2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350

I keep getting coolant level low. I add coolant fluid into the tank and the warning message comes up again. I see no leaks under my vehicle so not sure if there’s a leak inside the tank itself or air leak somewhere but I’ve gotten that warning message about 10 or more times. Also as im driving the blind spot sensor just randomly goes off without a car or anything being next to me.

NHTSA ID

11753409

Incident

Jul 24, 2026

The a/c unit failed and is available for inspection upon request. Being in an over-heated car can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke. I was nauseous and dizzy while driving, putting myself and my passengers at risk. Upon taking my car to a independent service dealer, it was revealed that their is a leak and the evaporator must be replaced. It has not been inspected by a Mercedes dealer yet. No warning messages.

NHTSA ID

11748669

Incident

Jun 12, 2026

Water pool in passenger side of vehicle all into carpet and glovebox area

NHTSA ID

11746844

Incident

Jun 25, 2026

The engine in my 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 experienced catastrophic internal failure while driving. No warning lights or check engine indicators came on. Prior to failure, the vehicle began making a loud metallic knocking/rattling sound during acceleration, similar to “rocks shaking in a box.” Shortly afterward, the engine suddenly stalled while driving and would no longer run. The vehicle still had electrical power but the engine would not restart. The vehicle was towed to Mercedes-Benz of Las Vegas for inspection. The dealer diagnosed the engine as seized and documented metal debris in the oil filter and oil/metal debris underneath the vehicle, indicating catastrophic internal engine damage. The dealer stated that the engine replacement was required.The failed engine and vehicle are currently located at Mercedes-Benz of Las Vegas and are available for inspection upon request.The vehicle stalled unexpectedly while being driven on a public roadway, causing sudden loss of engine power and creating a potentially dangerous traffic situation. The violent shaking and knocking before failure also caused concern that the vehicle could lose control or stop operating completely in traffic, which it ultimately did. A sudden engine seizure and stall while driving creates a significant safety hazard because the driver may lose the ability to accelerate, maneuver safely, or clear traffic. This could increase the risk of collision, especially at highway speeds or in heavy traffic conditions. Mercedes-Benz of Las Vegas inspected the vehicle and confirmed catastrophic engine failure. The dealer documented that the engine was seized and that metal debris was found in the oil filter and underneath the vehicle. The dealer advised that the engine required replacement and provided an estimated repair cost exceeding $27,000. The dealer has not yet identified the root cause of the failure. No dashboard warning lights, oil pressure warnings, or check engine lights illuminated.

NHTSA ID

11740729

Incident

May 24, 2026

To Whom It May Concern: I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 and respectfully requesting review of a serious infotainment and electronic system failure that occurred at approximately 49,000 miles. Prior to the failure of the MBUX infotainment system, the vehicle began exhibiting abnormal electrical behavior. On multiple occasions, the right headlight remained illuminated even after the vehicle had been completely turned off and locked. The only temporary way to resolve this was to restart the vehicle and shut it down again. Shortly afterward, the vehicle displayed warnings indicating that the 12V battery was very low and required charging. Soon after these electrical issues appeared, the MBUX infotainment system became stuck on the Mercedes-Benz startup logo screen and has remained nonfunctional since. Although the backup camera still partially functions, the infotainment system itself will not boot properly or operate normally. The authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership documented the following diagnostic fault codes: • B14D913 – Internal hard disk malfunction/open circuit • B14F900 – Internal hard disk full According to the dealership service report, guided tests, MOST ring reset procedures, and hard resets of the control unit were all performed without resolving the issue. The dealership ultimately recommended complete replacement of the MBUX head unit at a very significant cost. This situation is especially concerning because the vehicle has relatively low mileage, has been properly maintained, and recently underwent Service B and 12V battery replacement through an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership immediately after the battery warning appeared. A major infotainment head unit/internal storage failure at this mileage is not something we reasonably expected from a luxury vehicle. While researching this issue further, I discovered numerous online reports from other Mercedes-Benz owners — particularly owners of 2020–2023 GLE models —

NHTSA ID

11739765

Incident

Apr 30, 2026

We were traveling to our son’s college graduation, driving on a rural interstate and suddenly all of the vehicle’s warning lights lit on the dash and the car started losing, and then completely lost power. The car was no longer operational. We were stranded on the roadside of a remote but busy 2-lane interstate for 2 hours until a tow truck could arrive and take the car to the closest car repair shop which was 45 minutes away. This was an incredibly dangerous situation and we were fortunate to be alongside the shoulder, although we were still close to the tractor trailers and cars on the interstate. (Because we were stranded in such a remote place, we had no other options to get to our son’s graduation. We were unable to attend because of this.) The rural repair shop the car was initially towed to could not determine the problem. A few days later we found a 2nd tow truck that agreed to bring the vehicle several hundreds of miles back to our home city. This car is a 2020 model, and has around 55,000 miles. It has been meticulously maintained by a certified Mercedes mechanic. There were no issues with the car and no indication that there might be a problem. Our mechanic has thoroughly inspected the vehicle and said that the engine has completely seized and the only option is to replace it. We have no idea why this happened. If requested, the vehicle is available for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11739738

Incident

May 13, 2026

I am submitting a safety complaint regarding my 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 due to what appears to be a significant air conditioning refrigerant leak. The vehicle rapidly loses refrigerant shortly after being recharged. When the system is operating, a loud seeping/hissing sound can be heard from the HVAC system area, followed by complete loss of cold air within a very short period of time. This issue appears to indicate a major refrigerant system failure and raises concerns about potential defects in the evaporator, condenser, hoses, or related AC components. The leak rate is excessive and ongoing. I am concerned this may be a broader manufacturing defect impacting other Mercedes GLE vehicles. The vehicle has been properly maintained, and the failure occurred under normal operating conditions. Given the frequency of similar complaints online involving Mercedes HVAC refrigerant leaks and evaporator failures, I believe this issue warrants investigation for a potential recall or manufacturer accountability. The failure impacts driver and passenger comfort and visibility in humid or high-temperature conditions due to inability to properly defog windows. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue for potential safety and defect trends affecting the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE platform.

NHTSA ID

11738600

Incident

May 17, 2026

Transmission keeps going into neutral when you put into drive or reverse

NHTSA ID

11737136

Incident

May 10, 2026

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.