2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 Problems & Complaints

Average13% fewer complaints than a typical year of the GLE350 at the same age

Owners have filed 40 complaints about the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is about average for the GLE350 at the same age. The most reported problem area is the transmission & drivetrain (7 complaints, typically around 45,000 miles). 7 recalls cover this model year.

40complaints
7recalls
5crashes
0fires
2injuries
1deaths

Most common 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 problems

  • Transmission & drivetrain~45,000 miles
    718%
  • Electrical system~81,000 miles
    615%
  • Brakes~20,000 miles
    615%
  • Wheels & tires~20,000 miles
    513%
  • Other / not specified~20,000 miles
    513%
  • Fuel & propulsion system~132,000 miles
    513%
  • Lights~0 miles
    410%
  • Speed control & acceleration~3,000 miles
    38%
  • Body & structure~50,000 miles
    38%
  • Steering~30,000 miles
    25%
  • Stability & traction control~30,000 miles
    25%
  • Driver assistance~69,000 miles
    25%
  • Air bags~46,000 miles
    13%
  • Engine & cooling
    13%

Share of the 40 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Mercedes-Benz GLE350 complaints by model year

2016201720182019202020212022202320242025202653624019156411621106
Owner complaints per model year, Mercedes-Benz GLE350. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best GLE350 years: 2019. Years to avoid: 2020, 2021, 2022. Compare all years →

2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 recalls (7)

Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump › Control/drive module

NHTSA recall 22V-955 · Dec 23, 2022 · 348,183 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2012-2014 ML550, 2012-2015 ML350, AMG ML63, 2015 ML250, ML400, 2016 GLE450, GLE300, 2016-2018 GLE350, GLE550, 2016-2019 GLE400, 2017-2019 AMG GLE43, and 2016-2020 AMG GLE63 vehicles.

Remedy: Dealers will install a water drain plug, inspect for water intrusion, and replace the fuel pump control unit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2023.

Communication › Auto crash notification

NHTSA recall 22V-365 · May 20, 2022 · 242,722 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2022 CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, AMG GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL-Class, GLC-Class, CLS-Class, GLB-Class, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details.

Remedy: The communication module software will be updated through an Over-the-Air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2022.

Tires

NHTSA recall 21V-123 · Feb 26, 2021 · 2,529 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2018 GLE350, GLE43 AMG, and GLE400 vehicles equipped with Continental tires. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 23, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Communication › Auto crash notification

NHTSA recall 21V-072 · Feb 12, 2021 · 67 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2019 C300, E300, 2018-2020 CLA250, 2020 CLS450, AMG E53, AMG GT53, GLE450, 2018 AMG E63, AMG GTA, 2017-2020 GLA250, GLC300, 2019 GLC350, AMG GLC43, 2017-2018 GLE350, 2019 AMG GLC 43, GLC350, GLE400, 2017 GLS450, S550, C300 Cabrio, and 2018-2019 S560 vehicles.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the communication module and activate it, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2021.

Communication › Auto crash notification

NHTSA recall 21V-058 · Feb 5, 2021 · 1,292,258 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 - 2021 CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLS-Class, SL-Class, B-Class, GLB-Class, GLC-Class, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to the Part 573 report for specific vehicle model details.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and the communication module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. The recall began March 12, 2021.

Service brakes, hydraulic

NHTSA recall 18V-539 · Aug 16, 2018 · 9,044 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 4Matic, GLE350, GLS450 4Matic, GLS550 4matic, GLE43 AMG 4Matic, GLE63 AMG 4Matic, GLE63S AMG 4Matic, and GLS63 AMG 4Matic vehicles.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the rear axle brake system, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Show 1 more recall

Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly

NHTSA recall 18V-512 · Aug 3, 2018 · 4 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2018 GLE350, GLE350 4Matic, and GLE43 AMG vehicles. During manufacturing, components of the panoramic sunroof may have been installed with a bonding primer that was incorrectly made, possibly affecting the long-term adhesion to the vehicle.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the panoramic sunroof, replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 7, 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

What 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 owners say

Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owned a 2018 Mercedes-Benz 350 GLE. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light at an intersection, the vehicle began to lunge forward while the brake pedal was still depressed. The vehicle lurched into the intersection and struck another vehicle. The contact stated he did not notice any warning lights being illuminated. The contact's vehicle struck a vehicle on the driver's side door with his front end. The vehicle's grill was crushed and shattered all the windows on the other vehicle's driver's side. There were no injuries. The police were on the scene and wrote a report. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was placed in the body shop and repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,500. The VIN was not available.

Automatic transmission · 45,000 miles · Dec 2021 · crash

Cannot shift gear to Reverse or Neutral, after car is completely stopped by pushing brake pedal and keep firmly pushing the brake pedal. After firmly press the brake pedal, tried to move hear selector to Reverse or Neutral, but did not work. Tried to above step more than five times at the moment of incident, but did not work. If takes off the foot from the pedal, the car Restart the engine, then I was able to move the gear to Reverse or Neutral The case has occurred three times, an year ago (Summer, 2021), Aug 2022, Sep 3, 2022. Q:How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? When incident happened, after trying changing the gear to Reverse, take off the foot from the pedal then car moved to forward instead of backward, then immediately braked the car again to stop moving the car. Q:Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. …

Sep 2022

Electrical system

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350. The contact stated that water had entered the vehicle through the sunroof. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that water intrusion through the sunroof had damaged the batteries. The mechanic replaced both batteries. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V854000(Structure); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired for the water intrusion failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000. The VIN was unavailable.

81,000 miles · Apr 2025

The fuel pump has been failing and shutting off and has been hesitant when taking off. It can leave you stranded in the middle of the road or if you turn left in front of people the car may stall and can cause a crash. Yes and independent dealer and the dealer both know it's a problem. I took the vehicle into a Mercedes dealer and the fuel pump had a recall on it and the dealer refused to replace it although I had a engine code that they could pull up referring them to the fuel pump and the fuel pump not priming as it should in every start up. The failure happened a few months ago and I took it in and the dealer drilled a home in the rear of my car and failed to replace the fuel pump, which was covered under the warranty. And the dealer admitted there was water in the trunk area which corroded the fuel pump.

May 2025

Brakes

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a pharmacy parking lot with the hold feature engaged, the driver released the brake pedal. Immediately afterward, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward approximately 75 feet. The driver attempted to stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal; however, the brakes failed to respond. The vehicle continued moving, went over a curb, into a ditch, up a hill, and through a cement block wall before coming to an abrupt stop 5 feet from a house. The driver sustained arm and shoulder injuries, including emotional trauma, and was transported by ambulance to a hospital for medical treatment. The air bags deployed during the crash. There was no reported fire. A police report was filed, and the vehicle was towed to a tow lot. …

91,000 miles · Mar 2026 · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while entering the dealer, the over-the-thread detector provided an alert. There were no warning lights illuminated. While at the local dealer, the contact was informed that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead (2799 Piedmont Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305) where it was diagnosed that the brake pads had separated and were not engaged. The brake pads and rotors were replaced but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the rear passenger's side wheel was scraping and there was an abnormal pattern on the rotor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 37,873.

Foundation components › Disc › Rotor · 38,000 miles · Nov 2021

2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
3.5L 6-cyl7-speed automaticRWD18 / 23 / 20

EPA ratings. Class: SUV.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 a good car?

Based on 40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 GLE350 rates average: 13% fewer complaints than a typical year of the GLE350 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.

What is the most common problem with the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350?

The transmission & drivetrain — 7 complaints, 18% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the electrical system (6) and brakes (6).

How many recalls does the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 have?

There are 7 recalls for the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350, the most recent from December 23, 2022 (control/drive module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.

What are the best and worst years of the Mercedes-Benz GLE350?

The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2019. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2020, 2021 and 2022. See the full Mercedes-Benz GLE350 years comparison.

At what mileage do 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 20,000 miles; 78% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.