What breaks most · 2020 to 2024 model years
Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 problems by year
Owners have filed 72 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 across model years 2020 to 2024. Three years stand out: 2020 for electrical system complaints, 2021 for electrical system complaints and 2022 for engine complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2020, 2021, 2022
- Complaints on file
- 722020 to 2024, all trims
- Worst year
- 202026 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 30 fires · 2 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 7kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 68Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 0 | 32 | Electrical system (14) | |
| 15 | 0 | 17 | Electrical system (9) | |
| 14 | 1 | 11 | Engine (7) | |
| 7 | 0 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 10 | 2 | 4 | Forward collision system (3) |
What fails on the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 54% |
14 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 35% |
9 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 27% |
7 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 15% |
4 | 0 | — |
| Seats | 8% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Backup camera and sensorsCameras and park sensors | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop backup camera and sensors parts for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 4% |
1 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Tires | 4% |
1 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Water intrusion. It rained, water leaked into driver seat floor. The water then made it to the electrical parts underneath the driver seat. This seems identical to the recall I am seeing online with the number: 23V-177
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Car shut itself off in rush hour traffic. Slight Smokey smell. Dash light indicating a 48 Volt problem. Got vehicle towed to dealership.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2020, 2021, 2022 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450. The 2020 alone has 26 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 problem?
On the 2020 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 14 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 complaints that include mileage is about 7,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.