2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 56 owner complaints about the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE, or 6.4 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.16, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #8 of 76 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Mercedes-Benz models its rate is 35% lower; against other Luxury SUVs it is 55% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2017-11-04 and 2026-06-22. Median delay from incident to filing: 10 days.
Analysis
The following model year (2019) drew 4.4 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2018 model collected 12 complaints, 86% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Electrical (21.4% of complaints), followed by Transmission / powertrain (17.9%) and Brakes (12.5%). 9 reports (16.1%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 6 injuries and 1 death.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 59 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (46% of incidents). 7 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (defect petition, opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.16
- vs. other Mercedes-Benz models0.65
- vs. other 2018 models0.14
- vs. other Luxury SUVs0.45
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (12)0.14
- #8 of 76 · 2018Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Engine · Electrical · Body & structure · Unspecified or other · Transmission / powertrain
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 8
- Fires reported: 1
- Injuries: 6
- Deaths: 1
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 59 months
What owners report
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC; Case: XXX My concerns has been denied and overlooked by Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC multiple times since Jan 2026--interims of defective electric system causing sudden locking of steering wheel and shut down car , due to malfunctioning…
The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a pharmacy parking lot with the hold feature engaged, the driver released the brake pedal.
Rear view camera fails to initiate when placed in reverse. Screen doesn’t even try to switch to camera view. Exact same issue found in same make and model recalled with different vins. For some reason this one isn’t included in the recall.
The low beam visibility on this vehicle is extremely dangerous. It's as if you have no headlights on. They can inspect anytime. With low night visibility. Driver is not able to see the road or person which causes a delayed response because of visibility.
Owners of affected Mercedes-Benz vehicles were given no meaningful advance warning that core, built-in safety and emergency communication systems would be permanently disabled.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2018 · Luxury SUVs
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Lexus NX | 26 | 3.0 | 0.07 |
| 2018 Lexus RX | 47 | 5.3 | 0.13 |
| 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE | 56 | 6.4 | 0.16 |
| 2018 BMW X5 | 72 | 8.2 | 0.2 |
| 2018 BMW X3 | 76 | 8.6 | 0.21 |
| 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC | 99 | 11.3 | 0.28 |
| 2018 Audi Q7 | 143 | 16.3 | 0.4 |
| 2018 Acura MDX | 170 | 19.3 | 0.48 |
| 2018 Audi Q5 | 207 | 23.6 | 0.58 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds Closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…