SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450E 4MATIC
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450E 4MATIC, most frequently naming the airbags and electrical categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 41 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 2 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Airbags150.0%
- Electrical150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
2 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govAIR BAGS:PASSENGER SIDE FRONTAL:CUSHION
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Air conditioning system blows very warm air constantly , non stop, at start up when parked under sun, afternoons, even with thermostat settings to low/cool. Restarting engine, still same issue.
- NHTSA ID
- 11751982
- Incident
- Jul 17, 2026
I am a consumer protection attorney representing Ms. [XXX] . This vehicle was sold to my client with an open safety recall and the dealership refuses to take it back without imposing onerous terms. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- NHTSA ID
- 11735126
- Incident
- Apr 9, 2026
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
STEERING
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!
STEERING
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; STRUCTURE:BODY
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.