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Mercedes-Benz M/GLE transmission problems by year.

Worst years for transmission complaints per car sold: 2006 (31 complaints), 2007 (17 complaints), 2016 (9 complaints). Fewest since 2010: 2022, 2019, 2012.

Mercedes-Benz M/GLE
Photo shows a 2018 Mercedes-Benz M/GLE. Alexander Migl, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Transmission complaints owners filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) for each model year, per 100,000 cars sold. A complaint counts when it's filed under the transmission, or under the power train and the owner describes the transmission (shifting, slipping, gears, CVT). It's an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.

What owners describe

Stuck in gear or limp mode14%
Lost power while driving12%
Rolled away or park trouble10%
Transmission replaced7%
Hard or jerky shifting7%
Slipping4%

Share of this model's transmission complaints that mention each symptom. One complaint can mention several.

Transmission and power train recalls

  • 2023 2024

    The transmission may not fully downshift in certain conditions, causing the engine to stall.

  • 2016 2015

    If the drive shaft separates, the vehicle will stall, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

In owners' words

Power train:automatic transmission heavy jolt and skippage at startup from first to second gear and heavy jolt while stopping. Mercedes states it is a software problem however there is no software available to fix the problem.

2006 Mercedes-Benz M/GLE owner · NHTSA complaint

Warning message displayed that said take to workshop before putting in gear. Vehicle would not ship out of park. Tried several times, finally turned ignition off , tried again and vehicle went into drive. This same incident happened again on november 26, 2014.

2006 Mercedes-Benz M/GLE owner · NHTSA complaint

Quick answers

Which Mercedes-Benz M/GLE years have transmission problems?

By transmission complaints filed with NHTSA per car sold, the worst Mercedes-Benz M/GLE years are 2006, 2007, 2016.

What are common Mercedes-Benz M/GLE transmission problems?

Owners most often describe stuck in gear or limp mode, lost power while driving, rolled away or park trouble.

Which Mercedes-Benz M/GLE years have the fewest transmission complaints?

Since 2010, the Mercedes-Benz M/GLE years with the fewest transmission complaints per car sold are 2022, 2019, 2012.

See every problem, not just the transmission: Mercedes-Benz M/GLE reliability by year. How we count

Updated

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