2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 problems & reliability
61 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE350, alongside 7 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 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 vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown OR Other | 15 | 25% |
| Electrical System → | 12 | 20% |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 13% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 11% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 10% |
| Steering | 6 | 10% |
| Communication | 4 | 7% |
| Engine | 4 | 7% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 5% |
| Structure | 3 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 21 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 25,000 miles (middle 50% between 11,793 and 47,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Car took off after going over railroad track, and accelerated without driver being able to control it. The breaks and steering went out as well. It’s like car was being driven remotely. Crashed into fence, and there was no warning. The car accelerated. The car bounces back and forth when brakes are on, and again last…”
Service Brakes · filed Feb 13, 2026
“I purchased a Certified Mercedes GLE 350 with many advanced safety features. Including a SOS feature that allows I believe detects an accident and reports it to Mercedes as well as allows me to press the SOS button to manually contact Mercedes to report a need for help plus other functions. Thnis is a very important…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jan 2, 2026
“Panoramic sunroof suddenly exploded while driving. It was the rear section of the sunroof. There was a loud boom sound. There were no vehicles nearby kicking up rocks, etc. I jumped and screamed but managed to remain somewhat calm trying to figure out where the sound came from in the vehicle. I then realized it was…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Nov 30, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
116 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The 10 most recent:
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
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 headlamp…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
Complaint Headlamps leaking or fogged Cause The fogging of the headlamp is a natural phenomenon which can occur under certain climatic conditions. In contrast to a leaky headlamp, physical fogging does not result in a…
LI82.10-P-078307 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 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 headlamp…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
Complaint Headlamps leaking or fogged Cause The fogging of the headlamp is a natural phenomenon which can occur under certain climatic conditions. In contrast to a leaky headlamp, physical fogging does not result in a…
LI82.10-P-078896 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 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 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 has 7 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 2017 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 25,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.