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I personally don’t find this surprising considering what my car has done. I mean, I couldn’t even get out of the dealer lot without it rattling lol. It is what it is and I know these indices aren’t always reliable, but I would personally place CR ahead of JD Power.
Sigh.... Only a few days from when I picked my GLE out of the shop and it developed a new habit of making enormous creaks when driving over a speed bump. Sad to see MB is last and a little surprised dead last...behind even VW and Jeep. Even more surprising is that BMW got 3rd place.
There is no perfect study when it comes to reliability. I personally don't put a lot of credibility in CR's surveys. I don't put a lot of credibility in anyone's overall rankings. Not that the data isn't real, but more like the interpretation of the data is subjective. Some MB owners might find some comfort knowing the brand is only slightly below average in JDP's Initial Quality and Dependability Studies. And the JDP studies put way too much emphasis on what isn't liked or isn't understood vs what actually doesn't work, so having the latest technology works against automakers like MB. CR rewards brands that use older, proven platforms and/or outdated tech. My problem with JDP is there is no weighting at all. A broken transmission counts the same as an inoperable phone charging pad or chattering wipers.
For those of you interested in this year's JDP studies:
So apparently the brand-listed rankings are based upon the models they have for predicted reliability. Of those models they only list the E and GLE, no other models. Did they not have a survey audience big enough?
Either way, I don't really buy luxury cars for reliability, if I did, I'd go with Lexus. Buying a German product I know what I'm getting into. I remember when I bought my wife's 335i BMW was listed 22 out of 25 on reliability rankings, that didn't stop me, and the car ended up being fine up until the 8th year of ownership when things started to become pricey, but at that point, the car was already old with high-milage. I've had four modern MB's since 2018 and so far the worst failure I've had is a trunk release switch breaking and the screen in the GLE once getting stuck on startup, otherwise no hiccups. But as always, YMMV.
Isn't JD Power just a marketing firm that gets most of their revenue via automakers? I mean sure their research is "independent" but.....
So it's either that or Consumer Reports where I believe a software bug can get rated the same as an actual failure. Also worth noting they rely on their subscribers to provide the data and when they don't, they don't rate. I.e only the GLE and E class comprise the MB overall ranking whereas if you click on Toyota every single model is represented.
Isn't this basically a measure of people's expectations vs reality?
Hyundai being at the top is a huge red flag to me lol.
Hyundai has been doing a lot right lately. They appear at the top of a lot of surveys these days. The bigger question to me is Volvo in second place. By most metrics the brand has become a reliability nightmare.
Hyundai has been doing a lot right lately. They appear at the top of a lot of surveys these days. The bigger question to me is Volvo in second place. By most metrics the brand has become a reliability nightmare.
They are not in second place, the rankings are on the left, the image is cut off at the beginning of 13th place with Hyundai.
Isn't JD Power just a marketing firm that gets most of their revenue via automakers? I mean sure their research is "independent" but.....
A common misconception about JD Power is that automakers can "buy their ranking". That's not true at all. Yes, JD Power exists to sell data to the manufacturers, but every automaker except Tesla voluntarily participates. And it makes sense that they do. Automakers want to know what their own customers think of the brand and the individual models, and they want to know what they need to change. Buying that data from JDP gives them information they can't get on their own. Sure, they know if they have a problem with specific mechanical items based on service records and warranty claims, but they don't know what their customers think of the infotainment system that's not broken but might not be intuitive to operate. Or fuel efficiency, noise levels, seat comfort, visibility and many other factors. This is what drives automakers to introduce things like disconnected exhaust tips and lower dust brake pads, or to eliminate silly capacitive controls (MB hasn't figured that one out yet). And maybe more important they want to know how they rate in various categories compared to their direct competition. JDP collects, organizes and provides this information. I don't 100% agree with their methodology, but the business plan is rock solid. Obviously automakers think so, too.
They are not in second place, the rankings are on the left, the image is cut off at the beginning of 13th place with Hyundai.
Thanks - I see that now. That makes a lot more sense. Still seems generous for Volvo, and way below other studies for Hyundai. Just highlights how very different CR and JDP rate vehicles.
I currently own a Mercedes, Jaguar, Subaru, and Ford. In the past 5 years I've also owned 2 Buicks and Chevrolet. I would rate the Buick dead last and Subaru at the top. Consumer reports should stick to recommending toasters and JD Powers selection of who they survey is questionable.
I guess I can't complain looking back on the past 20 years of owning the Mercedes brand among other cars and driving a fair amount of miles on them.
In 2002 purchased 2 yr old 2000 E430 4matic (traded in) Only hiccup, I had a crankshaft sensor go out. (bought @ 32.000 mi and was sold in 2006 @ 78.000 mi)
In 2006 purchased 2 yr old 2004 S 420 4matic (traded in) No issues (bought @ 39.000 mi and was sold in 2013 @ 61.000 mi)
In 2007 purchased 2 yr old 2005 E 500 4matic (traded in) No Issues (bought @ 31.000 mi and was sold in 2009 @ 58.000 mi)
In 2009 purchased new 2010 E350 4matic (sold) No issues (bought @ 0 mi and was sold in 2013 @ 49.000 mi)
In 2013 purchased 2010 S550 4matic (sold) No issues (bought @ 38.000 mi and was sold in 2014 @ 48.000 mi)
In 2013 purchased 2000 SLK 230 (sold) No Issues (bought @ 113.000 mi and was sold in 2016 @ 152.000 mi)
In 2016 purchased 2008 SLK 55 AMG AC (currently own, had 26.000 mi, currently is @ 83.000 mi) Replaced pressure sensor, air quality sensor, second air injection pump, relay, both check valves
In 2019 purchased 2017 GLE 350 4matic No issues (bought @ 36.000 mi and was traded in 2022 @ 73.000 mi)
In 2022 purchased 2020 GLE 350 4matic (bought @ 22.500 mi currently own @ 24.000 mi)
Regarding the 2017 GLE and current 2020 GLE, both had/have Distronic cruise control with steering assist and a variety of premium plus packages which are fully appreciated and make long road trips fun.
Just curious: how many of us will lease or buy another Mercedes Benz product after reading these publications and or car magazines? Let's be honest.
Since these things have such small sample sizes, I don't bother with them much.
Heck my current car has never even been rated by CR.
Plus, do we really think that people with cheap cars are going to make a stink about rattles like a MB owner would? these ratings are interesting to look at but not gospel.
As a long long time Lexus owner and short short time MB owner, I feel this study is right on, at least for the two brands I’ve owned.
I owned Lexus vehicles for 22 years and my 2 years with my S560 have met or exceeded my experience with Lexus vehicles at the same age. I think it really depends on the model with the Germans, MB included obviously.
I know you are satisfied with your S just as I am with my X5. But this report is about GX and GLE. I had GX before too. So I know the GX well. Solid truck.
I owned Lexus vehicles for 22 years and my 2 years with my S560 have met or exceeded my experience with Lexus vehicles at the same age. I think it really depends on the model with the Germans, MB included obviously.
I remember that CR called the W222 s-class a car to stay away from because of all the issues it supposedly had. Think this was in 2015 and everyone on the forum was shaking their head.
That car has been one of the most reliable cars MB built. CR ratings are worthless IMO.
Our GLE has been a non-issue car apart from the MB-Tex seat issue but that was taken care of without any hassle.
I know you are satisfied with your S just as I am with my X5. But this report is about GX and GLE. I had GX before too. So I know the GX well. Solid truck.
Actually CR rated the entire brand as the lowest in the industry as well, so its not just the GLE. I agree that the GLE is a model that a consumer should be aware of potential issues with.
Originally Posted by Wolfman
I remember that CR called the W222 s-class a car to stay away from because of all the issues it supposedly had. Think this was in 2015 and everyone on the forum was shaking their head.
That car has been one of the most reliable cars MB built. CR ratings are worthless IMO.
Our GLE has been a non-issue car apart from the MB-Tex seat issue but that was taken care of without any hassle.
Yup, I remember. I met with an independent mechanic today who is going to do the brakes on my W222 and we put my car up on a lift and he, his MB lead tech and I spent about 30 minutes underneath it talking about it and cars in general, and he said that that car and most Mercedes are very reliable, its cost of dealer work that creates this aura of unreliability, and I think he has a point.
To me data has to jibe with other sources. If CR is saying MB is the worst AND JD Power is also, AND other sources then thats one thing. But here we have JD power saying MB is fairly average (which I buy) and CR is saying they are the worst, that doesn't line up. Like with Lexus, always at the top of everything and everybody agrees they make very reliable cars, but for CR to rate MB lower than JEEP, somethings not right there.
If you click each bar it shows the models that were used in the ratings, and it’s nothing more than a simple average. For Mercedes, the rating is based on just two models, the E and GLE, which got really low scores. The S Class wasn’t included, which had it been probably would have driven up the score. I don’t know the exact methodology, but the article simply states:
Our predicted reliability score is calculated on a 0-to-100-point scale, with the average rating falling between 41 and 60 points. For a brand to be ranked, we must have sufficient survey data for two or more models.
So, to MB’s dismay, the only ”sufficient” survey respondents for MB were from E and GLE owners and they obviously scored it very low.
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