2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2017 GLE 350 most often describe electrical and lighting problems: halogen headlamps that owners say light the road poorly at night, power steering assistance that drops out with a warning message, and a fuel pump module that stops the engine after water collects in the rear well. Many reports come in at low mileage, and several describe the car losing power or steering assist with little or no warning.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Warning messages and infotainment/electrical glitches

   • 10 complaints (16%)
   • median 35,000 mi at 3.4 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners report repeated warning chimes and messages, including key-not-detected alerts, intermittent Pre-Safe or stability warnings, and a center screen that stops working. Several complaints concern the eCall/communication module recall, where owners say the software update or part was not available for months; others mention doors locking with the key fob inside. Reported from a few hundred miles up to about 65,000 miles, with several complaints filed shortly after delivery.

   Recall 21V058000Recall 21V072000Recall 21V0580002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Confirm the eCall/communication module recall software was applied, and during a test drive check that the screen, keyless entry and warning systems behave normally.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “5 time I have taken my car to dealership for same problem it give me a sign (pre-safe inoperative) and dealership is unable to fix it and I worried because its a safety issue and sign come anytime when I am driving on highway and streets that makes me very uncomfortable drive it to home or work”

   NHTSA complaint #11176468, filed 2019-02, 20,000 miles

   “We bought our brand new car in december 2016. Since we bought it, we've had a multitude of things that would go wrong. First, a brake light warning went on for no reason, then our A/C wasn't working which occurred on may 2017. We experienced alot of minor issues including the phone, bluetooth connection, the engine warning light would go on. If you stopped the car, and reset it, this would go away. The hold brake for a hill would work and then not work; windows would go down on their own. The sirius radio would work intermittently. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11149969, filed 2018-11
2. 2
   Exterior lighting

   Halogen headlights judged too dim for night driving

   • 8 complaints (13%)
   • median 10,000 mi at 1.2 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2017–2024

   Owners describe the low-beam headlamps, mostly the halogen units, as lighting the road only a short distance ahead, especially in rain or on unfamiliar roads; some say they use high beams or avoid driving at night. A few report the adaptive high beam switching on when it should not. Complaints state dealers and the manufacturer told them the lamps met federal standards and that no adjustment or upgrade was offered. Reported from very low mileage up to about 35,000 miles, often soon after purchase.

   Recall 16V7590003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car at night on an unlit road before buying, and ask whether the vehicle has the upgraded lighting package; note that a headlamp aiming recall exists for a narrow build range, so check by VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased a 2017 MB GLE 350 in 2022. But it’s only recently where I’ve noticed that my halogen headlights do not provide enough light on the road during night time driving. Especially in the rain. I’ve researched a bit and see that MANY consumers have complained about the headlights, but there is no solution as MB does not offer an aftermarket upgrade. I either have to drive with my high beams on,or not drive at night. The other alternative is to buy another car which is ridiculous. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11579321, filed 2024-03

   “The headlights on this 2017 mb gle350 are a hazard. They do not light up the road way in the dark and especially in the rain. Curvy and unknown roads are treacherous unless there is a car in front leading the way. We are no longer driving this car at night. Unfortunately, I must drive it to work in the dark in the mornings. The dealership, felix sabates in charlotte, nc, will not do any fix to the headlights. Apparently when we bought the car we needed to pay extra for the light package that works which was not discussed or offered. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11308730, filed 2020-02
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Sudden loss of power or unintended acceleration reported

   • 12 complaints (19%)
   • median 47,000 mi at 4.5 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners describe the car accelerating on its own out of a parking lot or after a bump, or losing power so the engine revs without the car moving; a few mention transmission downshifts or a shifter left in neutral while parking. Reported outcomes include striking a fence and nearly being rear-ended, with dealers sometimes unable to duplicate the condition. Some complaints compare the combined turn-signal and cruise-control lever as a possible source of unwanted acceleration. Scattered across the mileage range, from a few thousand miles to over 80,000, with no clear pattern.

   What to check: Have a dealer scan for stored powertrain and transmission codes, ask whether any throttle or shifter repairs were done, and confirm during a test drive that the car responds smoothly from a stop.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The cruise control lever is the same as the turn signal lever. When signalling a turn, if I pulled back and up or down on the lever, the car would lurch ahead at high speed. This is definitely a dangerous condition. This is a dangerous design defect, as the car would accelerate quickly. I had it lurch on me several times during the 1 week when I rented the car. The first time it happened, the car sped ahead for about 10 seconds at 65 MPH(I was going 50 MPH) while I played with the lever to try to disable the cruise control”

   NHTSA complaint #10969963, filed 2017-04, 20,177 miles

   “While driving our 2017 MB GLE 350-4matic at about 40 mph, it spontaneously downshifted to M1. We were in traffic, so this was a very dangerous for us and for the people behind us. We limped to our destination, not knowing what had happened or what to do. When we re-started the car the next day, it seemed ok. But after driving some distance, it spontaneously downshifted to M1 again. We stopped the car, turned it off and re-started it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11650102, filed 2025-03
4. 4
   Steering

   Power steering assist cuts out with warning message

   • 5 complaints (8%)
   • median 17,000 mi at 6.7 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners report a "Power Steering Malfunction – See Operator's Manual" message followed by steering that becomes very heavy, sometimes while driving at speed and sometimes after restart. Several say the car regained assist after a restart, while others were told the steering rack needed replacement. A few also link traction or stability symptoms to the same steering and tire complaints. Mostly reported between roughly 10,000 and 27,000 miles, sometimes on the first drive after delivery.

   What to check: Ask for any stored steering or stability fault codes and whether the rack or its control unit has been replaced; test-drive and confirm the wheel returns to center normally.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While traveling at approximately 45 MPH in multi-lane highway traffic, WITHOUT WARNING the vehicle's power steering suddenly failed. Concurrently a red display message appeared in the instrument cluster stating Power Steering Malfunction - See Owner's Manual . ALL steering assistance was lost at that point and the vehicle had to be maneuvered with great effort out of traffic to a safe offroad location. Vehicle is a 2017 Mercedes GLE 350 (166 chassis) with 22,000 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11532310, filed 2023-07

   “The vehicle only has about 10K+ miles but encountered Power Steering Malfunction See Operator’s Manual error message, and then the Power Steering stopped working, became stiff, and could not be moved. The vehicle got stuck in the mid of the road becoming very dangerous for the driver, passengers, and all other moving vehicles on the road too. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who said that the Powering Steer Rack was not working and needed to be replaced. The cost is about $7000. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11491825, filed 2022-11
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Engine stall after water reaches the fuel pump module

   Mentioned in 4 of 58 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the engine shutting off without warning, sometimes at highway speed in rain, after water collected in the rear cargo or spare-wheel well and reached the fuel pump control module. Owners report restarts sometimes worked and sometimes did not, and that dealers traced the fault to water intrusion through a rear seal or drain. Some owners say the drain fix from a prior campaign had already been installed when the stall happened. Reported from near-new mileage up to about 85,000 miles, often during or after wet weather.

   Recall 22V955000

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel pump control unit recall (22V955000) was completed and its drain installed, check the spare-wheel well and cargo area for dampness or rust, and have the fuel pump module inspected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This letter is an attempt to connect to the correct channels seeking resolution regarding a recent recall. My 2017 Mercedes GLE350 stalled in the rain and I subsequently had to get it towed to the dealership for repairs. And upon completion of the repairs, I received a recall notice about the specific issue that was just addressed. Pursuant to the recall notice, I sought a reimbursement for the repairs in which I was directed to Mercedes Customer Care and received a case number. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11510233, filed 2023-03

   “Rear trunk lid seal leaking water in rear cargo compartment caused damage to fuel pump. I was driving on a main busy road when without warning the car shut off. The traffic light was about to change so the person behind me was slowing down luckily. There was no warning light, indicator or sound the car just stopped . It stopped in the middle of the road impeding traffic as it stopped near a 4- way intersection at a busy time of day. The car was towed to dealer after extensive examination it was found to be a leak in rear trunk seal. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11584632, filed 2024-04

Buying note. Check the fuel pump control unit recall and rear-well water intrusion first, then verify steering and electrical fault history, since those dominate the sampled complaints. A night test drive and a pre-purchase scan for stored codes will surface most of what owners describe.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 58 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.