2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Complaint Log

The contact owned a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350. The contact stated that warm air was blowing from the A/C unit while activated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that a leak had caused the A/C unit failure. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The contact was informed that the HVAC system was inoperable and an estimate for the repair was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The manufacturer denied responsibility for the failure but offered a monetary credit towards the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later traded the vehicle due to the A/C unit failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000. The VIN was not available.

While driving at night all error light showed up. I slowed down to the side of the road and while I was slowing down the engine died. I tried to start the car which worked but when I pressed the gas the engine died again. Tried it two more times with the same results. Then turned the car and waited a bit with the engine running. slowly started driving and was able to get home driving 20 mph. The next day took it to a shop that said that the battery was weak and they replaced the battery. Drove out of the shop and started hearing nosies from the engine. Immediately came back and was advised to take it to the dealer. Towed it to the dealer that checked it and said that they found metal in the oil filter and that I need to install a new engine. I read online and found many complains about the same engine issue with 2021 Mercedes GLE 350. Mercedes refuses to take responsibility that they built a faulty engine.

The vehicle has repeatedly experienced a sudden loss of acceleration, entering a reduced-power state while driving. Most recently, this occurred less than one week after I was advised that the issue had been fully resolved through a relay replacement. Critically, these incidents have occurred while my [XXX] child was in the vehicle, creating an unsafe and unacceptable situation. Below is a summary of the work that was done to resolve the safety concern. October: Drivetrain/Powertrain control unit internal fault Replacement of gateway/powertrain control module Wiring, grounding, and software inspections November: Active Brake Assist, ESP, and voltage supply faults Failure of both rear wheel speed sensors Replacement of left and right rear wheel speed sensors December: Dealership identified a faulty relay as the root cause Relay replaced and vehicle returned to service January, the vehicle again lost acceleration. And now, again in February. The same loss in acceleration incident. At this point, the vehicle has demonstrated a pattern of unresolved, safety-critical electrical failures. Given the repeated nature of the issue, the prior replacement of major components, and the involvement of braking and drivetrain systems, I no longer feel confident that additional part replacement without corporate oversight will result in a safe or permanent resolution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

This is regarding a 2021 gle 350. The car was parked overnight and in the morning was unable to start or crank . I had to tow the vehicle to the service center that has maintained the car since purchased date and they told Me there’s a problem with the engine and I will need a new engine costing $28,000 dollars., the car has 42,000 miles and has an impeccable service history with Mercedes Benz. They did not tell me any specific engine part that’s faulty. There was no warning lights, check engine lights. Had I been driving this car and it happened it could have been catastrophic.

Sunroof makes loud, high pitched noise when it’s windy or driving high speeds. Sunroof complaints found online for bad seals or components of sunroof being bad or unaligned. Sounds could cause driver not to hear other safety issues with vehicle as well as leaking if water.

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.

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.

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.

There is a known issue with the Cylinder Heads on specific models of Mercedes vehicles. Symptoms of M264 Cylinder Head Failure If your GLE 350 is experiencing these symptoms, it may be covered under the extension: Check Engine Light (MIL): Often triggered by misfire codes. Rough Idle: Noticeable shaking or uneven idling when stopped. Loss of Power: Potential stalling or significant power reduction during acceleration. Low Compression: Diagnostic tests often reveal low pressure in one or more cylinders. This is not being addressed my Mercedes USA where Mercedes Canada has offered an extended warranty. Using social media I have comprised a list of over a hundred impacted owners. Many more exist. What this does is cost catastrophic failure of the engine leaving the driver stranded in whatever lanes they were traveling in. I am disabled and for me this created a life threatening situation. When reaching out to MBUSA the answer is simply "not warranty exists" where MB Canada has extended the warranty to an additional 15k miles from notice. My engine blew. The replacement cost is near $20,000 dollars. The mileage on my engine was 65k. Many others are impacted and a class action lawsuit is the only other course of action it seems. Regards, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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.

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.

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

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

Engine light came on at 44K miles

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Replacement of Cylinder Head (#1)

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.

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.

My Mercedes gle350 2021 is having a cylinder misfire. I had the repairs done last February. Carlton Mercedes acknowledged this is a known issue with this car. Did some googling and saw how big of an issue this is in this car. Repairs were made and now a year later cylinder misfire again! My neighbor has the same car but 2022 having the same issue currently. This needs to be recalled. Mercedes needs to be held accountable for this issue. It’s costing people anywhere from 7-15,000 dollars to repair and most of these cars only have around 50,000 miles on them! It’s insane!!

I was driving down with my wife at a street, 35 miles per hour speed and suddenly heard an loud Explosion above my head and my wife screamed and I suddenly applied the break to avoid an accident as luckily there was no other car in back and front. There was a sudden break applied and my wife's neck and back got hurt due to sudden break fear of explosion and got severe pain in her neck and back. I pulled over a side and found out that the glass panel burst and cracked all the way across my vehicle between sunroof and the windshield. Dealer said it is not under warranty even I still have warranty as my vehicle has only 36,000 miles and excellent condition and always dealer maintained. Dealer asking $2,700.00 to replace and fix. This is due to MB manufactures defect which I found out that it is prone to break due to poor design and might have caused accident if driving on freeway in speed as it scared the [XXX] out me and my wife while it exploded on top of our head. It happened to several cars and MB has not recalled yet and asking to pay $2,700.00 to replace and fix. Action Law Suit have been filed by others as given below for reference and help to get my vehicle repaired. (1) [XXX] (2) [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was jerking and bucking while attempting to enter a highway. The contact stopped and turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to drive the vehicle normally. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent and occurred at various speeds. The contact stated that she had observed the check engine light was illuminated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was blinking. The contact stopped and restarted the vehicle to reset the check engine warning light. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #2, and the cylinder needed to be replaced. The contact was advised by the dealer that the cylinder failure was a known failure by the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact initially stated that the air conditioner failed to function as needed and the vehicle was taken to dealer and was repaired. The contact stated that recently while driving 70 MPH, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that when the vehicle was restarted, the burning odor was coming from the floor. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with contaminated filters. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

Engine 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.

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

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.

1. Failed component/system. Primary issue is stalling under normal operating conditions. The vehicle is available for inspection. It is a 2024 Porsche Panamera. It is currently with the dealership at Chantilly. 2. The vehicle stalls while I was crossing a highway potentially leading to a collision. The second time it stalled my daughter was in the vehicle, which could have put her in danger and others on the roadway. 3. The dealership could not replicate the issue 4. The dealership will not have Porsche engineering try to identify the issue they are just stating they cannot replicate it while test driving. 5. There was no indication or warning light that stalling would occur. There were software issues that occurred as soon as I received the vehicle, which I had let Porsche know, and that was an additional malfunction which they have stated they have fixed. This would be the second time that they worked on this issue. I would like to note that I purchased the vehicle in November and as of November 22 Porsche has been in possession of my vehicle. They returned it on December 2 stating they had fixed all issues. On December 3 the dashboard warnings occurred again. Therefore, the car was returned to the dealership, and they have had it longer than I have. There is a lemon law in Virginia that states that the dealership has one attempt to fix a life-threatening issue. I believe this is a life-threatening issue that could injure or kill myself and or my family. I believe Porsche is not taking this seriously and because they can’t replicate the stalling, they would like to return the car, as is even though I experience two incidences of stalling across the freeway .

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

Currently unavailable camera view restricted” The message went away but I’ve noticed it appearing more often

On Thursday, [XXX], I called Mercedes Benz of Naperville at 7:23 AM, 12:34 PM and missed the call 3:03 PM. I reported Sandy in service on Thursday morning. That I smelt a burning plastic smell on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30PM. While picking up my grandchildren from their schools. I came home and parked my car. Later on, Wednesday night My Daughter drove my car and then told me. My car smelt of plastic burning. I call Mercedes Benz Thursday morning. I told them to send me a tow truck. My call needs to be towed into their service department. I ask to speak with Kevin. My service agent of Mercedes Benz service department. Sandy told me he was with a customer. I spoke to Sandy three times. I then went and checked my car for any. Displays on my car dashboard. There were no displays, and I started the car and let it run. I did not smell any burning plastic. On Sunday [XXX]. I drop my car to family dollars and return back home. I did not smell any burning plastic. At 3:04PM Stacy Wright and myself were driving on the way to a meeting in Naperville, Il. At 3:14 PM my car started smelling like burning plastic. At 3: 16 PM heavy black smoke was coming through the vent. I immediately turned left on [XXX] in front of White Castle and stopped the car. At this time the front engine of the car was on fire and the car was full of thick black smoke. I told my passengers on the passenger side to get out of the car and run. It’s on fire. I ran towards White Castle leaving my driver's door opened. I turned around to take a picture of my car on fire burning severely at 3:18 PM. Fire was coming from the front hood of the car. At 3:20PM. The car was engulfed in flames and burning the entire car. The Blue Island Police and Fire Department got to the scene of the fire at 3:18PM. To put the fire out. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Component: Faulty exhaust valves caused the vehicle engine to misfire while driving at high speed (80mph) and required cylinder head replacement. Available for inspection. I was driving through a heavy rainstorm at night on I [XXX] toward Roanoke on [XXX]. While I was driving at speeds between 80-84 mph during a work trip from Texas to Virginia, the vehicle suddenly started shaking vigorously and I was unable to accelerate over 50mph. No alerts came on my system dash nor the MercedesME app on my phone, however, I did notice the ‘check engine’ light suddenly came on. It was very shaky but I was able to continue driving at the slower speed and with the vehicle heavily shaking. The problem was inspected and repaired under warranty by Mercedes-Benz service in Alexandria, VA. Had the 2021 vehicle been out of warranty, the repair would have cost around $10,000 according to Mercedes-Benz service. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cylinder head replacement

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.

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.

We 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.

Many times while driving a warning pops up in the driver interface that the camera view is restricted, including an icon implying that the AEB system is "unavailable." Funny thing is there is never any obstruction of the camera that I can tell. So I told the service rep at the dealer, including showing him a pic of the error message and the repair order just said, "unable to replicate" with nothing done. So unusual that mine is the only Mercedes vehicle that does this! Also emailed corporate through the special purpose link on the website and got no response. I'm sure that Mercedes is working diligently behind the scenes to fix this problem because they value the safety of their customers so highly, but I just thought I would let you know as well.

When 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.

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