When pulling into a designated parking space I went to switch on the front camera with my foot on the brake pedal when the MB GLE350 suddenly accelerated and lurched forward over the parking curb, through bushes, across a 100' adjacent parking lot, across a walkway hitting 2 metal fences, then dropping down several feet, and across a yard finally crashing into a shed attached to a cottage. Brake was not responding, and Air bags did not deploy!! The car travelled such a long distance that any number of pedestrians or other vehicles could have been hit, injured or killed. Numerous similar incidents have been reported on [XXX]. The car is still in Seminole Towing impound lot, being returned to Sixt Car Rental in Tampa, 813‑647‑3079 Manager, Robert. Insurance adjuster has not had access to it yet. No warning, no automatic braking and no prior signs or symptoms. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The worst 2026 Mercedes-Benz Gle 350 4matic problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Driver assistance2
- Acceleration1
- Airbags1
- Body1
- Brakes1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Driver assistance2
- Acceleration1
- Airbags1
- Body1
- Brakes1
- Electrical1
- Engine1
- Seat belts1
Recalls 3
Seat belts: rear/other: buckle assembly
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2026 AMG GLS 63 4MATIC+, AMG GLE 63 S 4MATIC+ COUPE, AMG GLE 63 S 4MATIC+, AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ COUPE, AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+, GLE 450 4MATIC COUPE, GLE 350 4MATIC, Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC, GLS 580 4MATIC, GLS 450 4MATIC, GLE 580 4MATIC, GLE 450E 4MATIC, GLE 450 4MATIC, and GLE 350 vehicles. The bolts for the rear seat belts may not be tightened properly.
- Risk
- A loose seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will tighten the rear seat belt bolts and replace any missing bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on June 5, 2026.
Recall number 26V353000 · Recall details
Air bags: passenger side frontal: cushion
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2026 GLE 350 4MATIC, GLE 450 4MATIC, GLE 350, GLE 580 4MATIC, GLS 580 4MATIC, GLE 450 E 4MATIC, AMG GLE53 4MATIC, AMG GLS63 4MATIC, AMG GLE63 S 4MATIC, GLS 450 4MATIC, and GLS 600 4MATIC vehicles. The passenger air bag fabric may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.
- Risk
- Air bags that do not deploy as intended during a crash increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 12, 2026. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning April 3, 2026.
Recall number 26V199000 · Recall details
Seat belts: rear/other
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2025-2026 GLE 350 4MATIC vehicles. The center rear seat belts may have been installed without the child seat protection function and fail to lock a child restraint properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and FMVSS number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, an insufficiently restrained child has an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the center rear seat belt assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2026. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning December 19, 2025. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2026010003.
Recall number 25V864000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2026 Mercedes-Benz Gle 350 4matic 103
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Dear Dealer Partners, The part numbers listed in the chart below should no longer be installed, and any...
- Issue On certain subject vehicles, the transmission control unit (VGS) does not conform to current...
- Harsh upshifts, downshifts, or jolting in lower gears when accelerating
- Customer concern of Air Conditioning not cooling
- Subject vehicles were visible and flagged in VMI as “OPEN” under campaign 2026080002 in Netstar-VMI on...
- Issue A software update will be performed that provides enhancements to the robustness and system...
- Slight creaking noises when steering
- Power train
- Repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60MPH. NOTE: Although the symptom is...
- Red coolant warning in instrument cluster
See all 103 bulletins for the 2026 Mercedes-Benz Gle 350 4matic
What 2026 Mercedes-Benz Gle 350 4matic owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I heard only an unusual air or wind noise coming from above while driving at approximately 45 mph. I did not notice any rock, object, or other impact striking the panoramic sunroof before the incident. When the interior sunroof screen/cover slid open, I discovered that the panoramic sunroof glass had shattered. The airflow carried the shattered glass away, and some pieces fell inside the vehicle. I do not know what caused the glass to break. I will also submit a request for Mercedes-Benz to investigate the cause of this unexpected failure and determine whether a manufacturing or material defect, or another vehicle-related issue, may have contributed to the incident. Given the potential danger to vehicle occupants and other road users, I ask that this incident be formally documented as a safety complaint.
If the driver seat belt is pulled too quickly from the retractor mechanism, the seat belt can not be retracted and then pulled across the drivers lap UNLESS the car is stopped and the driver door is opened. Example. I pull up to a toll booth. I release the seat belt from my lap to access my wallet. I pay the toll and start to drive away as I then try to reattach the seat belt. I cannot get it to pull across my lap UNLESS I stop the car and open the door. This resets the belt mechanism. This is unacceptable and a safety issue. Mercedes has been notified of this design flaw and refuses to address the issue. The driver should be able to reattach the seat belt without stopping and opening the car door. Driver safety is of paramount importance.
In most circumstances the adaptive cruise control (ADC) works well. There is one case where it does not, however. When ADC is active and the vehicle immediately in front shows, perhaps to make a turn, the ADC-equipped vehicle slows appropriately. The problem: Once the front vehicle is *well clear* of the driving lane, often operating 90 degrees to the marked lane on a perpendicular roadway, the ADC-equipped vehicle delays in sensing this and dos not resume the set speed. The effect is for traffic behind the ADC-equipped vehicle to become exceedingly annoyed and a chain-reaction of braking results. Drivers operating behind the Mercedes-Benz have a reasonable expectation that when the traffic in front of the ADC-equipped vehicle is clear the latter will accelerate. This expectation is not met in practice -- ever. The result is near-miss rear end collisions This exact same issues was also observed on a 2025 Mercedes GLE450.
On May 26, 2026 I was driving our new Mercedes 2026 GLE350 to [XXX]. The car had 737 miles on it, when it died in traffic on [XXX]. The car was purchased new on April 11, 2026 from the Mercedes dealer in Monterey, CA. When the car died in traffic, an emergency message appeared on the screen "Automatic brake assist not working, Stop the car immediately, Do Not Drive". I was barely able to cross two lanes of traffic in order to get to the right shoulder of the very busy freeway. The dealer in Monterey was contacted and said it sounded like an electrical issue. The car was towed to the nearest Mercedes dealer in Stevens Creek, San Jose Ca. (phone [XXX]) The service advisor at Stevens Creek is named Erica Flores. After 4 days at that dealership, she advised us that they "were unable" to duplicate the problem and that a software fix would have to be addressed by the main shop in Germany. No one knows when the software will be available. We were able to get copies of the repair order, Invoice number XXX. The car was returned to us and we drove back home to Pacific Grove, CA without any other issues. On XXX my wife was once again traveling to [XXX]. At approximately 1:15 pm the car did the exact same thing. Losing power while she was traveling at 65 miles per hour on the busy [XXX]. Again, the computer screen displayed several messages including the braking system, the cooling system and instructed her to turn the car off immediately and not to drive. The car now has approximately 1150 miles on it. We notified the dealer in Monterey Ca, and also the dealer in San Jose (Stevens Creek). My wife spoke again with Erica Flores at the Stevens Creek Mercedes dealer. Erica told my wife she could not help her and that all they could offer is a storage facility for us, with a cost of approximately 160 dollars per day. These issues represent a major safety concern which needs to be addressed by M.B. USA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Pulled on door handle and handle came off the rear driver side door for the second time.
Compare the 2026 Mercedes-Benz Gle 350 4matic
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Questions about the 2026 Mercedes-Benz Gle 350 4matic
Is the 2026 Mercedes-Benz Gle 350 4matic reliable?
Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 2026 Mercedes-Benz Gle 350 4matic, close to a typical Gle 350 4matic model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2026 Mercedes-Benz Gle 350 4matic?
Driver assistance and stability, with 2 complaints. Next is acceleration (1).
How many recalls does the 2026 Mercedes-Benz Gle 350 4matic have?
3 recalls, covering seat belts and air bags.
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