2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450E 4MATIC

When operating at 65-70 MPH on a limited access highway and encountering a rough road surface, the vehicle seemed to rather dramatically "skip" to the side. The GLE450e moved laterally while maintaining the intended forward direction. During two of these events the vehicle departed the marked lane and in one of I had to immediately seize full manual control to avoid striking a vehicle in the adjacent lane. (In all events I was driving in the right lane.) This has occurred four times; three of the times adaptive cruise was set; one time not. In at least three of the cases the road appeared to have ripples in the asphalt. I am not sure of the road surface in the 4th case. Regardless, no "holes" were encountered. Notes: The date listed was the approximate first date of the described occurrence. This occurred in two states, OH and FL. There was less than 10,000 miles on the vehicle when the events occurred. A question: I wonder if the relatively great weight of the rear of the vehicle was a factor in these incidents. The battery is located rearward and the rear tires require unusually greater pressure -- much more than the front tires.

NHTSA ID

11747726

Incident

Dec 4, 2025

Shortly after we took possession of the car, I noticed that the warning that I was not holding the steering wheel would light up when I was holding the wheel with both hands in the 10-2 position. Flipping my fingers while continuing to hold the steering wheel was sufficient to switch the warning off. Also I was frequently being advised that the steering assist was inoperative and that the stop and go assist was inoperative. On August 21, 2025 when I was driving in I95, the various warnings described above appeared on the screen. The hands warning sign would not go off although I was holding the wheel correctly. A warning chime began and then a message that the system was initiating an emergency stop. I accelerated briefly and the warning disappeared. On August 28, 2025 I took the car to the dealer for assessment. I was advised that the car required a software update (Invoice no. 118573). I picked the car up on September 2, 2025. The following morning I received a telephone call from Mercedes Benz advising me that “Germany” had indicated overnight that the steering wheel needed to be replaced and I would be advised when that was available. I took the car back on September 11 for the steering wheel to be replaced. The previously described problems recurred other than the warning that an emergency stop was being initiated and I took the car back on December 12, 2025. Another new steering wheel was fitted. The problems persisted and the car was taken back. On this occasion a software update was performed. In late March 2026 when I was driving an a busy two lane road, the typical problems recurred but flipping my fingers did not work and the initiating an emergency stop warning appeared. Acceleration was not an option and there was no immediate place for me to pull off. I removed both hands from the steering wheel and the warnings disappeared. I regard these two emergency stop warnings as representing a significant safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11741555

Incident

Aug 25, 2025

This has happened twice. They “fixed” it and returned it to me and it did it again. I was about to pull out into traffic, once on the interstate and another time on a 2 lane highway… right as I hit the gas to pull out the car lurches forward and dies. Comes to a complete stop. It won’t crank back up, it won’t go into neutral or drive or reverse. The electoral system goes crazy and all lights start going off. One car had to go in the median to avoid colliding with me. I’m waiting on a police report but this was so scary I’m terrified to drive my car. The first time 4 weeks ago they said total electrical failure and fixed it. I drove it another few weeks and it did it again. The cop told me that I could have killed aomeone because when it stopped it didn’t even roll. The break was locked. We couldn’t push it out of traffic. We had to call a wrecker.

NHTSA ID

11718847

Incident

Feb 16, 2026

The contact owned a 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450E 4Matic. The contact stated that while driving on the right shoulder of a two-lane road at 30 MPH, the vehicle's front passenger-side wheel went off the road into a drop-off by a few inches. The contact attempted to overcorrect, and in the process, the vehicle flipped and rolled over five times before coming to a stop. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a local junkyard. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact received minor injuries all over their body; they were seated in the driver's seat. No injuries were reported outside of the vehicle. Medical treatment was needed for the contact's injuries. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

NHTSA ID

11662753

Incident

May 21, 2025

Mileage

10,000 mi

While using adaptive cruise control, the car automatically applies brake in full force eventhough there is no object in front of the car. Almost cause couple accidents where there are cars behind me. This happened multiple times in one trip (500 miles trip)

NHTSA ID

11658349

Incident

May 1, 2025

When accelerating in hybrid mode, the vehicle loses power and forcefully reduces speed. A "Performance extremely limited" message appears on the driver console. Sometimes it goes into "turtle" mode, limiting performance until the car it is turned off. Sometimes the "check engine" light comes on, with or without the "turtle" light. This is a safety issue when you are trying to accelerate onto a highway and the car reduces speed, thus increasing the risk of being rear-ended in heavy traffic. There are times when the car loses power and there is no emergency lane to move into. The car has been taken to the dealership's service department multiple times and the issue has been confirmed. They tried updating the software but it did not resolve the issue. This occurred for the first time about 4 months after purchasing the new vehicle. It had 3500 miles on it. There are many reports of this happening to others. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11656939

Incident

Jan 28, 2025

The vehicle loses power while driving and flashes "Performance Extremely Limited." We have had this happen in intersections and while getting on the highway almost causing an accident on more than one occasion. When this occurs the vehicle decelerates quickly, will not use the batter and basic functions like the air conditioning stop working.

NHTSA ID

11656431

Incident

Jan 27, 2025

Coolant hose was rubbing on the drive shaft and at 4,931 miles the coolant hose failed and the vehicle lost all coolant from the system. Fortunately the hose failed after the car was driven into our garage and not on the open highway. We had just returned from a 1,000 mile trip to Nashville, TN from Winston-Salem, NC. This is a PHEV and the coolant also effects the temperature of the EV batteries. This was a improper installation of the coolant hose. I have attached a picture that I took of the hose showing the rubbing on the drives shaft. I have also included a copy of the repair to the car that is properly installed. The repair was done under warranty. The vehicle had to be towed and according to Mercedes service department was not drivable even though the EV battery was fully charged.

NHTSA ID

11654267

Incident

Apr 5, 2025

Complaint CEL light on with no drivability concerns. Cause Signal timing error. Remedy 167, 465: SW has been released. Update the FSAM to the latest SW version. 290, 118, 243, 247: Software is still in development. This fault code does not cause a drivability concern and will clear itself within 2-3 key cycles. The vehicle can be released back to the customer.

Complaint Noise from front end attributable to steering gear. Cause During diagnostics of a front end noise, workshop is under the impression the noise is coming from the steering gear. Remedy Workshop diagnostics point to the steering gear as the root cause of the noise and the below LI's and items have been ruled out. • LI46.35-P-067339 - "Rattling or Humming 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"" • If the noise is described as "clacking" or "knocking" 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. If the above has been completed and the noise is still present, please continue with the below: • Video underneath the vehicle with clearly audible noise. • Video inside the vehicle with clearly audible noise. • Vehicle checked for history of collisions. • List of other checked components (suspension, drive line components, wheel bearings, etc...). • Check integrity of dust boots and dust boot clamps. Ensure no water has entered into the steering rack. • 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. If the above is completed and no findings are noted, please open a TIPS case to the Body/Chassis/Entertainment inbox.

Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The noise is heard once in each instance when changing direction of travel. Note: Sound file in attachment Cause If the complaint is eliminated by experimentally loosening the outboard collar nut (by 1 turn), the problem is due to cracking of the microweld between the wheel bearing inner race and the joint housing of the side shaft. Note: The collar nut must always be replaced after being loosened. See also LI33.20-P-078406 Remedy Coat contact surface of side shaft with wheel bearing with Molykote paint. To do this, proceed as follows: 1. Remove side shafts 2. Clean contact surface A (see image file in attachment "Outer joint housing before") before coating with Molykote, using "spirit" (free of dust and grease) 3. Coat contact surface A (see image file in attachment "Outer joint housing after") with Molykote and leave to dry for "one hour" in removed condition 4. Reinstall side shafts Note: Before using the antifriction coating (Molykote), stir it or shake it thoroughly for (at least 1 minute).

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 Do not replace parts. Please open a TIPS case to the Body/Chassis/Entertainment inbox but read the below carefully: • The vehicle must be exhibiting the concern as shown in the attachment videos. • The vehicle DOES NOT need to be at the dealer, nor does it need to be brought into the dealership. • If the geographic location is known, it is very important that it is provided. • Provide any pictures or videos, if available. A new software for the head unit is scheduled for tentative release in Q3 2026.

Complaint Creaking noise, in irregular sequence when driving slowly in combination with slight steering movements and/or Creaking/crackling noises from the area of the wheel bearing on the front axle when cornering/ maneuvering. Sound file attached for comparison. MUST match noise for proper diagnosis. NOTE: Steering functionality is not affected. Cause Contact area between wheel bearing and steering knuckle. See also: LI35.30-P-058566 (Throttle Lift-Off Noise - Rear) LI33.30-P-056665 (Throttle Lift-Off Noise - Front) LI40.10-P-059248 (Wheel cracking noise when cornering) Remedy 1. Perform Operation A and evaluate by testing vehicle. 2. If noise is still present after re-testing: • If 192/232 chassis, verify FIN is in the listed range below in "Operation B" and perform. • If not 192/232 chassis or vehicle is a 192/232 not in the listed FIN range, additional verifications of where the noise is coming from are needed. Use multiple channel NVH method to narrow down location. Verify the LI's listed above were completed or if there are other similar noises associated with the chassis (Example: 192/232 also has under panel noises and an associated LI). Operation A: 1. Clean contact surfaces of wheel bearing and steering knuckle with brake cleaner as seen in the attached pictures. NOTE: The front area of the wheel bearing and the seals must not come into contact with the cleaner, otherwise, the sealing rings will be damaged. 2. Clean threads of wheel bearing mounting. 3. Thinly coat contact surfaces of wheel bearing, steering knuckle, and axle mating face with Molykote (annular joint grease). See the attached steering knuckle and wheel hub pictures for reference. NOTE: Axle mating face greasing is also covered in LI35.30-P-058566 and LI33.30-P-056665. Operation B (Only applies to 192 and 232 in listed FIN range): Only affects vehicles up to FIN end number: • Model series 192: xxx xxx xx 002 876 • Model series 232: xxx xxx xx 022 312 1. Replace steering knuckle. 2. Wheel bearings do not need to be replaced.

Complaint Radio station cover art does not refresh when switching stations. The UI continues to show the old station’s artwork instead of updating to the new one. Cause When a new station change request is triggered, a temporary glitch is causing the Head Unit application to fail to overwrite the previous request. This glitch is causing the cover art mismatch in the Radio application. Remedy Please do not replace any parts. The E505.9 software is released and available in XENTRY Q3 2026.