2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 4MATIC

The vehicle was delivered to the dealer on July 13, 2026 at 33,360 miles with an illuminated check engine light. The dealer diagnosed intake camshaft timing faults and found pieces of the central valve screen in the engine oil filter. The camshaft bearing housing was replaced and the repair declared complete on July 15, but the check engine light returned the next day. On August 19 the dealer removed the cylinder head and found an internal oil passage that was restricted and clogged, which they stated may have caused insufficient oil flow and contributed to the camshaft timing failure. On August 24, Mercedes-Benz Engineering directed replacement of the complete engine. No replacement engine is available in the United States; one must be shipped from Germany, with a tentative arrival of October 19, 2026. The vehicle has been out of service since July 13, 2026 and is expected to remain out of service about four months. The engine is an M264 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder. Similar cylinder head and camshaft failures have been reported by other owners of this engine at comparable mileage.

NHTSA ID

11761182

Incident

Jul 13, 2026

The vehicle was delivered to the dealer on XXX at 33,360 miles with an illuminated check engine light. The dealer diagnosed intake camshaft timing faults and found pieces of the central valve screen in the engine oil filter. The camshaft bearing housing was replaced and the repair was declared complete on XXX but the check engine light returned the next day. After extended diagnosis involving Mercedes-Benz Engineering and a Field Service Engineer, the dealer removed the cylinder head on XXX and found an internal oil passage that was restricted and clogged. The dealer stated this may have caused insufficient oil flow and contributed to the camshaft timing failure. On XXX, Mercedes-Benz Engineering directed replacement of the complete engine. The dealer advised that no replacement engine is available in the [XXX] and one must be shipped from [XXX], with a tentative arrival of XXX. The vehicle has been out of service since XXX and is expected to remain out of service for approximately four months. The engine is an M264 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder. Similar cylinder head and camshaft failures have been reported by other owners of this engine at comparable mileage. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11761181

Incident

Jul 13, 2026

I get a message saying "Active Parking Assist and PARKTRONIC Inoperative See Operator's Manual" every time I start the car. Then when going through a car wash, PARKTRONIC cannot be switched off any more as part of the "Car Wash Mode" (that also folds the rearview mirrors and shuts the windows). So the car beeps all the way through the car wash. Then I get random alerts that there is a collision risk when I am parked, or driving at slow speed. It looks like there is a malfunction of one or more parking sensor. It is not too dangerous, just annoying, except when you are driving the car and getting surprising alerts for no reason. The make some jump every time and distracts me from looking at the road. This car has 35,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ID

11759746

Incident

Aug 7, 2026

My 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 unexpectedly braked on its own on two separate occasions while I was driving at a low speed, approximately 5 to 10 mph. There was no warning chime, no “BRAKE!” message, and no other warning immediately before the vehicle suddenly braked. One of the incidents occurred while driving through a drive-thru. The sudden braking was strong enough to jolt a properly restrained rear-seat passenger forward and caused discomfort around the waist area. I also received a dashboard warning stating “Active Parking Assist and PARKTRONIC Inoperative.” The vehicle was taken to an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership, where it was inspected, scanned, test-driven, and a software update was performed. The dealership was unable to reproduce the unexpected braking and did not identify a confirmed cause for the braking incidents. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request. I am concerned that this may be an intermittent safety-related malfunction involving the driver assistance, parking assistance, sensor, or braking systems because the vehicle applied the brakes unexpectedly without warning.

NHTSA ID

11758340

Incident

Jul 30, 2026

Catastrophic failure of the rear lower control arm. Complete fracture through its inboard mounting eye with no warning while my wife was driving the vehicle. The rear - passenger side corner dropped causing the vehicle to spin abruptly.

NHTSA ID

11752631

Incident

Jul 23, 2026

Windshield Wiper Collision & Breakage Issue Vehicle: 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 While driving in heavy rain with the windshield wipers activated, the left and right wiper arms move at inconsistent speeds due to uneven friction on the windshield. The two wiper blades repeatedly crash into each other during every sweep cycle. Constant hard impact from the colliding wipers eventually snapped one of the wiper assemblies. This creates a severe safety hazard: broken wipers cannot clear rainwater from the windshield, leading to drastically reduced forward visibility while driving. This is not isolated damage from misuse, accident, or aftermarket wiper parts. Factory OEM wiper linkage, motor limit calibration and weak wiper arm springs are the root cause. Multiple other GLE owners have reported identical wiper collision problems on vehicle forums and dealer service records, confirming this is a widespread manufacturing/software calibration defect of the GLE platform. No collision or rough handling occurred prior to the failure; the issue started gradually with loud clattering noise during rain, then progressed to permanent breakage of the wiper arm.

NHTSA ID

11748194

Incident

Mar 1, 2026

Make & Model: 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 Complaint Details: My driver side and passenger side , both sun visor’s factory plastic pivot hinge snapped apart under regular operation. The plastic arm split into two fragments, rendering the sun visor unusable — it droops down constantly and blocks part of my forward driving vision, creating a safety hazard while driving. There was no accident, no heavy items hung on the visor, and no forced or rough manipulation to cause damage. The original OEM pivot component is made of low-strength thin plastic with no internal metal support. Prolonged exposure to high heat inside the car from outdoor parking accelerated plastic embrittlement, resulting in early failure within just 2 years of vehicle ownership. This is a clear design and material quality defect from the manufacturer. The weak plastic pivot structure cannot sustain normal repeated folding of the sun visor. Photos of the broken plastic parts and the failed sun visor assembly are uploaded as supporting evidence.

NHTSA ID

11748190

Incident

May 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service brakes independently enabled. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped on a major interstate. In addition, several warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The following day, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle displayed phantom braking. In addition, the contact noticed an unusual tapping sound, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, however the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that the vehicle was at the dealer for twenty-one days. In addition, the contact was offered the option to trade in the vehicle. The contact stated In addition, the contact referenced an unknown recall which had a similar failure description, however the contact's VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 32,300.

NHTSA ID

11727908

Incident

Feb 27, 2026

Mileage

32,300 mi

Complaint During part of the steering movement, it feels heavier or more difficult to steer in the same spot every time. OR Rattling, humming, dry sliding/gravel noise from the electric steering system when steering (see attachment). Complaint does not impact the ability to safely steer or control the vehicle. Cause Ball screw drive (KGT) of electric steering damaged by: 1. External force due to: ‑ Hitting the curb/posts with the front wheels. ‑ Driving over obstacles (e.g. pothole/ threshold/ speed bump/ gully) at an inappropriate speed. 2. Corrosion/ water ingress through a damaged boot (see attachment). ‑ Cracks (1) ‑ High pressure cleaner (2) ‑ Animal bite (3) See various examples listed in the attachments for examples of outside influence. Remedy Remove boot clamps closest to steering gear housing on both left and right (as seen in "Steering Rack Boot Clamp Location"). Pull back boot and inspect for rust, broken end stops, water, or any other anomalies. Replace electric steering. Note: Steering gears replaced due to outside influence or damage must not be claimed under warranty!

Complaint Noise from front end thought to be from steering gear. Cause During diagnostics of a front end noise, workshop is under the impression the noise is coming from the steering gear. Remedy If the root cause of the noise cannot be found and is seemingly from the steering rack, perform the below LI's and diagnostics. If they have been performed and the root cause still cannot be determined, a TIPS case must be opened to the Body/Chassis/Entertainment team prior to replacing the steering rack. • LI46.35‑P‑067339 ‑ "Rattling, Humming, Dry Sliding/Gravel Noise When Steering" • LI46.35‑P‑071461 ‑ "Check Tie Rod Outer Joint of Steering Gear" • LI46.10‑P‑077391 ‑ "Knocking Noise In The Area Of The Steering Gear or Steering Column Tube When Braking Or Moving Off; The Steering Wheel Can Also Be Felt To "Crack"" • Remove boot clamps closest to steering gear housing on both left and right (as seen in "Steering Rack Boot Clamp Location"). Pull back boot and inspect for rust, broken end stops, water, or any other anomalies. Keep the boot clamps in case the rack is returned. • If the noise is described as "clacking" or "knocking" when moving the wheel back and forth in quick oscillations and the thrust element in the steering rack has NOT been checked yet, please perform a check and subsequent adjustment, if necessary, as detailed in AR46.20‑P‑0601ME. • Remove sway bar links and see if noise persists. • Perform NVH time‑domain noise diagnosis pointing to the steering rack as the root cause. The TIPS case must contain the following: • Video underneath the vehicle with clearly audible noise while engine is running. • Video inside the vehicle with clearly audible noise while engine is running. • Vehicle checked for history of collisions. • Vehicle history checked for other noise complaints in the area. • List of other checked components (suspension, drive line components, wheel bearings, etc...). • Along with the audible noise, does the feel/noise change through only a certain part of the steering arc sweep? • Provide the thrust element before and after readings.

Complaint Tailgate opens unintentionally. Cause Accidental or unnoticed activation of the button to open the tailgate on the vehicle key. EXAMPLE: when stored in trouser pocket, handbag etc. Remedy As of the 6th generation, the vehicle key can be recoded so that the tailgate no longer opens as a result of a long press on the button, but by double‑clicking on the button instead. This reduces the likelihood of the button being activated accidentally or unintentionally. The recoding can be carried out as follows: 1. Add SA Code O19 into VeDoc (O for Oscar, not "zero") • an XSS ticket may be necessary to add the SA code 2. Perform SCN coding of EIS N73 control unit 3. Deactivate the vehicle key (a successful deactivation is indicated by the LED lighting up 2x briefly and then 1x for a long period). 4. Place the vehicle key in the storage compartment on the key symbol and turn on the ignition. IMPORTANT: all other vehicle keys must be outside the recognition range of the vehicle when doing this! Perform steps 3 and 4 successively for all vehicle keys. Notes: 6th, 7th and 8th generation keys can be deactivated as follows: Up to modification year 22/1 by double clicking the "Lock button" As of modification year 22/1, by press and holding the “Lock button", then double‑click the “Unlock button" at the same time. On model series 167, the storage compartment with the key symbol is located in the armrest. The SCN coding from the EZS is only transferred correctly to the vehicle key under the following conditions: Only one vehicle key is located in the vehicle, this key has been deactivated and it is positioned on the marking in the storage compartment for the data transfer. The costs for this adaptation are to be borne by the customer. For the newer BR 174, 178, 244, 248, 520, and 540, a software update must be initiated, as there is no way to perform SCN coding.

Complaint Traffic sign symbol for "Traffic Sign Assist" is blinking in instrument cluster without obvious cause usually with one of the following scenarios: • Flashing without a speed limit ("‑ ‑"). • Flashing when current vehicle speed is under speed limit. • Flashing between US speed limit symbol and European speed limit symbol. NOTE: • Verify that the concern falls under one of the attachment videos. If not, then it is outside of the scope of this LI. • This also does not cover "Traffic Sign Inoperative" messages on the instrument cluster. Cause There are two identified reasons for this concern: 1. Country code information stored incorrectly at a particular geographic latitude range. 2. Incorrect reference data when the vehicle is started and a GPS signal is not immediately available. Remedy Update head unit software to latest version and the re‑check function in the same location. If vehicle is still exhibiting one of the symptoms as described exactly as in the complaint section or as shown in the video attachments, open a TIPS case to the Body/Chassis/Entertainment inbox with the following: • Video of the concern. • Exact location (latitude and longitude is best)

Dear Mercedes-Benz Owner: In our continuing efforts to ensure the proper performance of Mercedes-Benz products and to enhance the satisfaction of our customers, Mercedes-Benz USA is extending the warranty coverage for the Diagnostic Module for Tank Leakage Detection ("DMTL") on your vehicle from the original New Vehicle Limited Warranty of 4 years / 50,000 miles to 15 years/150,000 miles (whichever occurs first). This applies to the vehicle regardless of ownership. Why the Warranty extension? On certain Model Year 2018 - 2024 A / C / CLA / CLS / E / G / GLA / GLB / GLC / GLE / GLS / GT / S / SL Mercedes-Benz vehicles, under certain circumstances, the DMTL may trigger erroneous Diagnostic Trouble Code ("DTC") entries that may result in the illumination of the Check Engine Malfunction Indicator Lamp ("MIL"). Any repairs under this warranty extension must be performed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership. • If your preferred authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership performs a diagnosis and confirms that your vehicle has the issue, the repair will be covered under this extended warranty and performed at no cost to you. • This extended warranty does not apply to any other components or conditions beyond the ones mentioned above, and standard warranty terms apply, including the exclusions with respect to extra expenses, as identified in the Service and Warranty Information booklet.

Complaint 1. General Diagnostic Tips 2. One or More PARK Sensor Activations 3. Red Ring Around Vehicle 4. "Active Parking and Parking Assist Inoperative" on Instrument Cluster 5. Cameras 6. Other Park Topics. Cause Various root causes Remedy See attached diagnostic guide.