2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 88 owner complaints about the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE, or 15.5 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.37, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #34 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Mercedes-Benz models its rate is 52% higher; against other Luxury SUVs it is about the same.
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 2020-12-20 and 2026-08-12. Median delay from incident to filing: 10 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 18.4 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 15.0 per year, about the same. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 27 complaints, 56% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (43.2% of complaints), followed by Electrical (15.9%) and Body & structure (11.4%). Engine complaints are 1.9 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Engine reports, owners most often mention “cylinder head”, “engine”, “light”, “battery malfunction” and “misfire”. 6 reports (6.8%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 6 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 44 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (41% of incidents). In the last 12 months 28 new complaints were filed, versus 18 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.37
- vs. other Mercedes-Benz models1.52
- vs. other 2021 models0.41
- vs. other Luxury SUVs1.03
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (27)0.44
- #34 of 85 · 2021Rankings ›
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
Engine · Common terms in reports
- cylinder head9
- engine24
- light19
- battery malfunction3
- misfire6
- check12
Electrical · Common terms in reports
- battery7
- electrical5
- unit3
- needs4
- shift3
- causing4
Body & structure · Common terms in reports
- sunroof4
- caused3
- due3
Problem areas: Engine · Electrical · Body & structure · Interior & equipment
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 3
- Fires reported: 3
- Injuries: 6
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 44 months
What owners report
I purchased my vehicle 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 from Mercedes Dealership in Ontario, and had it for only about 4 months before it catching on fire while parked at the doctors office. I purchased it [XXX], and it caught fire on [XXX] while at the doctors.
Not sure vehicle was parked and caught on fire from the drivers side completely burning
2021 GLE350 - [VIN] purchased December 30, 2024 with 35,000. miles. Current milage 61,933. There is a critical electrical/software defect in the MBUX system which has completely blacked out.
While driving on the highway on three separate occasions the blind spot warning will pop up and show as inoperative, next the active break assist warning flashes as inoperative, and then the entire vehicle shows as inoperative and loses all acceleration and…
2021 mercedes-benz gle 350 w. Aprox: 30,000 miles. Purchased the vehicle 3 years ago, when it had 17,000 miles on it. When driving at times the passenger rear shock will start making sqeaking / creaking noises. Been like this for almost 1 year now.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2021 · Luxury SUVs
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Lexus NX | 17 | 3.0 | 0.07 |
| 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC | 63 | 11.1 | 0.26 |
| 2021 Lexus RX | 70 | 12.3 | 0.29 |
| 2021 Audi Q7 | 71 | 12.5 | 0.3 |
| 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE | 88 | 15.5 | 0.37 |
| 2021 Audi Q5 | 99 | 17.5 | 0.42 |
| 2021 BMW X5 | 103 | 18.2 | 0.43 |
| 2021 BMW X3 | 106 | 18.7 | 0.44 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE?
88 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE, or about 15.5 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE?
The most common category is Engine, accounting for 43.2% of complaints.
Does the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE have any recalls?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Is the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 28 new complaints were filed, versus 18 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
How does the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 88 owner complaints about the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE, or 15.5 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.37, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #34 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Mercedes-Benz models its rate is 52% higher; against other Luxury SUVs it is about the same.