exoram

We have this problem in our brand new 2023 GLE450. It randomly shifts into neutral about once or twice a week while either myself or my wife are driving the car. The experience can be jarring on a highway and my wife is afraid to drive the car now. The dealership we bought it at can't seem to diagnose what's happening b/c it doesn't occur when they drive it.

Has anyone experienced anything similar ? How can we diagnose and help our dealership fix this ?

Frenetic

I would first report this to the NHTSA as I would consider this a safety risk. https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem#index. They’re pretty good at getting back within a month or two.

Have you tried taking it to another dealer? Some dealers are better than others. I wouldn’t even mention you’ve been to another dealer and just ask the new one if they can figure it out.

If you Google, “Mercedes shifts to neutral while driving,” or, “Mercedes shifts to neutral while driving forum,” a few prominent results appear. It might be related. You can research it yourself and go to your lazy, incompetent dealer with some background information that might be helpful.

Another last resort suggestion is to get a dash cam or GoPro and point it at your instrument cluster (mount it to the steering column or somewhere else with a LOS). Hopefully it records when it occurs showing either a gear change while under speed and/or an abrupt RPM change.

Billy Padian

Does it only happen in Eco mode?

bkushner

Not happening on my 2023 GLE450.

exoram

We've experienced it primarily in comfort and sports

Frenetic

If it’s any consolation, I’m also experiencing an intermittent (with no codes) issue that I consider dangerous and that the dealer cannot fix. I’m not the only one, though, as there are others here reporting the same dang thing. The NHTSA has contacted me and has indicated that they are aware of the issue and are actively investigating it.

It doesn’t give me much faith in MB considering their “brilliant” brain trust can’t put one and one together and at least have a theory as to why this is happening and troubleshoot away. It does say a lot about the quality of this car, though, not just bad build quality, but fundamental design issues that lurk under the surface. Buying these cars is like playing the lottery. Good luck.

One thing I wanted to point out if it isn’t already apparent is that the transmission in these cars are utter junk. My car clunks on downshifts and hunts and stalls on up shifts so it doesn’t surprise me you’re experiencing a major issue with it. These issues are well documented.

Getting a GoPro or dash cam and recording it is helpful if you intend to lemon the car as well so maybe that is the best route at this point. If you have visual proof of the problem and the dealer cannot fix it, that’s a good case for a lemon.

TonyF61

@Frenetic - All other issues aside, have you taken your GLE back to dealership for transmission issue? Mine was also doing hard downshifts, particularly from 3rd to 2nd. As I learned from @mikapen and others here, the trans learns you driving habits. Perhaps I was too rough with it when I first got it. I mentioned to my SA, and they "performed adaptations of trans module" and its been fine since.

TexAg91

Are you sure you’re not tapping/ touching the shift lever accidentally? To put mine in neutral, you just tap the shift stalk, vice a full push up and down for D or P. Try it the next time you’re in the vehicle—put it in D and try to shift into neutral—there is some skill to it. If your not touching it when this happens, does a large jolt cause it to slip into neutral. Perhaps there is an issue with the shift lever. Sounds like otherwise it is fine.

TonyF61

Good point, I thought I was spastic LOL. I always struggle to put mine in neutral. The only time I really need to do so is at the carwash. At first it would take 3-4 attempts. Now I push the stalk ever so gently; hoping it works on the first attempt. Having said that, not sure how anyone would, frequently, touch it accidentally. There is no reason, that I cant think of, to have one's hand near there. Hopefully the OP will get it sorted out fairly quickly. Be interested in finding out the root cause.

Frenetic

Isn’t there a transmission lock that prevents you from changing it while moving? The manual states that to put the car in neutral requires you to depress the brake pedal and hold it in the neutral position for several seconds.

Maybe that is what’s wrong with the car. That locking mechanism.

Lucky 777

I have a 350 but have deliberately put it in neutral while coasting down a hill so I don't believe it's necessary to have your foot on the brake to shift out of drive.

Frenetic

Why would you purposely put your car in neutral while driving? Did you have to hold the shifter in the neutral position for several seconds, which is what the manual states for a vehicle that is on? It also states that the brake must be depressed.

I don’t believe any fanboy here anymore after the Superswiss incident. I’m going to test it myself.

TonyF61

I would occasionally do it to my wife and kids while they were driving, on an empty road. Wanted to see how they reacted. Eventually, they didn't even look at the shifter and put it back into Drive. You never know what someone in the passenger seat is going to do; just one less thing to worry about. Granted, these cars were not MBs.

Frenetic

Well it’s not a smart thing to do, especially for modern cars that have features that benefit from engine braking. I also can’t imagine it being healthy on the transmission slamming it back into gear from neutral while it is moving.

In any case, I’m going to try it myself but do it at a speed where I can come to a safe stop without having to shove it back into gear while moving, assuming it even allows me to do it. If the instruction manual is correct, it would at least require me to purposely hold on that gear to shift, which would in itself eliminate any “accidental” gear changes.

mikapen

Please describe the @superswiss incident. Did he post an inconvenient truth?

You've done this before with your targeted individuals.
Please don't misquote him with your words and begin another false rumor. It's tiresome.

Frenetic

Go back and read for yourself. What he said was BS and I tested it myself.

https://mbworld.org/forums/gle-class...ng-assist.html

Also, that thread encapsulates everything wrong with this place. Hindsight is 20/20 but it’s funny looking back at it now.

TonyF61

Not BS from @superswiss !! Pages 222-226 in MY22 GLE owner's manual makes multiple references to a "Course-correcting brake application". This applies to Blind Spot Assist.

You posted in one of these threads, perhaps in the one you linked above, that you were having issues with this functionality as well as Lane Change Assist, and LKA. I spent my time going through all the iterations associated with those and reported my results to you. Did you ever do anything about getting your system fixed? Perhaps that is the true BS.

Frenetic

No, read my post where I called him out. He was essentially saying the issue I’m currently experiencing was designed that way. The entire peanut gallery was essentially trying to call me out saying it’s user error like people here in this thread saying this issue is user error.

TonyF61

Ok, I will take another look. However, I don't believe anyone here is trying to blame the shifting on user error. It is such and odd issue, that we are trying to troubleshoot it. Checking on user behavior is part of that process; since we can't make ours shift by itself. Just eliminating the possibilities. Nothing more than that, IMO. Just as you want to see if you can shift from drive to neutral without braking.

mikapen

Yes it does, and thanks for exposing your angry retorts. Your vehement reactions to helpful folks who are asking you questions to help you troubleshoot your issues. (It's called "troubleshooting." It's a process of investigation.)

I believe that you haven't been able to answer any questions posed about your issues.Which makes us wonder if you really have any. The rest of figured out how LKA works, but you keep blaming others, or the car, or Mercedes engineers, or some other scapegoat.

​​​​​​We're having trouble being empathetic, since you refuse to try suggestions, instead attempting to discredit smarter posters.

Show us your Repair Order so we see what the problem is.
You need to regain the credibility you've lost. Actually, "start gaining" would be more appropriate.

Regarding this thread you're trying to derail, please don't go after people trying to troubleshoot. The OP is looking for info. Stay out of the way if you can't contribute.

Frenetic

What repair orders when they can’t even fix the issue? And I certainly don’t need or want your credibility approval for anything here.

mikapen

Well, at least you succeeded in A goal. You have no credibility. Good job.

Stop working on this goal of derailing yet another thread.

We're working on addressing his problem. Your frustration that @superswiss gave helpful advice in the past has no bearing on this discussion.

PandaSPUR

I would set up a camera inside the cabin pointing at the steering wheel and gauge cluster area for your next few drives.
Could be your phone, a gopro, etc.

Capture it on camera to show the dealership so they can't just blow you off again.

Frenetic

I couldn’t get the car to shift into neutral while under throttle, even while holding the lever in the neutral position. I tried without throttle and it DID shift into neutral so long as I held the shifter in the neutral position.

This leaves me to believe that it is highly unlikely any user error is involved and their car is a broken POS like mine.

TonyF61