NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 14 owner complaints for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450E 4Matic. Most complaints involve engine (5) and electrical system (4). The EPA rates it 23 mpg combined.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2024 GLE 350 4MATIC, 2025 GLE 450e 4MATIC, GLE 450 4MATIC Coupe, GLE 450 4MATIC, GLS 450 4MATIC, Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC, AMG GLE 53 4MATIC, AMG GLE 53 4MATIC Coupe, AMG GLE 63 S 4MATIC Coupe, and AMG GLS 63 4MATIC vehicles. The multi-purpose camera and the rearview mirror may be insufficiently attached to the windshield and may detach.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Complaints for each GLE 450E 4Matic model year we’ve synced.
Only one model year synced so far.
“This has happened twice. They “fixed” it and returned it to me and it did it again. I was about to pull out into traffic, once on the interstate and another time on a 2 lane highway… right as I hit the gas to pull out the car lurches forward and dies. Comes to a complete stop. It won’t crank back up, it won’t go into neutral or drive or reverse. The electoral system goes crazy and all lights start going off. One car had to go in the median to avoid colliding with me. I’m waiting on a police report but this was so scary I’m terrified to drive my car. The first time 4 weeks ago they said total electrical failure and fixed it. I drove it another few weeks and it did it again. The cop told me that I could have killed aomeone because when it stopped it didn’t even roll. The break was locked. We couldn’t push it out of traffic. We had to call a wrecker.”
“GLE 450e Plug In-Hybrid. Car went into ‘Turtle Mode’ on Saturday March 8th for no known reason. Turtle Light and Check Engine warning lights came on and there was a warning message “Significant Reduction in Power”. My understanding this is a vehicle initiated precaution when something triggers the vehicle to go into reduced power mode. This all happened after the car had been driven on the highway for about 2.5 hours. It was running in gas engine mode since the battery power had been off for 1.5hrs. It was also about 30F in VT that day. The turtle mode came on as soon as we exited the highway. The vehicle was drivable, but there was almost no acceleration from 0-20mph. Once the car was above 25 mph and 2k RPM’s it could run 40-60mph but it had no brisk acceleration. When we stopped at lights, the poor acceleration continued all the way to our destination (so it ran 1.5 hours in Turtle Mode). But this is certainly a flow of traffic issue as the car pulls away from stops at a very slow and deliberate speed forcing other drivers to alter their driving. When we parked the car at our destination both the Turtle warning light and check engine light were still…”
“When accelerating in hybrid mode, the vehicle loses power and forcefully reduces speed. A "Performance extremely limited" message appears on the driver console. Sometimes it goes into "turtle" mode, limiting performance until the car it is turned off. Sometimes the "check engine" light comes on, with or without the "turtle" light. This is a safety issue when you are trying to accelerate onto a highway and the car reduces speed, thus increasing the risk of being rear-ended in heavy traffic. There are times when the car loses power and there is no emergency lane to move into. The car has been taken to the dealership's service department multiple times and the issue has been confirmed. They tried updating the software but it did not resolve the issue. This occurred for the first time about 4 months after purchasing the new vehicle. It had 3500 miles on it. There are many reports of this happening to others. [XXX]”
Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.
| Version | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLE450e 4matic Auto 9-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo · All-Wheel Drive | 21 | 26 | 23 | $3,350 | 99 |
| Item | Miles | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil & filter | 5,000–10,000 mi | 6–12 months | Follow the oil-life monitor if fitted |
| Tire rotation | 5,000–7,500 mi | Every oil change | Check pressure monthly |
| Engine air filter | 15,000–30,000 mi | 1–2 years | Sooner in dusty areas |
| Cabin air filter | 15,000–25,000 mi | 1–2 years | |
| Brake fluid | — | 2–3 years | Absorbs moisture over time |
| Coolant | 60,000–100,000 mi | 5–10 years | Long-life coolants last longer |
| Spark plugs | 60,000–100,000 mi | — | Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end |
| 12V battery | — | 3–5 years | Heat shortens battery life |
1 safety recall as of Nov 7, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.
Owners filed 14 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are engine (5), electrical system (4), power train (3). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.
The EPA rates the 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450E 4Matic at 23 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (1 version rated).