There are 4 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Classin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The transmission does not shift from first to second and created several dangerous situations in whichI tried to enter the highway. I called the corporate headquarters to make a complaint and was sent to the dealership to file a lemon law complaint. The Transmission specialist at AAMCO said the transmission parts are in good shape, but the problem is that there is too much clearance between the transmission casing and the transmission parts. I told him that this is a defective engineering and these vehicles should be recalled. When I did further research, I found out that I was not alone and that this is a well-documented problem with the Mercedes transmissions. I am reaching out to this agency because I believe that this situation has created a dangerous problem that should be looked into. The following link details these defects. [XXX] The problem with why this has not been reported is that many people that on these cars do not want to look as though they cannot afford the car and just have the vehicle repaired. I truly believe that the government should look into this before someone is seriously hurt because I am not the only one that has had this experience. The repairs/corrections will cost me $7,900 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE550E. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, an unknown message was displayed. The contact pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to his residence. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was confirmed that no failure was found. The vehicle was then taken to Mercedes-Benz of Anaheim (5395 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92807) where it was diagnosed with a transmission fluid leak. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to House of Imports (6862 Auto Center Dr, Buena Park, CA 90621) and the transmission was repaired; however, while pulling into his driveway, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration and crashed into the garage. No warning lights were illuminated. No air bags were deployed. No police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE300D. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTARTED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 50 SECONDS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AT A DISCOUNTED RATE. THE CONTACT CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ OF FORT WASHINGTON AT 215-646-7700 (LOCATED AT 404 PENNSYLVANIA AVE, FORT WASHINGTON, PA 19034) WHO IN TURNED CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ OF ATLANTIC CITY AT 609-645-9000 (LOCATED AT 6623 E BLACK HORSE PIKE, EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ 08234) TO TOW THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5,000.
ELECTRONIC SHIFTER STAYS IN NEUTRAL AFTER TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE AND TAKING FOOT OFF THE BRAKE WHILE PARKING. THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW AND OFTEN CAUSES A DANGEROUS ROLLING CONDITION AFTER PARKING UNTIL THE DRIVER IS AWARE THE VEHICLE IS NOT STOPPED AND IN PARK. NO AUDIBLE ALERTS OR SAFETY WARNINGS ARE TRIGGED IF YOU DO NOT PRESS PARK. IN ONE CASE OUR VEHICLE ROLLED ACROSS A PARKING LOT CAUSING SERIOUS DAMAGE TOTALING $4,213.95 AND COULD HAVE EASILY KILLED SOMEONE.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026