SUV, gasoline, built in United States. Owner complaints on file from Aug 4, 2021 to May 13, 2026.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24V-207 | Mar 15, 2024 | 48-Volt ground connection under the passenger seat may not be secured properly, resulting in the ground connection overheating | Electrical system | 116,020 | Repair or modification |
| 23V-445 | Jun 26, 2023 | Fuel pump may shutdown, which can result in a loss of drive power | Fuel system | 143,551 | Part replacement |
| 23V-177 | Mar 17, 2023 | Air conditioner drain hoses may have been incorrectly installed, causing water to drain into the passenger compartment | Visibility and wipers | 61,450 | Repair or modification |
| 22V-680 | Sep 12, 2022 | Due to a manufacturing error, the rear door window trim bars may detach | Structure | 161,000 | Repair or modification |
| 22V-365 | May 20, 2022 | Error in the communication module's SIM card software can cause a mobile network connection failure, disabling the emergency call (eCall) system | Communication | 242,722 | Software update |
| 22V-231 | Apr 8, 2022 | Ground cable bolt for the 48V ground connection under the front passenger seat may not be secured properly, which can cause the electrical cable… | Electrical system | 21,306 | Repair or modification |
| 21V-909 | Nov 19, 2021 | In the passenger-side footwell, the ground connection bolts for the electric heater may be improperly tightened | Electrical system | 17 | Repair or modification |
| 21V-832 | Oct 22, 2021 | Rear window may be insufficiently bonded to the tailgate, which could allow the rear glass to detach | Visibility and wipers | 23 | Part replacement |
| 21V-818 | Oct 18, 2021 | Seats may have been assembled incorrectly | Seats | 27 | Repair or modification |
| 21V-509 | Jul 2, 2021 | LED headlights may have been incorrectly adjusted during a vehicle repair | Lighting | 1,467 | Part replacement |
| 21V-354 | May 14, 2021 | MBUX multimedia system software may cause the display to remain black, or reboot after startup | Back-over prevention | 343,191 | Software update |
| 21V-288 | Apr 23, 2021 | Air conditioner drain hoses may have been incorrectly installed, causing water to drain into the passenger compartment | Equipment | 6,331 | Inspection |
| 21V-058 | Feb 5, 2021 | Software design of the communication module may fail to communicate the correct vehicle location for the emergency call system (eCall) in the… | Communication | 1,292,258 | Software update |
| 21V-057 | Feb 5, 2021 | Dashboard surface may not be properly secured to the base material | Structure | 8 | Part replacement |
| 20V-671 | Oct 30, 2020 | While buckling the seat belt, the middle seat belt buckle could be pushed down into the gap below the seat cushion | Seat belts | 55,326 | Repair or modification |
| 20V-089 | Feb 14, 2020 | Instrument cluster software may deactivate the illumination of certain interior switches (switch bar, overhead control unit, steering wheel) if… | Electrical system | 2,101 | Software update |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
16 complaints on file, page 1 of 1.
An authorized dealer returned a vehicle with loose hardware in a moving mechanical track, posing a risk of mechanical failure or distraction while driving.
NHTSA complaint 11737556According 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.
NHTSA complaint 11707885Engine harness wires insulation is falling apart very early after 3 years. It’s causing arching inside the insulation. Issues is from overheating and can cause a fire. Isolation needs to be upgraded and wire harness needs replaced.
NHTSA complaint 11645796Vehicle 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.
NHTSA complaint 11622517Purchased 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.
NHTSA complaint 11539114We bought this GLE AMG 63 new, it has only 1100 miles and we have had two 48 V batters replaced; they just towed it again to the dealer 22 March because it needs yet another 48V battery; the techs say it’s a design problem but there is nothing they can do except get “approval” to have the 48V battery replaced. It has also shut down while driving causing us to pull over on freeway; We don’t five it (1100 miles) because we are concerned about safety issues from the 48V battery failing at unexpected times; firs, overheating and battery coolant issues…etc. We believe this falls under the Lemon law and should be recalled. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your feedback.
NHTSA complaint 11513359When vehicle is driven 70 mph and above the drive side of vehicle is making a whilst noise by ear of the driver, that is coming into the car. The gas cap door is not sitting flush with the body of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint 11512252The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE53 equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: Sport Contact, Tire Size: 255/40/ZR21, DOT: (Unavailable). The contact stated that on several occasions while driving 30 MPH on wet pavement at low speeds, the vehicle started to shake, and a loud abnormal sound was heard in all four tires. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the tire assembly needed to be replaced; however, there was no repair for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.
NHTSA complaint 115047092021 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.
NHTSA complaint 11492402UNKNOWN
NHTSA complaint 11470877In the middle of driving it down the road when - without warning -- the instrument panel went black, the entire panel. My husband was on his way to the dealership to replace a tire when this happened. Though he was able to make his way to the dealer, we consider this event to be a serious safety issue, given that there was a partial power outage involving the components the driver relies upon to drive the car - for example, the driver's side instrument panel has indicator lights for the odometer, gas & oil levels and especially, the gear shift controls. My husband asked the dealer to look into the problem and was told a 10682 Electrical test was performed showing that the Head Unit had a fault. When tested again it showed no fault & no available software updates, so they cleared the Head codes and ran the test, which came up negative.
NHTSA complaint 11450003It is incredibly distressing to have experienced an issue that is widely reported in this database and online forums, and remains unaddressed by MBUSA. It also seems to be an entirely preventable issue that can be fixed via a software update. The issue relates to a malfunction of the 48V battery that made the vehicle inoperatable. It happened in the midst of winter and we would be been in a dire position if our family did not come to the rescue to pick us up. The vehicle had to be towed to a dealership. Here is the dealer summary: 48v software vehicle has no power, connected jumper, battery lights on in dash, towed into shop and connected battery charger, performed quick test, found codes in 48v- B183349 and B183371 , referred to Topic # LI54.10-P-069698 remedy #2, performed guided test for B1833349, as per guided test updated 48v software and commissioned, after completion vehicle started normally, performed extended test drive and multiple short test drives to verify vehicle now operating as designed again, lights no longer present in dash.
NHTSA complaint 11446422GLE53 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.
NHTSA complaint 11441783Issue-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.
NHTSA complaint 11436351The 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.
NHTSA complaint 11431452The 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.
NHTSA complaint 11427703Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall; the 60 most recent are listed.