2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450E 4MATIC

On XXX at approximately 8:45 am , at the Life Time parking lot, [XXX] the registered owner of the vehicle was slowly pulling the 2025 Mercedes Benz GLE 450 e into a parking space and was actively applying the brake as she entered the space. While she was braking, the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated forward. she applied the brakes forcefully and continued braking hard throughout the entire unintended forward movement in an effort to stop the vehicle. Despite her continuous braking effort, the vehicle continued forward, traveled across the raised concrete curb, through the landscaping and bushes, across the grass and paved pedestrian path and toward the wetland reed area. She ultimately brought the vehicle to a stop. The distance from where the unexpected acceleration began to where the vehicle finally stopped was subsequently paced off at approximately 15 yards (45 ft). after the sop a dashboard display was photographed showing the message :ATTENTION ASSIST-SYSTEM SUSPENDED. The photograph documents the message after the event; no conclusion is being drawn from that message regarding the cause of the unexpected acceleration. Photographs taken after the event show tire marks on the paved path, disturbed grass/landscaping, the vehicle near/over the concrete curb, debris /vegetation on the tire tread, the drivers pedal/floor-mat area, and the dashboard message described above. I have requested that Mercedes Benz preserve potentially relevant diagnostic, event, control-module and connected -vehicle data before it is overwritten or altered. I am submitting this complaint because the event warrants evaluation as a potential motor-vehicle safety issue. I am not asserting a specific technical cause. I opened a case # XXX with Mercedes Benz Corporate Customer Care Center in GA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11759950

Incident

Aug 24, 2026

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

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 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 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)

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.

Complaint Customer Complaint: - AC charging is not possible. - The departure time, charging pause, location-based charging or target SOC limit is automatically set to 50% or to a random value in the Mercedes me application or in the charging settings on the head unit display. (Picture 1 & 3) - Incorrect notifications appear in the Mercedes me application for charging-related functions. (Picture 2) Related DTCs in quick test: No related fault codes (DTCs) are stored in the relevant control units. CPC3 - N127 (Drivetrain control unit) OBL223_GEN4 - N83/11 (Alternating current charger for high-voltage battery) DCB223 - N116/5 - Direct current charge connection unit (DCCU) Picture1 The target SOC limit is automatically set to 50% or any random values during charging. Picture 2 Incorrect notification Example “Unable to unlock charging cable. Picture 3 Incorrect settings of charge interruption or pause. (If applicable) Cause - The Customer shares their Mercedes me credentials (password) with a third-party application, for example, a wall box application. This causes the Mercedes Benz backend server to receive random requests to reset the maximum SOC, departure time, charging pause, etc. - Charging settings are set incorrectly, for example, incorrect departure time, charging program, charging interruption/ pause, etc. Remedy The remedies below may vary depending on the customer complaint. Refer to the remedy that best matches the customer complaint. Remedy 1: The target SOC limit is automatically set to 50% or to random values during charging. - Change the Mercedes me login password on the Mercedes me homepage. (My Account > Login and Security > Reset). (Refer to Annex 1). Previously granted authorizations should then be revoked so that the charging settings can no longer be changed by external applications. Advise customers not to share the new password again. - Are there any sub-users? If yes, revoke their rights and reassess the function. -If differences between the vehicle and the Mercedes me app are visible, a new synchronization is recommended. Turn off Digital Extras through the Mercedes me app or the MMCR portal, and then turn the services on again. Remedy 2: Incorrect notifications in the Mercedes me app for charging-related functions. - Restart synchronization between the app and backend. Turn off Digital Extras through the Mercedes me app or the MMCR portal, and then turn the services on again. (Refer to Annex 2) Remedy 3: Incorrect charge interruption or pause setting. - Perform a factory reset of the head unit (A26/17). (Home > Functions > System > Reset), or turn off/correct all charging settings. (Refer to Annex 3) Additional Information: (Good to know) The LED on the charging inlet or socket indicates whether charging is completed or paused. 1) If the target SOC is reached, the charging inlet LED lights up Blue/Green without flashing. 2) If charging is paused, the charging inlet LED lights up orange without flashing. Additionally, the head unit charging settings display a charging pause. Note: Do not replace any hardware components for these complaints. If the complaint cannot be solved, please contact via TIPS or CAC.