sign Assist & Route Based Speed Assist but there is no change. Example of issue-My car was misreading 80mph as 60 & braking aggressively. .My prior 2020 GLE misread signs less often and did not change the speed setting or brake the vehicle. The Dealer applied all available software updates. After all the updates my car continues to adjust set speed to every misread traffic sign. For example recently I had my speed set at the posted speed of 80 and the car read a sign as 70, changed the 80 to 70, and started braking aggressively. In Idaho there are stacked signs-the upper one reads 80 and below “Trucks 70” so this happens about 50% of the time. The vehicle misreads signs often.

• 10/06/2025· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINEFire

  Not sure vehicle was parked and caught on fire from the drivers side completely burning

• 10/01/2021· EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that the rear brake lights did not function properly when the brake was applied. The contact was made aware of the failure when he noticed that after slowing down to stop, other vehicles from behind were stopping close to the rear of his vehicle. The contact tested the rear brake lights and noticed that they did not illuminate as soon as the brake pedal was depressed. There were also other failures where the tailgate would open about 6 inches and the moonroof would open about 3 inches inadvertently. The transmission also shifted inadvertently. After coming to a full stop, the Eco mode would engage and turn off the engine, but when the engine turned back on, the vehicle would shake abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that it was normal for the rear brake lights to not illuminate immediately when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 500.

• 09/20/2022· VISIBILITY/WIPER

  Wipers are not installed correctly on all 2021 GLEs on the 167 platform. Wipers make excessive noise and fo not effectively clean the windows. Dealer acknowledges the problem, states of is a common issue but has no known way to fix it.

• 09/19/2025· ENGINE

  I am writing to document a recurring and serious issue with the Mercedes-Benz GLE equipped with the M264 engine, specifically relating to premature cylinder head failure. In my case, the vehicle began showing the following symptoms: Rough engine idle and noticeable vibration during startup Loss of power, especially when accelerating Check engine light with fault codes related to misfire or combustion issues Oil and/or coolant loss, with no external leaks Engine knocking or ticking noises near the top end of the engine After a professional inspection and diagnostic testing, I was informed that the issue is likely due to a defect or failure in the cylinder head, possibly involving warping, cracking, or failure of the valve seats or head gasket area. Upon further research, I discovered that this issue is not isolated. Multiple owners of vehicles with the M264 engine—including various GLE, C-Class, and E-Class models—have reported similar problems, often occurring well before 70,000 miles and despite regular maintenance. The pattern suggests a possible design flaw or quality issue with the engine’s cylinder head. As of now, it appears no formal recall or technical bulletin has been issued by Mercedes-Benz regarding this specific problem. However, the number of similar reports suggests the issue is widespread enough to merit formal investigation or at least acknowledgment by the manufacturer.

• 09/16/2025· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  Engine light came on at 44K miles

• 09/16/2022· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  There is water ingress on the driver side front door/seat area. There are growing water stains and a mildew smell. We are concerned the water ingress could cause and electrical issue and fire.

• 09/13/2021· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  I was driving at full speed on the interstate (75mph) when the vehicle died completely. I had only seconds to maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder. There was no indication of a service issue with the vehicle prior to this incident. The car is/was approximately 2 weeks old, with about 500 miles of usage. Vehicle would not restart so I could attempt to get to a safer location.

• 09/08/2024· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  My 2021 Mercedes Benz GLE 350 got AC Conditioning Leak problem (blow hot air) , which could lead to a short circuit and even risk a fire. I checked with NHTSA recall history with this model, and found out 2020 and 2021 models had recall last year with AC issue, but my Vehicle was not included in 2023 recall (NHTSA campaign number: 23V-177). I believe manufacturer was aware of this model AC issue from manufacturing defect, but inappropriately set the range of recall. Please investigate this issue.

• 09/02/2021· POWER TRAIN

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE53. The contact stated that while the gear shifter was in PARK, the vehicle was still rolling. In addition, the vehicle failed to stay in reverse and in neutral. The contact mentioned that the parking brake was activated to keep the vehicle from rolling away. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they informed the contact that the vehicle was operating as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

• 09/02/2021· VISIBILITY

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that the sunroof abruptly fractured while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied. The fractured glass was retained by the sunroof cover. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 10,000.

• 08/17/2023· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE

  Purchased as a CPO directly from a local dealership. Vehicle has experienced multiple (10+), seemingly random failures of the Electronic Stability Control, Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and Active Break Assist under varied driving and weather conditions. On two separate occasions (one at 15+ mph and the other at 65+), these system failures were accompanied by a brief "limp mode" and immediate total loss of acceleration. The most recent loss-of-acceleration event occurred during lunch hour traffic on the highway, at highway speeds. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership to address these issues on 3 separate occasions. Visit #1: the communication fault codes were noted by the technicians, but they could not replicate the issues. The faults were cleared and the vehicle service was deemed complete. Visit #2 (3 days later and the first instance of acceleration loss): report from service department reads almost identical to that of Visit #1 except the notation that "...found several stored faults for communication with engine control unit." Again, the issues could not be replicated and the faults were cleared. Viewed as an unacceptable response by the consumer, the dealership retained the vehicle for further troubleshooting with the follow-on report noting, "Found no socket tension at Sockets 27 and 28 to PTCU. Removed and replaced sockets 27 and 28 at ME connector 6." The faults were, again, cleared and the vehicle was returned to the owner. Visit #3 (roughly 5 weeks after last visit and the second instance of acceleration loss, this time on the highway): The same complement of warning lamps illuminated, the car lurched, and there was zero acceleration. The vehicle was navigated to the highway's shoulder without incident and shut down. After 5+ minutes, the vehicle was restarted and acceleration functioning had returned. It was immediately driven to the dealership where it currently awaits repair.

• 08/17/2022· SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINECrash

  I can be driving on a flat surface with out the car been on eco mode and the car shuts off for no reason without and light on the dash board I have to wait a few secs to restart the car ,brakes don't stop like they should very loud grinding noise and comes. I have report this problem lots of times and my car was not fix it stay more in the shop then with me the car senc don't work the light up red like if someones next to me

• 08/12/2026· POWER TRAIN

  See attached letter for complaint

• 08/07/2025· FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  The car has stalled 4 or 5 times, while driving in traffic. This can obviously be life threatening. The check engine light came on yesterday. We recently brought the car to Mercedes Benz in Daytona Beach, Florida. They told us we had low pressure in the cylinders, and needed a new cylinder head for $10,000. The cylinder pressures on their test however were all normal. They never mentioned a recall for a fuel pump defect causing cars to stall. A local independent repair company confirmed the cylinder pressure test was normal. Mercedes recalled 324,000 vehicles for this defective fuel pump between 2012 and 2020 (abc news). They recalled over 143,000 vehicles from June 2021 to 2023. My model, GLE350, was included in both recalls. I called Mercedes customer service. They said my car was built in February 2021, and there is no recall for this vehicle. There have been recalls for defective fuel pumps from 2012 to 2020, and June 2021 to 2023. I strongly suspect my vehicle built in February 2021 has the same defective fuel pump. I will bring the vehicle to an independent well qualified service center. If they diagnose a fuel pump problem. I would like Mercedes to reimburse me for the repair.

• 08/05/2023· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE

  Driving down a multi-lane highway at 70 mph, a 48V battery malfunction warning goes off as well as the yellow check engine light. A few seconds later a ‘coolant’ error alert pops up. SUV loses acceleration with power dropping from 70 mph to 55 mph to 35 mph. Another message displayed on screen warning me to “Pull over and turn the engine off.” Narrowly missing being hit from the back, I was able to coast to an upcoming exit into a store’s parking lot before the car stalled completely.

• 08/04/2021· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE53. The contact stated the vehicle would not start. The contact stated that he was unable to jumpstart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also stated while driving the vehicle would misread speed limit signs on the road and would shift gears on inadvertently. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 4,800.

• 07/27/2023· ENGINE

  Cylinder head replacement

• 07/25/2025· POWER TRAIN

  Replacement of Cylinder Head (#1)

• 07/25/2023· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCECrash

  I reported multiple times to Mercedes USA that the vehicle was experiencing electrical issues as I was periodically loosing power and/or control over the vehicle. The vehicle was returned twice to the dealership but the problem always came back pretty much immediately. On the day of the accident, I was driving the vehicle on a straight road. The road was a little bit humid as it has been raining few minutes/hours before but it wasn't raining at the time I was driving. I was maintaining a speed of 55mph (speed limit on this portion of the road). The vehicle started to suddenly move by itself on the right side. A minute later, the vehicle moved a second time on the right without any apparent reason. The third time, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and made a sharp turn to the right. The turn to the right was so sharp that the vehicle made a 180 degrees turn and was projected on the side of the road. The vehicle stopped in a ditch and engine stopped. I wasn't braking or turning the wheel when the vehicle started to act-up. I didn't feel any movement in the steering wheel and I couldn't control the brake or direction. I restarted the engine and the brakes and directions were back up again. I contacted Mercedes who wants to inspect the vehicle but didn't set a date yet. Sheriff arrived on the spot less than a minute after the crash (was driving back home after his shift). He confirmed no collision with another vehicle, no marks of tires on the road, no standing water on the road or any other reason for the crash. No ticket was given to me by the sheriff.

• 07/11/2025· ENGINE

  On May 26, 2025, around 3:00 PM, I was traveling with my family on a bright and sunny day, with no rain for several days leaving the roads dry. As we were on I-35, I took an exit, and just a few seconds later, my 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 unexpectedly shut off, all the lights on the the dashboard lit up, and the vehicle came to a sudden and complete stop. Thankfully, this incident occurred on the service road rather than the highway, and we were at low speed otherwise it could have posed a serious risk to my family and me. Once the car stalled, both the steering and tires locked up. However the vehicle had power but would not start or move. As the same situation could happen to someone else which could put them at serious risk it might be in the best interest of Mercedes-Benz to research and fix this issue. I reached out for a tow truck, and the driver had to hook it up and drag my vehicle onto the flatbed. Mercedes-Benz service suggested a replacement of the engine and could not diagnose what the issue is. I have consistently performed the recommended maintenance on my vehicle since I purchased it, and it currently has around 63,000 miles.

• 07/09/2021· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE450. The contact stated while driving at various speeds the vehicle loss motive power. The 48V battery malfunction and coolant hot turn-off vehicle message were displayed on the instrument panel. The battery indicator warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with a software issue. The contact was informed that the software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.

• 07/08/2025· POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  While driving at about 55mph on road with one lane going each way, the car engine shut off, all instrument displays went off. There was no check engine light, warning or noise. I was almost rear ended by a car behind me. The car behind me swerved barely missing me, but almost hit oncoming traffic. Once car was on side of road it would not start. I tried to jump car battery with NOCO jump starter and it did not work. Instrument display did not come on, car transmission stuck in Drive. After testing battery with digital voltmeter it showed 12.6V, but car would still not come on nor would instrument display. Car had to get towed to dealer where it's currently at being diagnosed. This was very dangerous and could have been fatal.

• 07/02/2025· VISIBILITY

  The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was condensation leaking from a hole near the trunk release button onto the pedal and the floor of the front passenger’s side of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact believed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V177000 (Visibility). The vehicle was not diagnosed of repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,432.

• 06/26/2022· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  Car shut itself off in rush hour traffic. Slight Smokey smell. Dash light indicating a 48 Volt problem. Got vehicle towed to dealership.

• 06/25/2026· UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  While driving on the highway on three separate occasions the blind spot warning will pop up and show as inoperative, next the active break assist warning flashes as inoperative, and then the entire vehicle shows as inoperative and loses all acceleration and breaks down. This has happened three times. Stayed over night at the dealership they “drove it for 70 miles” it didn’t happen to them. They released the truck back to me saying it was perfectly fine. A day later it happened again while on the highway. Highly unsafe!