When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Very interesting discussion. Keep it going.
Purchased new, 2016 GLE350 4Matic with 61K miles on it.
I was scared of something going wrong with the MB so I purchase the 7-year 100K miles extended warranty. I guess I shouldn’t have.
Had a popping noice coming form the front side, going over ramps etc. It took the dealer a while to finally figure out what’s wrong. Some bolt missing, they said. I wasn’t impressed.
@- biggest complaint -
-guzzler- expensive has, $50 very 5 days for gas.
-Terrible factory installed tires 20” Pirelli Scorpion. Very soft rubber and wear off very quickly. Had to replace 3 of my tires (4th one was recently replaced)
cost me $1,272, because the backside of the tire, wall and thread meet, it was ripping and mesh wire showing. Due to mis-alignment. I was super mad. Been going to the dealer for 4 years and letting them maintain my GLE and not once did they say anything about “uneven tire wear” or “alignment” needed.
I had less than 20K miles on those tires. How’s this possible? Terrible tires and have written MB headquarters a complaint. I blame the dealer for this and should ah e asked them to pay 50% of the repair. Had to lay $187 for 4-wheel alignment. The dealer gave me a free alignment, next time I need one.
- the GLE is about on the right side, not slot of leg knee room front and back. Trunk is on.
My biggest concern is paying huge prices at the dealer for maintenance. I can’t really say the Mb is a good quality vehicle not reliable.
A-Service $278.
B-Service $600
I worried about break job coming up and belt inspection.
to be honest, next vehicle it’s going to be a Toyota Highlander or Hyundai Palisade. I want to pay for regular gas and not worry about quality and reliability and worry about expensive maintenance.
- what exactly did the dealer replace. You said "some bolt". What was it? It is listed on your service invoice.
- The M276 in the GLE350 is not terribly fuel efficient. I get approximately 20mpg. How many miles do you drive per week? You didn't list the fuel economy you are getting.
- Pirelli tires have many complaints on this site. I have Conti Crosscontact LX Sports, and they are just OK for tread wear. Not great.
- roominess and luggage space are positives in my view.
- Mercedes dealers are very expensive. This is something that a person should educate themselves on before buying a Mercedes. If you are coming from a Ford, GM, Honda or Toyota, you will find yourself in another world, when it comes to dealer service prices. It is what it is.
- what exactly did the dealer replace. You said "some bolt". What was it? It is listed on your service invoice.
- The M276 in the GLE350 is not terribly fuel efficient. I get approximately 20mpg. How many miles do you drive per week? You didn't list the fuel economy you are getting.
- Pirelli tires have many complaints on this site. I have Conti Crosscontact LX Sports, and they are just OK for tread wear. Not great.
- roominess and luggage space are positives in my view.
- Mercedes dealers are very expensive. This is something that a person should educate themselves on before buying a Mercedes. If you are coming from a Ford, GM, Honda or Toyota, you will find yourself in another world, when it comes to dealer service prices. It is what it is.
THE first time I brought up this “ loud pop” when turning into Ramos, to my dealer, reading from Paperwork :
1 loose tension at transmission cross member and brackets. Installed chassis bars under vehicle. Located noise at transmission cross member and cross member braces. Retorqied transmission cross member and braces.
my joy was short lived, it happened again, the loud “popping” noise came back
2 Longitudinal member to subframe front bolts loose. Duplicated concern, attached chassis ears, located noise from longitudinal member to front.
So far no more piping but was surprised those bolts were lose , I think from the factory.
i drive about 200 miles per week. Mileage is about 20mpg
as soon as my tire and wheel warranty expires At the end of this year, I’m going over to Tire Rack to switch out my tires.
Thanks Roni07. It seems you are experiencing normal performance for fuel economy and tire wear. The loose bolts complaint doesn't appear often on this site. Need to see if it becomes more common.
After 14 months of owernship, a report is submitted herewith. I will update this over time.
Vehicle: 2017 W166 GLE350 4MATIC with P2 package, trailer hitch, LED lights, and Parktronic, standard steel spring suspension with 20" 5 spoke wheels. Black exterior and black MB-Tex interior. I purchased the vehicle pre-owned with 3,000 miles on it, and it has been dealer serviced during my ownership. It is now coming up on 30,000 miles.
Overall, I really enjoy this vehicle. I came out of a 2011 VW TDI Touareg that I put 238k miles on. I use a vehicle for highway cruising, both for work and for family trips, so comfort at speed and luggage capacity are priorities. Towing is another priority, because I pull a 3,000lb boat a few times each year. I have run several vehicles beyond 200k miles, and am familiar with what it takes to achieve high mileage, and I choose vehicles based on the potential to achieve high mileage. I prefer the German design ethos in vehicles, and have several German brands in the family fleet.
The GLE350 is a comfortable highway cruiser; it swallows up luggage, and tows a boat well. Suspension and seats are excellent for long 700 mile trips at 70mph-80mph. The climate control and infotainment systems do their jobs well. Towing is a very stable and secure experience, with capable steering and plenty of power. The Mercedes exterior appearance, while subjective, is a positive for me. Quality of materials and interior design are excellent, and body rigidity is very good. MB-Tex seating surfaces are rugged, comfortable, attractive and easy to clean. Subtle details like placement, direction and intensity of interior lighting are pleasant surprises. Use of interior dome and reading lights by passengers is possible, without detracting from the driver's night vision. This vehicle seem like it will be reliable, based on only one warranty claim so far - for a cracked wood door trim panel.
One of my favorite features of the vehicle is the harman kardon audio system - it rocks.
A few characteristics are, for me, neutral and unimpressive. The M276 3.5L naturally aspirated V6 gets 22mpg on the freeway, in the best of conditions. This is not impressive. I use 93 octane fuel, exclusively. Braking power when towing leaves something to be desired. The 7G-Tronic can be clunky in certain situations. 20" wheels and tires are not comfortable on poor surfaces, I know of no other way to say this. The Conti Cross Contact LX Sport tires have mediocre, at best, tire wear.
In summary, I am a generally satisfied owner, and see that this vehicle can run beyond 200k miles, with the necessary maintenance that all vehicles require.
Thanks Roni07. It seems you are experiencing normal performance for fuel economy and tire wear. The loose bolts complaint doesn't appear often on this site. Need to see if it becomes more common.
i think my mpg is normal for my type of driving. I now wish, I had gone with a Diesel option.
I’m still not sure what they “found” and “fixed” the first time. Too many “loose” bolts in my opinion.
I feel like the bloom is coming off of the rose. It feels like I am being bitten by a manufacturer and dealer not willing to stand behind their product.
Has anyone had an oil leak challenged by the dealership? It's lunacy. What is the fastest, least painful way for me to get Mercedes to agree to repair these leaks? I don't enjoy twisting arms for something that should be an automatic "yes, we will repair the leaks under warranty".
I see what appears to me to be a rear main crankshaft oil leak, and a chain cover oil leak. Please see photos.
The service advisor at first said, "We didn't find any oil leaks. We saw some discoloration." I challenged that and he said he would take photos and send them to Mercedes for evaluation. I arrived to pick up my vehicle and I asked him how the discoloration happened.
He got that squirmy upset stomach look on his face and tried to stifle a smile. He said Mercedes calls the discoloration "vapors".
I asked him if the discoloration was liquid oil. Same squeamish look.
I asked him if the oil was formerly inside the engine, and was now outside the engine. Squeamish look.
I asked him if the only way for oil to exit the engine in that location was through the crankshaft rear main seal, and that the only way to remedy this was to pull the transmission, drop the oil pan and do the repair. Squeamish look.
I'll save the narrative, but the sequence was the same for the chain cover leak.
I feel like the bloom is coming off of the rose. It feels like I am being bitten by a manufacturer and dealer not willing to stand behind their product.
Has anyone had an oil leak challenged by the dealership? It's lunacy. What is the fastest, least painful way for me to get Mercedes to agree to repair these leaks? I don't enjoy twisting arms for something that should be an automatic "yes, we will repair the leaks under warranty".
I see what appears to me to be a rear main crankshaft oil leak, and a chain cover oil leak. Please see photos.
The service advisor at first said, "We didn't find any oil leaks. We saw some discoloration." I challenged that and he said he would take photos and send them to Mercedes for evaluation. I arrived to pick up my vehicle and I asked him how the discoloration happened.
He got that squirmy upset stomach look on his face and tried to stifle a smile. He said Mercedes calls the discoloration "vapors".
I asked him if the discoloration was liquid oil. Same squeamish look.
I asked him if the oil was formerly inside the engine, and was now outside the engine. Squeamish look.
I asked him if the only way for oil to exit the engine in that location was through the crankshaft rear main seal, and that the only way to remedy this was to pull the transmission, drop the oil pan and do the repair. Squeamish look.
I'll save the narrative, but the sequence was the same for the chain cover leak.
First three photos are from the service advisor, the second three are taken by me.
looks exactly like an oil leak n it’s not a vapour,
cant believe that the dealer and MB and trying to call it Something else, so they don’t have to fix it, for free
33Knmiles , unacceptable. A brand that stands behind their product and build, should take care of this and Thank you, not you trying to convince them that what they build is a poor excuse for quality.
Ot is painfully clear that this is an oil leak. Maybe what MB is telling us , is not to trust and buy their brand. Keep it up, it’s working
Today I measured tread depth at three locations each on all four tires, a total of 12 measurements. Depth was slightly less than 5/32" at all locations, with the inner tread depth about 1/2 of a 32nd consistently less.
I'm pleased with the overall even tread wear across the four tires. The inner tread depth difference is symptomatic of M-B's excessive, in my opinion, toe and camber settings, particularly on the rear axle.
I pay the dealer to rotate the tires at each oil change, and I air up to 45 psi cold on all four tires. I was getting uneven wear across the face of the tires at lower pressure, and the tire was visibly concave or underinflated, at lower pressure. 45 psi cold inflation pressure eliminated uneven wear across the face of the tire.
The vehicle has 33k miles now, and I expect to achieve approximately 45k miles on the factory Continental Cross Contact LX Sports.
Today I measured tread depth at three locations each on all four tires, a total of 12 measurements. Depth was slightly less than 5/32" at all locations, with the inner tread depth about 1/2 of a 32nd consistently less.
I'm pleased with the overall even tread wear across the four tires. The inner tread depth difference is symptomatic of M-B's excessive, in my opinion, toe and camber settings, particularly on the rear axle.
I pay the dealer to rotate the tires at each oil change, and I air up to 45 psi cold on all four tires. I was getting uneven wear across the face of the tires at lower pressure, and the tire was visibly concave or underinflated, at lower pressure. 45 psi cold inflation pressure eliminated uneven wear across the face of the tire.
I have 33k miles now, and expect to achieve approximately 45k miles on the factory Continental
m Cross Contact LX Sports.
I like to inflate my 20” Pirelli Scorpion 🦂 to 45psi but I’m in TX and worry about heat and tires blowing up. I’ve had a lot tire wear problems, had yo have 3 tires replaced , they were ripping. Complained to MB HQ but the response was - oh 30K miles on the tires and need to be replaced! , that’s perfectly normal-
I’m so done with MB bs
Poor service from Mercedes dealerships especially in the Midwest is par for the course. Did they ever get back to you? Maybe get a second opinion from a different one?
The cover venting oil vapor is pretty common on M276. Nothing too concerning although hard to tell from the pictures.
The other oil stain is odd. You would imagine if It were an oil filing/extracting error the left side of Picture 1 and bottom of Picture 2 should have oil where the dipstick meets the oil pan. Could you trace it from the top? On the M272 it's where the cam bore blanks & covers are.
Poor service from Mercedes dealerships especially in the Midwest is par for the course. Did they ever get back to you? Maybe get a second opinion from a different one?
The cover venting oil vapor is pretty common on M276. Nothing too concerning although hard to tell from the pictures.
The other oil stain is odd. You would imagine if It were an oil filing/extracting error the left side of Picture 1 and bottom of Picture 2 should have oil where the dipstick meets the oil pan. Could you trace it from the top? On the M272 it's where the cam bore blanks & covers are.
Thanks @bluegene . The dealership has not gotten back to me, not a surprise. I will call them this week. Thanks for the suggestion on the dipstick possibility, I will try to follow it down. The dipstick on the M276/W166 is on the left/driver's side near the rear of the engine. The oil I am seeing from below appears to be coming from inside the transmission bell housing. This is consistent with a rear main crankshaft seal leak.
Enjoyed another 500 mile round trip towing experience to and from a fishing destination The GLE350 is a great tow vehicle, for a 3,500 lb boat. I slept overnight in the cargo area. The seats folded down flat, an improvement vs my VW Touraeg whose seats did not fold completely flat. I am 6' tall and slept on a diagonal in the back. It was a great experience, two thumbs up.
14.5mpg is not thrilling, but the rest of the vehicle performance was good. 2/3 of the miles were interstate freeway at 75mph, 1/3 of the miles were state highway at 60mph.
Loved my 3 previous Touaregs!
What model did you have?
I had a 2011 TDI, and ran it 238,000 miles. I loved that car. Lots of (mostly) diesel related problems but the overall vehicle was excellent. VW bought it back from me, so financially they made good for the diesel issues.
After 14 months of owernship, a report is submitted herewith. I will update this over time.
Vehicle: 2017 W166 GLE350 4MATIC with P2 package, trailer hitch, LED lights, and Parktronic, standard steel spring suspension with 20" 5 spoke wheels. Black exterior and black MB-Tex interior. I purchased the vehicle pre-owned with 3,000 miles on it, and it has been dealer serviced during my ownership. It is now coming up on 30,000 miles.
Overall, I really enjoy this vehicle. I came out of a 2011 VW TDI Touareg that I put 238k miles on. I use a vehicle for highway cruising, both for work and for family trips, so comfort at speed and luggage capacity are priorities. Towing is another priority, because I pull a 3,000lb boat a few times each year. I have run several vehicles beyond 200k miles, and am familiar with what it takes to achieve high mileage, and I choose vehicles based on the potential to achieve high mileage. I prefer the German design ethos in vehicles, and have several German brands in the family fleet.
The GLE350 is a comfortable highway cruiser; it swallows up luggage, and tows a boat well. Suspension and seats are excellent for long 700 mile trips at 70mph-80mph. The climate control and infotainment systems do their jobs well. Towing is a very stable and secure experience, with capable steering and plenty of power. The Mercedes exterior appearance, while subjective, is a positive for me. Quality of materials and interior design are excellent, and body rigidity is very good. MB-Tex seating surfaces are rugged, comfortable, attractive and easy to clean. Subtle details like placement, direction and intensity of interior lighting are pleasant surprises. Use of interior dome and reading lights by passengers is possible, without detracting from the driver's night vision. This vehicle seem like it will be reliable, based on only one warranty claim so far - for a cracked wood door trim panel.
One of my favorite features of the vehicle is the harman kardon audio system - it rocks.
A few characteristics are, for me, neutral and unimpressive. The M276 3.5L naturally aspirated V6 gets 22mpg on the freeway, in the best of conditions. This is not impressive. I use 93 octane fuel, exclusively. Braking power when towing leaves something to be desired. The 7G-Tronic can be clunky in certain situations. 20" wheels and tires are not comfortable on poor surfaces, I know of no other way to say this. The Conti Cross Contact LX Sport tires have mediocre, at best, tire wear.
In summary, I am a generally satisfied owner, and see that this vehicle can run beyond 200k miles, with the necessary maintenance that all vehicles require.
I had a 2011 TDI, and ran it 238,000 miles. I loved that car. Lots of (mostly) diesel related problems but the overall vehicle was excellent. VW bought it back from me, so financially they made good for the diesel issues.
That mileage and they bought it back'
Seems like there may be a story there!!
That mileage and they bought it back'
Seems like there may be a story there!!
Yes, it was part of Dieselgate. You can read about it.
100% analogous to the Mercedes Bluetec situation, but Daimler is not making consumers whole as VW has done.
After 14 months of owernship, a report is submitted herewith. I will update this over time.
Vehicle: 2017 W166 GLE350 4MATIC with P2 package, trailer hitch, LED lights, and Parktronic, standard steel spring suspension with 20" 5 spoke wheels. Black exterior and black MB-Tex interior. I purchased the vehicle pre-owned with 3,000 miles on it, and it has been dealer serviced during my ownership. It is now coming up on 30,000 miles.
Overall, I really enjoy this vehicle. I came out of a 2011 VW TDI Touareg that I put 238k miles on. I use a vehicle for highway cruising, both for work and for family trips, so comfort at speed and luggage capacity are priorities. Towing is another priority, because I pull a 3,000lb boat a few times each year. I have run several vehicles beyond 200k miles, and am familiar with what it takes to achieve high mileage, and I choose vehicles based on the potential to achieve high mileage. I prefer the German design ethos in vehicles, and have several German brands in the family fleet.
The GLE350 is a comfortable highway cruiser; it swallows up luggage, and tows a boat well. Suspension and seats are excellent for long 700 mile trips at 70mph-80mph. The climate control and infotainment systems do their jobs well. Towing is a very stable and secure experience, with capable steering and plenty of power. The Mercedes exterior appearance, while subjective, is a positive for me. Quality of materials and interior design are excellent, and body rigidity is very good. MB-Tex seating surfaces are rugged, comfortable, attractive and easy to clean. Subtle details like placement, direction and intensity of interior lighting are pleasant surprises. Use of interior dome and reading lights by passengers is possible, without detracting from the driver's night vision. This vehicle seem like it will be reliable, based on only one warranty claim so far - for a cracked wood door trim panel.
One of my favorite features of the vehicle is the harman kardon audio system - it rocks.
A few characteristics are, for me, neutral and unimpressive. The M276 3.5L naturally aspirated V6 gets 22mpg on the freeway, in the best of conditions. This is not impressive. I use 93 octane fuel, exclusively. Braking power when towing leaves something to be desired. The 7G-Tronic can be clunky in certain situations. 20" wheels and tires are not comfortable on poor surfaces, I know of no other way to say this. The Conti Cross Contact LX Sport tires have mediocre, at best, tire wear.
In summary, I am a generally satisfied owner, and see that this vehicle can run beyond 200k miles, with the necessary maintenance that all vehicles require.
After 14 months of owernship, a report is submitted herewith. I will update this over time.
Vehicle: 2017 W166 GLE350 4MATIC with P2 package, trailer hitch, LED lights, and Parktronic, standard steel spring suspension with 20" 5 spoke wheels. Black exterior and black MB-Tex interior. I purchased the vehicle pre-owned with 3,000 miles on it, and it has been dealer serviced during my ownership. It is now coming up on 30,000 miles.
Overall, I really enjoy this vehicle. I came out of a 2011 VW TDI Touareg that I put 238k miles on. I use a vehicle for highway cruising, both for work and for family trips, so comfort at speed and luggage capacity are priorities. Towing is another priority, because I pull a 3,000lb boat a few times each year. I have run several vehicles beyond 200k miles, and am familiar with what it takes to achieve high mileage, and I choose vehicles based on the potential to achieve high mileage. I prefer the German design ethos in vehicles, and have several German brands in the family fleet.
The GLE350 is a comfortable highway cruiser; it swallows up luggage, and tows a boat well. Suspension and seats are excellent for long 700 mile trips at 70mph-80mph. The climate control and infotainment systems do their jobs well. Towing is a very stable and secure experience, with capable steering and plenty of power. The Mercedes exterior appearance, while subjective, is a positive for me. Quality of materials and interior design are excellent, and body rigidity is very good. MB-Tex seating surfaces are rugged, comfortable, attractive and easy to clean. Subtle details like placement, direction and intensity of interior lighting are pleasant surprises. Use of interior dome and reading lights by passengers is possible, without detracting from the driver's night vision. This vehicle seem like it will be reliable, based on only one warranty claim so far - for a cracked wood door trim panel.
One of my favorite features of the vehicle is the harman kardon audio system - it rocks.
A few characteristics are, for me, neutral and unimpressive. The M276 3.5L naturally aspirated V6 gets 22mpg on the freeway, in the best of conditions. This is not impressive. I use 93 octane fuel, exclusively. Braking power when towing leaves something to be desired. The 7G-Tronic can be clunky in certain situations. 20" wheels and tires are not comfortable on poor surfaces, I know of no other way to say this. The Conti Cross Contact LX Sport tires have mediocre, at best, tire wear.
In summary, I am a generally satisfied owner, and see that this vehicle can run beyond 200k miles, with the necessary maintenance that all vehicles require.
Another successful 750 mile round trip towing experience in the book. The W166 GLE350 is a rock solid tow vehicle, in this case for a 3,500 lb boat.
Fuel economy isn't stellar - around 13mpg. 2/3 of the mileage was at 75-77mph on interstate freeways, the balance was around 60mph on state highways.
Brakes could use more power and authority.
The main high points in towing are the power, transmission shifting, steering stability and handling. I am usually not a 7G-Tronic transmission supporter, but in towing situations it is good.
The 7G seems to like to be used hard - give it throttle and a heavy load and it shift firmly, predictably and decisively. Gentle and finesse driving situations, such as around town, are where the 7G performs poorly. In these situations is clunks and is vague in going about its business.
Finished a 1,600 mile business trip in the W166. Nice ride. Averaged 22.5mpg all told. Two thirds of the distance travelled was on interstate freeways at 75-80mph, the balance was on US and state highways at 65-70mph. No towing, one passenger and very little luggage. The seats are comfortable for the long distance, and I have had (minor) difficulty with other vehicle seats during long rides. I really like M-B Tex, it feels robust and I like the non-slip surface.
The 7G-Tronic is one of my least favorite transmissions of all vehicles I have owned. When it's flogged, it does well. When driven with finesse, it bobbles and clunks. Throttle pedal programming is part of this. Finesse driving is not well managed by the M-B powertrain driveability engineers.
Overall, the suspension is comfortable in a straight line, 20" wheels and harsh low profile tires notwithstanding. However, the on-center handling is vague, giving a loose floatiness feeling under small to moderate steering inputs. Once the vehicle is in the turn, it feels planted, but getting there is a bit of a guessing game.
The tires are just about at the wear bars at 40k miles, time for replacements. I am going with Conti Cross Contact LX25 for higher wear rating over the LX Sports.
Time for 40k mile oil change. I just put on three new wiper blades DIY, easy.
Returned yesterday from a 1,300 mile family vacation long weekend. The GLE was a great highway cruiser, as usual. Managed 18mpg with two bikes on the roof. Half of the distance was interstate highway at 75mph-80mph and the remainder was state and local roads at 50mph-60mph. Vehicle load was two adults and a fair amount of luggage, which the rear cargo area gobbled up with the seats folded flat.
Very little wind noise from the Thule roof rack system. It is mounted rearward enough to use the moonroof in its full tilt and slide function. The Thule rack includes a fairing/deflector which probably helps.
I passed 40k miles on this trip, so will schedule an oil change in the next week or so. I ordered new Contis from a local tire shop, they should arrive this week.
The 7G-Tronic is one of my least favorite transmissions of all vehicles I have owned. When it's flogged, it does well. When driven with finesse, it bobbles and clunks. Throttle pedal programming is part of this. Finesse driving is not well managed by the M-B powertrain driveability engineers.
Reset your TCU and you'll get your response back. This is a normal thing with Mercedes Transmissions. Specially if more than one person drives the car. It's just due from the system learning the driving habits of the driver(s).
02-28-2020, 01:20 AM
loose tension at transmission cross member and brackets. Installed chassis bars under vehicle. Located noise at transmission cross member and cross member braces. Retorqied transmission cross member and braces. 
