NHTSA (USA)Critical
At a glance
What can fail
Water can collect in the spare tire wheel well and damage the fuel pump control unit, potentially causing the engine to stall while driving.
What the fix does
The 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE550e has 5 recalls, the most serious being water intrusion in the spare tire well that can damage the fuel pump control unit and cause the engine to stall while driving.
Two recalls involve water finding its way into electronic control units. Along with the fuel pump issue, water can also reach the electric power steering control unit, causing the power steering assist to cut out and leaving the driver with significantly heavier steering. On the occupant safety side, the front passenger seat sensor can misread the occupant and cause the front airbag to deploy incorrectly or not at all in a crash. The vehicle's emergency call system has a software fault that can report the wrong date, time, and location to emergency responders, potentially delaying help after a crash. Finally, the tire pressure label on the B-pillar lists incorrect tire dimensions and seating capacity, and fitting the wrong tire size based on that label can throw off the speedometer reading.
At a glance
What can fail
Water can collect in the spare tire wheel well and damage the fuel pump control unit, potentially causing the engine to stall while driving.
What the fix does
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Dealers will install a water drain plug, check for water damage, and replace the fuel pump control unit if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A software error causes the eCall emergency system's date and time to be incorrect, which may result in an inaccurate vehicle location being sent during an emergency call.
What the fix does
Mercedes-Benz will send a remote software update to your vehicle. Dealers will verify the update worked or install a new communication module software at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The tire pressure label on the B-pillar displays incorrect seating capacity and wrong front and rear tire size information, failing to meet federal tire safety requirements.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and replace the tire pressure label as needed at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The electric power steering connector may not be properly sealed, allowing water to enter the control unit.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the connector and inspect the electric power steering rack, replacing it if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger seat occupant detection system may be incorrectly calibrated, causing it to mistakenly identify an adult as a child seat and disable the front passenger airbag.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the occupant detection system software at no cost to restore proper airbag operation.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.