2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 4MATIC Problems

I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding my 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350, which has experienced multiple incidents of sudden, unintended automatic braking while driving, despite no vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles being present ahead. During one particularly dangerous incident, I was traveling on the expressway when the vehicle unexpectedly applied its brakes aggressively and came to a sudden stop without any braking action initiated by me. This created an extremely dangerous situation and placed me and other motorists at risk of a serious collision. This was not an isolated incident. The vehicle has unexpectedly applied its brakes on multiple occasions under circumstances where braking was not necessary. The vehicle is currently at Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates, where the dealership performed a software update during the October 2026 service visit to address the unexpected braking concern. However, I have not received sufficient documentation explaining the cause of the malfunction or how the dealership verified that the issue has been permanently corrected. During this same service visit, the dealership also identified significant front brake pad wear, measuring approximately 2–3 mm, at 32,042 miles. I have requested clarification regarding whether the repeated unintended braking could have contributed to the brake wear. The dealership maintains that the braking components are operating correctly and that the brake replacement is normal maintenance. I am concerned that the vehicle's automatic braking system may present an ongoing safety risk. I am requesting that NHTSA review these incidents and determine whether further investigation into a potential vehicle safety defect is warranted.

I own a 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE purchased new (delivered Nov 3, 2024). The vehicle has a recurring transmission/powertrain problem: (1) when I suddenly press the accelerator down hard , including fully, there is a delay of about 1–2 seconds before the vehicle accelerates, followed by a sudden surge; (2) harsh, jerking downshifts, for example 5th to 4th gear below 40 mph, and jerking when slowing from 40 to 20 mph or accelerating from 50 to 70 mph. SAFETY CONCERN: On multiple occasions on the highway, when I tried to merge into an adjacent lane and pressed the accelerator harder, the vehicle did not respond for approximately 2 seconds and then suddenly accelerated. A vehicle behind me nearly collided with mine. I cannot reasonably predict when the vehicle will start accelerating or how strongly, which makes merging and passing unsafe. The same delay of about 2 seconds also occurs when I accelerate at full throttle. In an emergency, where I need to accelerate immediately to avoid a hazard, this delay could prevent me from escaping the danger. I have taken the vehicle to the authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer four times for this problem: 9/9/2025 (9,583 miles), 8/5/2026 (18,568 miles), 8/6/2026 (18,579 miles) and 9/11/2026 (19,704 miles). On 8/6–8/7/2026 the dealer verified a harsh 5-4 downshift and performed transmission adaptations, and attributed the acceleration delay to slow downshifting in Comfort mode. On 9/11/2026 I reported that both problems were still present; the dealer could not duplicate the harsh downshift and deemed the lag normal. The problem has not been fixed.

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.

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)

I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding my 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350, which has experienced multiple incidents of sudden, unintended automatic braking while driving, despite no vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles being present ahead. During one particularly dangerous incident, I was traveling on the expressway when the vehicle unexpectedly applied its brakes aggressively and came to a sudden stop without any braking action initiated by me. This created an extremely dangerous situation and placed me and other motorists at risk of a serious collision. This was not an isolated incident. The vehicle has unexpectedly applied its brakes on multiple occasions under circumstances where braking was not necessary. The vehicle is currently at Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates, where the dealership performed a software update during the October 2026 service visit to address the unexpected braking concern. However, I have not received sufficient documentation explaining the cause of the malfunction or how the dealership verified that the issue has been permanently corrected. During this same service visit, the dealership also identified significant front brake pad wear, measuring approximately 2–3 mm, at 32,042 miles. I have requested clarification regarding whether the repeated unintended braking could have contributed to the brake wear. The dealership maintains that the braking components are operating correctly and that the brake replacement is normal maintenance. I am concerned that the vehicle's automatic braking system may present an ongoing safety risk. I am requesting that NHTSA review these incidents and determine whether further investigation into a potential vehicle safety defect is warranted.

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.

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.

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.

I own a 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE purchased new (delivered Nov 3, 2024). The vehicle has a recurring transmission/powertrain problem: (1) when I suddenly press the accelerator down hard , including fully, there is a delay of about 1–2 seconds before the vehicle accelerates, followed by a sudden surge; (2) harsh, jerking downshifts, for example 5th to 4th gear below 40 mph, and jerking when slowing from 40 to 20 mph or accelerating from 50 to 70 mph. SAFETY CONCERN: On multiple occasions on the highway, when I tried to merge into an adjacent lane and pressed the accelerator harder, the vehicle did not respond for approximately 2 seconds and then suddenly accelerated. A vehicle behind me nearly collided with mine. I cannot reasonably predict when the vehicle will start accelerating or how strongly, which makes merging and passing unsafe. The same delay of about 2 seconds also occurs when I accelerate at full throttle. In an emergency, where I need to accelerate immediately to avoid a hazard, this delay could prevent me from escaping the danger. I have taken the vehicle to the authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer four times for this problem: 9/9/2025 (9,583 miles), 8/5/2026 (18,568 miles), 8/6/2026 (18,579 miles) and 9/11/2026 (19,704 miles). On 8/6–8/7/2026 the dealer verified a harsh 5-4 downshift and performed transmission adaptations, and attributed the acceleration delay to slow downshifting in Comfort mode. On 9/11/2026 I reported that both problems were still present; the dealer could not duplicate the harsh downshift and deemed the lag normal. The problem has not been fixed.

I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding my 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350, which has experienced multiple incidents of sudden, unintended automatic braking while driving, despite no vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles being present ahead. During one particularly dangerous incident, I was traveling on the expressway when the vehicle unexpectedly applied its brakes aggressively and came to a sudden stop without any braking action initiated by me. This created an extremely dangerous situation and placed me and other motorists at risk of a serious collision. This was not an isolated incident. The vehicle has unexpectedly applied its brakes on multiple occasions under circumstances where braking was not necessary. The vehicle is currently at Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates, where the dealership performed a software update during the October 2026 service visit to address the unexpected braking concern. However, I have not received sufficient documentation explaining the cause of the malfunction or how the dealership verified that the issue has been permanently corrected. During this same service visit, the dealership also identified significant front brake pad wear, measuring approximately 2–3 mm, at 32,042 miles. I have requested clarification regarding whether the repeated unintended braking could have contributed to the brake wear. The dealership maintains that the braking components are operating correctly and that the brake replacement is normal maintenance. I am concerned that the vehicle's automatic braking system may present an ongoing safety risk. I am requesting that NHTSA review these incidents and determine whether further investigation into a potential vehicle safety defect is warranted.

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.

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.