2016 Mercedes Benz Gle450: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2016 Mercedes Benz Gle450
On the 2016 Mercedes Benz Gle450, the failure owners report most often is other engine problem, with 6 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 30,000 miles. Overall it scores 80 out of 100, severe risk for a 2016.
Severe risk for a 2016 — 19th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. 43 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 16 named failure modes on the 2016 Mercedes Benz Gle450, and the three most-reported carry 40% of everything filed.
Other engine problem leads with 6 reports and about 1.1 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other electrical problem follows with 6 reports, median 20,000 miles.
Oil leak follows with 5 reports, median 55,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (11), fuel (9) and electrical (7).
At what mileage it happens
14 of the reports on the 2016 Mercedes Benz Gle450 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 30,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 57% by 50,000 miles and 79% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 21% of the dated reports.
57% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 16. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 9 mention a crash and 5 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.30, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other engine problem at $300–$4,000, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, oil leak at $250–$2,200 and fuel pump failure at $600–$2,600. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
33% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other engine problem | engine | 6 | 2 | — | 7k | — | 1.1 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 6 | 1 | — | 18k | — | 1.1 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Oil leak | engine | 5 | 3 | — | 53k | — | 0.9 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 3 | 1 | — | 5k | — | 0.6 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 2 | 1 | — | 110k | — | 0.4 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 2 | 2 | — | 67k | — | 0.4 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 110k | — | 0.2 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Tire blowout or tread separation | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 500 | — | 0.2 | $200–$1,500 | Critical |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 1 | 1 | — | 34k | — | 0.2 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 11k | — | 0.2 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Unclassified problem | other | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2016 Mercedes Benz Gle450 draws about 8.2 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 88th percentile of complaint rates among 2016 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 5,275 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2016 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other engine problem
Car stalled on the highway then towed to the dealership. Dealership stated the fuel line was flooded with water. The service manager stated that I let the trunk open in the rain, but I did no such thing. There was also no water in the trunk of the car. This seems to be a defect when the vehicle is exposed to normal rainy conditions. There is no way water should be able to get to the fuel line because it should be insulated against moisture. Corporate thought there was flooding in the area, but there is no flooding in dallas, texas. Mb conducts quality testing in different climates so I do no see why they would not consider it to be a product defect. Someone can potentially die from the car stalling on the highway. This is something that should not be overlooked by mb.
Eco start/stop feature is unsafe. Driver could misinterpret when vehicle is in eco stop mode vs off in park. This could cause the vehicle to start and lurch forward when the driver takes their foot off the brake when they assume it is off in park. Unsafe.
Other electrical problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 mercedes-benz gle450. After the vehicle was repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 16v440000 (electrical system), the vehicle experinced a failure. When the contact depressed the brake pedal, the vehicle completely shut off. The contact restarted the vehicle, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to walter mercedes in riverside, california, but the cause of the failure could not be diagnosed. The manufacturer stated that the recall was repaired and could not be duplicated. The approximate failure mileage was 18,407.
Recalls on the 2016 model year
NHTSA has issued 11 recall campaigns covering the 2016 Mercedes Benz Gle450, affecting an estimated 9,901 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover structure:body:roof and pillars, fuel system, diesel:delivery:fuel pump:control/drive module and communication. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
2,976 vehicles 2023-12-15- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2014-2020 C-Class, CLA, GLA, S-Class, GLC, and GLE vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle details. The front roof panel located between the windshield and the panoramic sunroof may not have been bonded correctly to the vehicle during a prior repair, allowing the front panel to detach from the vehicle.
- Consequence
- A detached roof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 2, 2024. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on, March 22,2024, and August 2, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 21V-197.
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP:CONTROL/DRIVE MODULE
348,183 vehicles 2022-12-23- Defect
- 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. Water might accumulate in the spare tire wheel well and damage the fuel pump control unit, which could cause an engine stall while driving.
- Consequence
- An engine stall while driving increases the risk of a crash.
- 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. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2023010002 and 2023010003.
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
15,096 vehicles 2021-03-19- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2020 C300 Coupe, C43 Coupe AMG, C43 AMG, 2015-2020 C300, GLA250, 2016-2018 C350e, CLA45 Coupe AMG, 2015 C400, S65 AMG, 2015-2019 C63 AMG, 2016 C450, 2015-2016 GLA45 AMG, S600, 2016-2020 GLC300, 2017-2019 GLC43 AMG, GLE43 Coupe AMG, 2014-2019 CLA250 Coupe, 2014-2015 CLA45 AMG, 2018 GLC63 AMG, 2014-2017 S550, 2018-2020 S450, 2016-2019 GLE63 Coupe AMG, 2016 GLE450 Coupe, 2014-2020 S63 AMG, 2018-2019 S560, and 2019 GLC350e vehicles equipped with a panoramic sunroof. The front roof panel located between the windshield…
- Consequence
- The adhesive bonding of the front panel might deteriorate, possibly causing the front panel to detach from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Mercedes-Benz dealer will remove the bonded panel and will install a new front panel by following the detailed repair instructions and using the approved primer, cleaner and adhesive, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021 and October 26, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
COMMUNICATION
24,226 vehicles 2019-11-01- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2017 vehicles due to a software fault that may cause the date and time for the emergency call system (eCall) to differ from the actual date and time, potentially relaying an inaccurate vehicle location. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V787-4620.pdf
- Consequence
- An inaccurate vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- MBUSA has initiated an Over the Air (OTA) remote update. MBUSA will also notify owners, and dealers will check software for a successful OTA or update the communication module software as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2019120008.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
9,725 vehicles 2018-04-27- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2012-2014 ML350 Bluetec 4Matic and ML550 4Matic, 2012-2015 ML63 AMG 4Matic and ML350 4Matic, 2013-2016 GL350 Bluetec 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and GL63 AMG 4Matic, 2017 GLS350d 4Matic, GLS450 4Matic, GLS550 4Matic and GLS63 AMG 4Matic, 2015 ML400 4Matic, 2016 GLE400 4Matic, GLE350 4Matic, GLE63 AMG 4Matic, GLE63S AMG 4Matic, GLE450 4Matic Coupe and GLE63S AMG 4Matic Coupe, 2015-2016 GL450 4Matic and 2013-2014 GL450 4Matic vehicles equipped with the Active Curve System (ACS). In certain driving conditions, if the oil level in…
- Consequence
- The leaking oil in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will correct the oil level as necessary and replace the reservoir sealing cap to prevent oil foam from leaking out, free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2018070015.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER ARM
37 vehicles 2017-02-08- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 GLE350 4Matic, GLE350, GLE350 4Matic Bluetec, GL450 4Matic, and GLE450 Coupe 4Matic vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that connects the upper control arm and the axle stub may not have been properly tightened.
- Consequence
- The loose bolt may cause improper wheel tracking, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tightness of the bolt connecting the upper control arm and the axle stub on the affected vehicles, replacing the upper control arm if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
47,799 vehicles 2016-12-15- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 GL350 4Matic Bluetec, GL550 4Matic, GLE350 4Matic, GLE43 AMG Coupe, GLE450 4Matic, 2016 GLE300d 4Matic, GLE350, GLE350d 4Matic, GLE400 4Matic, GLE550e 4Matic, GLE63 AMG, GLE63 AMG 4Matic, GLE63S AMG 4Matic Coupe, and 2017 GLS63 AMG vehicles manufactured April 23, 2014, to May 10, 2016. The front passenger seat Occupant Classification System (OCS) calibration may be incorrect, and as a result, the system can incorrectly classify the occupant as a child seat, deactivating the front passenger air bag.
- Consequence
- If the front passenger air bag does not deploy as necessary in the event of a crash, the front passenger has an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
2 vehicles 2016-08-15- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2016 GLE Coupe 450 AMG 4Matic vehicles manufactured July 11, 2015, to July 25, 2015. The affected vehicles may be equipped with rear head restraints that may not stay locked in the upright position at very low temperatures.
- Consequence
- If the vehicle is involved in a crash in very low temperatures, the rear head restraints may not function as intended, increasing the risk of rearseat occupant injury.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear head restraints, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in October 2016. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
423 vehicles 2016-06-16- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015 ML250, ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML400 4Matic, ML63 AMG, and 2016 GLE450 AMG 4Matic vehicles manufactured from April 27, 2015, through May 19, 2015. The affected vehicles may have had the right rear seatbelt anchor bolt incorrectly installed.
- Consequence
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the right rear seatbelt anchor bolt could fail to secure the passenger, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, correct the installation of the right rear seat belt anchor bolt, free of charge. The recall began on July 22, 2016. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
5,826 vehicles 2016-06-15- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2016 GLE450 AMG 4Matic Coupe vehicles manufactured December 10, 2014, to June 6, 2016. An error within the engine control unit (ECU) software may allow the engine to shut-down while the vehicle is braking, possibly confusing the driver into thinking the shut-down was planned due to the ECO start/stop function.
- Consequence
- If the engine shuts down unintentionally, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECU software, free of charge. The recall began August 2016. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
52 vehicles 2015-10-27- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2016 GLE450 AMG 4Matic coupes and GLE63 AMG S 4Matic coupes manufactured December 10, 2014, to April 29, 2015. The affected vehicles may be equipped with rear drive shaft bolt fasteners that may loosen and result in the rear drive shaft separating from the transmission or the rear axle differential.
- Consequence
- If the drive shaft separates, the vehicle will stall, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the bolt fasteners, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in mid-November 2015. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2016 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
Severe risk for a 2016 — 19th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Where these figures stop being useful
43 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 43 reports, 14 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 33% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Mercedes Benz Gle450?
The most-reported failures are other engine problem (6 reports, median 5,000 miles), other electrical problem (6 reports, median 20,000 miles) and oil leak (5 reports, median 55,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2016 Mercedes Benz Gle450 reliable?
It scores 80 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 19th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2016 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed