2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 4MATIC Owner Complaints

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

On multiple occasions, the vehicle has unexpectedly lost acceleration while driving. Specifically, while traveling on the highway, the vehicle will suddenly drop speed and fail to respond when pressing the accelerator. This creates a dangerous situation, as I am unable to maintain speed with surrounding traffic, increasing the risk of a collision. This issue appears to occur without warning and significantly impacts the safe operation of the vehicle. A sudden loss of power on a high-speed roadway is extremely hazardous and poses a risk to both myself and other drivers.

NHTSA ID

11721248

Incident

Feb 27, 2026

Panoramic sunroof exploded when I was driving not external force was involved to make the sunroof explode the sound was like a gunshot small particles of glass fell to my face

NHTSA ID

11718215

Incident

Feb 15, 2026

The MPH Sign Recognition mistakes 30mph when the sign reads 70mph.When the Cruise Control is set for 70mph the car begins to brake by itself thinking it is 40mph over the posted limit.This may cause a rear end collision. As a result I have discontinued using the Cruise Control to avoid an accident. This problem may exist on other late model Mercedes-Benz with the Sign Recognition option.

NHTSA ID

11704501

Incident

May 16, 2025

WHILE DRIVING ON AN INSIDE ROAD AT 35 MPH WITH NO TRAFFIC, THE CAR APPLIED SUDDEN BRAKES. MANY MESSAGES/SYMBOLS POPPED UP ON THE SCREEN WHICH I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE . CAR ALMOST CAME TO SUDDEN STOP AND IT CLEARED UP AGAIN WITHIN SECONDS AND CAR STARTED MOVING AGAIN. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO CAR OR THE DRIVER. AT HIGH OR IN TRAFFIC, IT MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE INSIDENT HAPPENED ON OCTOBER 28, 2025 BETWEEN 1:00 PM TO 1:10 PM.

NHTSA ID

11696337

Incident

Oct 28, 2025