Complaints by model year
Each bar is one model year. The most recent years are still collecting complaints.
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026
Year by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 GLE | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 GLE | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 GLE | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 GLE | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 GLE | 4 | 0 |
A model year gets its own page when it has enough data for at least three sections
Most common problems
- Unknown or other2
- Structure2
- Electrical system2
- Vehicle speed control1
- Steering1
- Power train1
- Fuel/propulsion system1
- Exterior lighting1
NHTSA ODI complaints, all model years
Crash-test ratings by year
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 model-year variants; 1 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Year | Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE SUV N/A AWD | ★★★★★ | 15.5 % |
| 2024 | 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE PHEV SUV AWD | — | 0.0 % |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption by year
Official Canadian test results for 3 model years, best variant per year. Combined consumption ranges from 9.2–13.5 L/100 km.
| Year | Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | GLE 550 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 15.2 | 11.4 | 13.5 |
| 2017 | GLE 550 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 15.3 | 11.3 | 13.5 |
| 2016 | GLE 350d 4MATIC · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Diesel | 10.1 | 8.0 | 9.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
In New Zealand
2,986 GLE cars are on the New Zealand register; 5% arrived as used imports.
| Model year | Registered | Sold new in NZ | Used imports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 167 | 167 | 0 |
| 2025 | 186 | 185 | 1 |
| 2024 | 219 | 219 | 0 |
| 2023 | 191 | 191 | 0 |
| 2022 | 352 | 346 | 4 |
| 2021 | 365 | 351 | 8 |
| 2020 | 301 | 281 | 16 |
| 2019 | 217 | 206 | 10 |
| 2018 | 233 | 216 | 10 |
| 2017 | 274 | 244 | 28 |
| 2016 | 359 | 290 | 51 |
| 2015 | 122 | 109 | 9 |
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
In the Netherlands
9,745 GLE cars are on Dutch roads; 66% arrived later as imports, and 3,946 still have a recall open. Open a year for APK defects, odometer checks and colours.
| First registered | On the road | Median list price |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 522 | €136,338 |
| 2025 | 1,054 | €135,717 |
| 2024 | 940 | €124,291 |
| 2023 | 746 | €116,170 |
| 2022 | 1,154 | €107,265 |
| 2021 | 1,735 | €105,518 |
| 2020 | 972 | €124,479 |
| 2019 | 481 | €121,947 |
| 2018 | 356 | €126,298 |
| 2017 | 595 | €118,847 |
| 2016 | 830 | €116,452 |
| 2015 | 360 | €111,702 |
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles (CC0) · list price is the manufacturer's catalogue price when new
In Finland
1,012 GLE cars were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026: 34% petrol, 66% diesel; 79% of all are hybrids. Mileage is the odometer reading at the last inspection.
| First registered | In use | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27 | — |
| 2024 | 32 | — |
| 2023 | 54 | 41,000 km |
| 2022 | 178 | 79,000 km |
| 2021 | 304 | 89,000 km |
| 2020 | 175 | 98,000 km |
| 2019 | 14 | 133,000 km |
| 2018 | 17 | 119,000 km |
| 2017 | 55 | 161,000 km |
| 2016 | 108 | 199,000 km |
| 2015 | 48 | 191,000 km |
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use, 30 Jun 2026 · CC BY 4.0
Road collisions in Great Britain
From 2021 to 2025, 508 GLE cars were involved in road collisions in Great Britain that injured someone and were reported to the police. 5 of those collisions were fatal and 103 caused serious injuries. As with any count, models with more cars on British roads appear more often.
| Year | Cars in injury collisions | Fatal | Serious |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 127 | 1 | 24 |
| 2024 | 86 | 3 | 20 |
| 2023 | 94 | 0 | 16 |
| 2022 | 114 | 1 | 25 |
| 2021 | 87 | 0 | 18 |
Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data 2021–2025 · Open Government Licence v3.0 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
39,514 GLE cars were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, by year of manufacture.
| Built | Licensed | Off the road (SORN) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,739 | 22 |
| 2024 | 3,042 | 53 |
| 2023 | 2,927 | 55 |
| 2022 | 3,212 | 215 |
| 2021 | 4,296 | 164 |
| 2020 | 4,668 | 230 |
| 2019 | 3,188 | 232 |
| 2018 | 5,276 | 134 |
| 2017 | 3,971 | 125 |
| 2016 | 5,089 | 209 |
| 2015 | 1,106 | 81 |
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
26,693 GLE cars took their annual MOT test in 2023; 88% passed first time, against 83% for all cars of the same ages. Older cars fail more often, so compare a year with the same year of other cars.
| First registered | Tests | Passed first time |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 327 | 93% |
| 2020 | 5,263 | 89% |
| 2019 | 3,579 | 89% |
| 2018 | 6,078 | 89% |
| 2017 | 4,616 | 87% |
| 2016 | 5,534 | 88% |
| 2015 | 1,296 | 88% |
Why they fail
Share of all first tests that ended in a fail because of each part of the car (one test can fail on several).
| Area | GLE | All cars, same ages |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 6.3% | 5.4% |
| Brakes | 1.5% | 3.1% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.2% | 4.4% |
| Visibility | 1.1% | 3.4% |
| Suspension | 0.8% | 2.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.6% | 0.2% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests of cars only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
New registrations in Europe
261,661 new Mercedes-Benz GLE cars registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland between 2015 and 2022, from the European Environment Agency's CO₂ monitoring of every new car. In 2022 the largest markets were Germany (15,097), Italy (4,830), Poland (2,991).
| Year | New cars | CO₂ g/km |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 39,414 | 105 (WLTP) |
| 2021 | 42,175 | 115 (WLTP) |
| 2020 | 42,585 | 177 (WLTP) |
| 2019 | 25,539 | 225 (WLTP) |
| 2018 | 29,058 | 250 (WLTP) |
| 2017 | 33,032 | 180 (NEDC) |
| 2016 | 38,006 | — |
| 2015 | 11,852 | — |
Averages are weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value (NEDC until the WLTP switch). European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Real-world fuel consumption
110,424 Mercedes-Benz GLE cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2024 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Diesel versions average 9.8 l/100 km on the road, against 8.1 l/100 km in the official WLTP test — 22% more. Plug-in hybrids use 6.6 l/100 km against 0.9 l/100 km on paper, with 34% of their distance covered with the engine off.
| Fuel | Cars | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol hybrid | 13,839 | 13.5 | 11.0 | +22% |
| Diesel | 17,386 | 9.8 | 8.1 | +22% |
| Diesel hybrid | 16,258 | 9.0 | 7.4 | +22% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 62,941 | 6.6 | 0.9 | +634% |
Litres per 100 km: total fuel used divided by total distance driven, from the car's own fuel consumption meter (OBFCM), collected in 2024 by the manufacturers, mostly remotely, and by national authorities. WLTP figures are the type-approval CO₂ values converted to litres. Hybrids, including mild hybrids, do not plug in; plug-in hybrid figures include the distance driven on electricity. European Environment Agency, Real-world CO₂ emissions from cars and vans · CC BY 4.0
What it costs in fuel
On real-world figures the diesel Mercedes-Benz GLE uses 9.8 litres per 100 km, so 15,000 km a year takes about 1,480 litres: €3,345 at this week's average price in Germany, its largest market in Europe.
| Country | Diesel | Diesel hybrid | Petrol hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | €3,345 | €3,062 | €4,409 |
| United Kingdom | £2,942 | £2,694 | £3,532 |
| Italy | €3,313 | €3,033 | €4,079 |
| France | €3,462 | €3,170 | €4,510 |
| Poland | €2,643 | €2,420 | €3,157 |
| United States | $2,447 | $2,241 | $2,290 |
Fuel for 15,000 km (9,300 miles) a year at real-world consumption. Pump prices with taxes, week of 19 October 2026: European Commission Weekly Oil Bulletin, UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, US Energy Information Administration. Non-euro EU prices are in euros as the Bulletin publishes them.
Work it out for your driving
EU safety alerts
Safety Gate, the European Union's rapid alert system, names the GLE in at least 12 alerts. European versions can differ from the North American car.
In certain GLE series vehicles (model series 167) with OM654 and hybrid engines, a shielding plate in the bulkhead area may not have been fitted according to specifications. As a result, the fuel line could rub against the shielding plate and become damaged, c…
The three aluminium screws of the steering box may corrode due to exposure to spray water and aggressive road-grit (salt) used for melting ice. Advanced corrosion could weaken the screws, leading to potential breakage during manoeuvring or parking. If all fixi…
The 48V ground connection under the passenger seat may have become detached in the assembly process. This can increase electrical transition resistance at the point of connection. This can lead to an overheated ground connection and create a risk of fire. The …
The attachment plate of the accelerator pedal unit might bend, causing the accelerator pedal to detach from the vehicle body. This can cause the accelerator pedal to remain depressed, to prevent kickdown or to obstruct the brake pedal, increasing the risk of a…
A bolt on the 12 Volt earthing cable under the driver’s seat may become loose, leading to increased electrical contact resistance in that area. The strong electrical currents flowing through that point could cause a local increase in temperature, leading to fi…
A bolt on the high-pressure pump may be faulty, which could impair the sealing function between the high-pressure pump and the tandem oil pump. As a result, oil and fuel may leak onto the road, posing a risk to the following traffic. In addition, oil and fuel …
The necessary brake pedal force may have to be increased under specific conditions (including electric driving in wet weather). If the driver does not brake harder, this could make the braking distance longer, increasing the risk of an accident. The product do…
The air conditioner may be faulty, which can lead to short circuits and/or fire. The automatic emergency call (eCall) may fail and the vehicle may not unlock and/or start. The emergency engine operation mode can be activated while driving. These errors create …
Insufficient fastening of the bolts can cause the steering coupling to come loose from the steering spindle. This affects the steering capacity of the vehicle, creating a the risk of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval …
The screw connection of a 12V wiring harness pf the vehicles equipped with plug-in hybrid traction may have been secured with insufficient torque. As a result, the electrical resistance of the connection could increase and the temperature may therefore rise in…
Due to a defect in the high fuel pressure manifold the engine might be damaged. This may lead to reduced engine power and to inability to start the vehicle, increasing the risk of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and…
The bolt for the 48V ground connection under the passenger seat may have been secured with insufficient torque. As a result, the electrical resistance of the connection could increase and the temperature may therefore rise in this area, posing a risk of fire. …
Safety Gate (European Commission) · CC0