We agree here.

 

If we can agree maybe there is hope for the world after all lol

 

In the spirit of devil’s advocate, I don’t agree that any generalization is inaccurate. If a generalization is accurate to a level above 50%, it becomes a way to differentiate, or compare. In essence it becomes the basis for forming a rule. A rule does not need to be absolutely true all the time. There can be exceptions to the rule, that do not discredit the rule. Exceptions to a rule do not negate the rule, in fact, in cases where the rule is nearly universal, the rule is verified by the minor exceptions. Once a rule is found to be correct in 100% of the cases, 100% of the time, it becomes truth.

 

while under warranty, go to mercedes for the oil changes and change the air filters yourself. Brakes at an independent shop, because they won't force you to change the rotors

 

No reason to go to MB even for the oil changes, just keep your records.

 

They won't "force" you to change rotors, or even recommend it unless they're out of spec.
My Dealer gave me new pads after I overheated them at the track. They thought I had shortened their life.
Rotors are fine at 45,000 miles. Pads too.

 

I'm with you , Mikapen,

since my 2020 doesn't have a dipstick ad I too old to be climbing under cars. I just get it done at the dealership. I have a good one here in AZ and trust them to do it right. most stuff like air filters, Cabin filters, and wiper blades, I do.

 

As a matter of fact my dealer didn’t even try to get me to replace the rotors when they really needed to be replaced. When I took it to the independent he couldn’t believe they didn’t recommend rotors.

I wound up doing rotors and pads for $1,000 less than the dealer wanted for just pads.

 

That's where Independent's can really excel. They can do high quality work with OEM parts at a much lower price. The kind of equipment necessarily for those jobs doesn't add significantly to overhead.
It's rewarding for them to provide a savings, and to have their work directly appreciated.
The good ones.

 

Here's our current situation. We leased MB GLE450e 2025 at the end of February 2025. It was frustrating experience the begin with due to salesperson being very vague with everything, we should have walked away from the deal at that time. But here we are in the beginning of August and the car is at the dealership for the last 2 weeks. Around 5k miles the rear tires (Bridgestones 275/50R20 109H) went completely bald, smooth like a skating rink. Very dangerous. Definitely those tires didn't not get this bald suddenly, they were dangerous probably at 4k miles, we just didn't pay attention bc it was a such a new car. Both front tires are like brand new. We contacted the dealership and were told to bring the car in bc of the possible alignment issue. Immediately once arrived we were told that "Oh it's Suv,so the tires wear out faster".As if we never owned SUVs before and so stupid. It's completely ubnormal for rear tires to go completely bald at 4-5k miles while front tires are perfect.Couple of days later we get an inspection report saying alignment is fine, but tires are bald (Duhhhh). What is making them bald,MB?!?! So MB decided to blame it on Bridgestone and contacted them for possible warranty. Bridgestone said that they'd pay for half of cost to replace the rear tires, the rest we have to pay. And all of a sudden MB says :So our battery is placed in the back of the car which makes it bottom heavy and it's expected such a tire wear. How is it normal to go completely bald on rear tires at 4-5k miles? What is the point of the hybrid then? The sale pitch to us was it's a hybrid, you'll save some money on gas and enjoy the experience of a luxury car. Why do we even need a hybrid then, to save some money on gas (which isn't a lot ) but spend thousands of dollars on tires? If rear tires are completely bald at 4-5k miles , that means we'd have to replace them 3 times a year! This is insanity and what's really disheartening MB is acting like their design flaw such as heavy bottom car is now our issue! Not one time during this sale our salesperson mentioned Oh btw you'll save some money on gas , but will have to purchase new tires frequently, we didn't even have an opportunity to make an educated decision whether it's the right car for us. We are very sure this is our last MB car ever. We lost all the trust in this brand. I (as a primary driver) have to mention my style of driving: im not an aggressive driver, my commute to work is 20 min,all paved roads, never dirt road,and I'm always careful since I have my son with me when I have to drive him to school and sports,and I do not pull anything with this car.I feel very unsafe in this car at this point because MB is not giving any certain answers, just speculations why the tires wear out this fast,like maybe it's tires,maybe it's bottom heavy, maybe it's both.We personally think there's a problem with the rear of this car. Changing tires up to 3 times a year is completely insane, making this hybrid completely useless, we'd rather just spend money on gas at this point. As of today 8.13.2025 MB corporate said that there's nothing wrong with my car and it's driving habits (as if I decided all of a sudden to shred through tires just for fun after 25 years of driving) and our MB dealership is saying it IS the battery and nothing they can do but to offer the 50% off deal on new Bridgestone tires, only to be back with the same issue afteranother 4K miles. If I don't have a definite answer on what is wrong with car, how can I drive it with a piece of mind?!

 

That was a painful read. My three brain cells are on strike.

Pics of these tires, or it didn't happen.

 

Ok ,here, it did happen, car currently at the dealership. Im so sorry I hurt your brain, English is not my 1st language, I did the best I could to explain the situation. This wear is not normal after 5k miles. MB can blame my driving habits and tires and heavy battery all it wants . I didn't start burning tires just for fun after 25 years of driving on SUVs only.

 

We have a 2024 GLE 450e. Our tires did not wear like that. They did not wear unevenly between front and back after 13,000 miles.

If MB or the tire manufacturer claims this is normal or typical wear for a 450e that leads to many questions
- where is the evidence of many other 450e with same wear pattern
- what is the rear weight compared to heavy duty trucks and why do those truck tires not wear as quickly
- if in fact weight is the problem why didn't MB supply a suitable tire for that weight
- if on the other hand MB or the tire company claims the tire is rated for the weight then the tire warranty protection must apply
- call MB not the dealer to discuss this and that you will be reporting to NHTSA the safety issue and need for a recall
- also reach out to Consumer Reports. They do a lot of tire performance research.

 

Thank you so much for your reply! This is very useful info to us !We did ask for statistics on this particular car and MB corporate said No issues, it's not a battery, it's a "driving habit" and basically nothing they can do. Our MB dealership ship saying (when asked about statistics) that "hybrids are known for quicker tire wear", basically saying their buttom heavy car is our problem. All we want is the total review of this car bc we believe it may be a rear issue and then we can go on with tire replacement. My issue is : Bridgestone paying 50% for replacements and the rest is our cost, but since it'd be identical tires, I am pretty sure I'll be back at my dealership in 4k miles, continuing this drama. We can put totally different tires at our expense and see what happens, but only after the total review of this car. We only had this car for 5 months, and spending money on tires this soon is a complete injustice to us.

 

Don’t be offended. If you write with paragraphs, it will make your posts easier to read.
The phrase “pics or it didn’t happen” is supposed to be a humorous comment, not an insult.
Very similar to the phrase, “got the T-shirt” or “got the coffee mug” is a humorous reply to Been there done that.

I am reading your post a couple of different ways.
1) You got the leased 450 with nearly bald tires, and didn’t notice it, or;
2) You got the car, put 5,000 miles on it, and noticed excessive rear tire wear.

Has your car been checked for fault codes? I suspect there might be a fault with the anti lock brake system. That system uses braking to gain traction control. If the rear brakes are dragging excessively during acceleration, that might be an explanation.

Regardless, knowing if there are any fault codes would be helpful for troubleshooting purposes.

 

There is no way those tires went that bald in 5,000 miles without incredibly aggressive driving. I just don't see how that is possible...

 

My only question is, "How in hell does someone go for 5,000 miles without even ONCE looking at the tires during all that time?"

Regardless, agreed with @MB2timer, either you got a car with bald tires, or didn't even realize there is something wrong with how your GLE is driving. One would hope after so many years of SUV driving experience, you would suspect something isn't right.
What sort of fuel economy are you getting? If it's crummier than similarly equipped 450's, then you know the brakes were dragging.
What shape are the rear brake pads in? Same here, if the pads are excessively worn, changes are the ABS/Traction control was dragging.

Use common sense and be logical about the issue. You'll get a lat farther than by merely accusing and pointing fingers.

 

And the wear is totally even. An alignment problem or something of that nature would yield uneven wear.

 

Agreed, but man, that current alignment would have to be some really our of spec, and the wear in the pictures looks "uniform". Although, looks like the outer edge has more wear than the mid and inner surface.

 

yes , you're right, after 25 years of careful driving i have decided to start shredding through tires just for fun. I also have a Toyota Highlander 2019 with tires that are still good after 2 years driving. I only drive SUVs and never in my life had this issue. Also, it's not my 1st Mercedes Benz.

 

It just physically makes no sense.

 

Again, I am sorry for my writing style. I will try to do better next time.
We got brand new lease at the end of February on GLE450e 2025. And I only noticed this wear at 5K ( actually my coworker who parked next to me told me about it, yes it is my fault to not pay attention, but I rarely pay attention to tires this soon on brand new car, call me oblivious. I am not aggressive driver, most of the time I have my kid with me and will never put him in danger, if anything anyone who knows me makes fun of me bc I'm slow on the road, maybe going 5 miles over the speed limit. I have always driven SUVs and this is the 1st tire issue ever.
I appreciate your suggestions! And we are getting full report once we pick up the car.

 

yes, it is my fault for not paying attention because normally i do not pay attention to my tires when it's a brand new car (I only lease) , my oblivion is costing money for sure. Actually, my coworker who parked next to me pointed it out. I couldn't believe it. We will be getting full report once the new tires are on and the car is ready for pick up.

 

Please post pictures of the full sidewall and both front and back tires. Is the production date for the rears similar to the front tires? Are the front and rears the same model of tire?

 

In the picture, it looks like a bit underinflated.
What tire pressures are you running? Are you using the pressures on the gas flap?