2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 problems & reliability
51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE350, alongside 9 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 22, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 10 | 20% |
| Steering → | 10 | 20% |
| Unknown / Other | 9 | 18% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 8% |
| Engine | 4 | 8% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 8% |
| Power Train | 4 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 17 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 22 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 65,250 miles (middle 50% between 27,750 and 85,250 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving my 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350, the vehicle suddenly shut off and lost propulsion without warning. There was no check-engine light or other warning before the failure. The engine would crank afterward but would not restart, leaving the vehicle disabled. The vehicle has an open NHTSA safety recall…”
Steering · filed Sep 6, 2026
“At 72,000 miles the rear differential failed. Repair required else car could abruptly stop rolling, become uncontrollable and cause a serious wreck. The part is over $5,000”
Power Train · filed Aug 9, 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while opening the door, a cracked fuel injector was spraying gasoline. When the door handle was pulled, an aftermarket module ignited the fuel, causing an explosion and heavy smoke from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the vehicle had…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Apr 10, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
119 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The 10 most recent:
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…
LI46.35-P-067339 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 28, 2026
Complaint A popup is seen on the HU with the message "data connection temporarily not available". Potentially affected functionalities in NTG4.5, NTG5 1.Weather 2.Local Search 3.IP Radio 4.Send2Car 5.Speech Detection…
LI82.85-P-079087 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2026
Complaint Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors. Cause Under analysis. Remedy To narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • If the noise continues to occur even with the door trim…
LI82.62-P-078631 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2026
Complaint Mercedes-Benz USA is currently experiencing limited availability of transmission fluid specification ATF 236.17 due to a global supply constraint. 236.17 ATF 1L and 5L (PNs: A002989060312 and A002989060313)…
LI27.00-P-080840 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2026
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…
LI35.30-P-058566 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 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/…
LI33.20-P-078406 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 8, 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/…
LI33.20-P-078406 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 7, 2026
Complaint After successful commissioning of the HERMES control unit (N112/9) with XENTRY Diagnosis DVD 03/2026, the message "SOS - service not activated" appears on the instrument cluster. In addition, the following two…
LI82.85-P-080507 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 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/…
LI33.20-P-078406 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 2026
Complaint Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged. Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 16, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 has 9 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE350?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 65,250 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.