MERCEDES-BENZ Complaints

THROTTLE LAG With the 2026 Mercedes CLE 300, throttle lag is driven by a combination of software programming, transmission behavior, and turbocharger dynamics working simultaneously.The following situation is when it usually occurs:Transitioning from a slow roll up a ramp (like the parking ramp at my condo) or pulling away from an intersection or traffic light or stop sign, you can catch the powertrain in its most vulnerable window for lag.:At low speeds, the combination of specific mechanical and software factors makes that hesitation much more pronounced:or a dead stop, the 9-speed transmission is usually sitting in 1st or 2nd gear. When you need a sudden burst of power to climb a ramp or clear an intersection, (or the pedestrian I alluded to in our conversation), the transmission has to evaluate the demand, disengage the current gear, shift down or match revs, and re-engage. That mechanical shuffle takes a second, but it feels like an eternity. (It’s much more than a second because I will have to put the accelerator all the way down to the floor in order to get a response from the car.•:Torque Converter Slip and Creep Logic: Modern automatic transmissions use torque converter slip to keep low-speed crawling smooth and prevent the car from lurching. When you "goose" the throttle from a crawl, the system has to transition from slip-and-creep mode to locked-up acceleration, which dampens the immediate bite of power to the wheels.:Here are the primary causes behind the hesitation: •Drive-by-Wire Throttle Calibration: Modern Mercedes models use an electronic throttle pedal tuned heavily for fuel efficiency, low emissions, and smooth passenger comfort. The computer deliberately dampens initial pedal inputs to prevent aggressive power surges, creating a physical "dead zone" at the top of the pedal travel.This the precise problem I have. Not enough space to write more. This has been refused by MBUSA,Alerted to me by theNCDS.

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal became stuck and almost caused a crash. The contact shifted the transmission into neutral(N) while the vehicle continued to accelerate and the RPM was extremely elevated. The contact was able to turn off the vehicle while the transmission was in neutral (N). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the accelerator pedal was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact discovered from a Carfax report that the accelerator pedal had previously been replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

Vehicle was exhibiting erratic indications in all safety systems. Was checked out by dealer told all was OK. Two weeks later vehicle indicated warnings in various safety system, instrument cluster went dark, speedometer and tach were inop, blinkers did not work. Car taken to dealer again where it was determined that water incursion into passenger side foot well as the result of clogged sunroof drains had resulted in water damage to the signal acquisition module and other modules regulating the CAN Bus which were mounted in a location susceptible to water incursion and damage. Routine service does not include assuring that sunroof drains are open. Given the nature of computer systems in this vehicle such water damage has the potential of serious safety issues. These modules must be relocated to an area not prone to flooding. MBNA was contacted and provided no customer support whatsoever. The repair was almost $2500.

I own a 2020 Mercedes-Benz C300 equipped with a power trunk. On July 22, 2026, I took my vehicle to Annapolis Mercedes-Benz because the power trunk was repeatedly closing on its own while people were standing in the trunk opening. I specifically reported that the trunk was unexpectedly closing while I, my child, or another individual was loading or unloading the vehicle and expressed concern that someone could be injured. The dealership kept the vehicle for several hours but advised me that no malfunction could be found. I was told the trunk had been reset and that there were no problems with the vehicle. I also provided video evidence of the trunk malfunction by text message to my service advisor. On August 2, 2026, the exact same problem occurred. While I was loading groceries into the trunk, the power trunk unexpectedly closed without warning and struck my son in the head, causing injury. This incident occurred after I had already reported the same safety concern to the dealership. I believe the power trunk is malfunctioning intermittently and presents a significant safety hazard because it can unexpectedly close on a person while the trunk is being used. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this potential safety defect, as it may pose a risk of injury to other vehicle owners and passengers.

Vehicle stalls out at highway speeds. It will be in gear, shown on the dash, it will be redlining, but not move. It will stall out while the vehicle is in motion. The accelerator does not provide power to the transmission and acts as if it is in neutral. All I can do is coast to the side of the road and power off the car, open the door to provide a full power down, then restart the vehicle. This has happened over a dozen times since August 2025. Mercedes says there is no fix. It’s been in the shop more than 10 times for over 60 days. They have even sent out field engineers who cannot duplicate the issue, yet there are codes stored in the cars computer. The car also does not always shift into reverse or drive from park. The transmission often has a small 1-2 second delay upon pressing the accelerator from a stop, which sometimes puts me into the path of an oncoming car, say when turning left on a flashing yellow. Since the car has a delayed response, it puts me I harms way when I may have had time to go, but then it didn’t move. It also drives very jerky at times, shifts late or not at all. I have video of this but cannot load it through this form, so we need to send it a different way. I’ve opened multiple buy back requests as a lemon but Mercedes says no. I have far more documents than I can upload here if you have a way to send them. Mercedes says the car is safe and told me in person “if you crash, that’s why you have airbags”. Because the car can stall without notice at highway speeds, it is not safe in my opinion and it’s appalling they won’t fix it or buy it back.

The screen goes blank not only in the middle where the maps, air conditioning and radio is but the screen where the speed gas tank are as well. We have taken the car in at least 5 times stayed the issue and were told there’s no recall yet for the car. I see here that there is. The car was a Richmond Mercedes today the screen went down amd I was told there’s no fix but maybe I could look on the internet. So here I am!

Experienced sudden, unforeseeable and uncontrolled runaway acceleration resulting in significant property damage and damage to the vehicle. Vehicle accelerated on its own uncontrollably up an inclined concrete driveway into and through the wall of a garage attached to a single-family detached dwelling unit. No bodily injuries were apparent.

while driving, vehicle issued alerts for inoperative active brake assist, inoperative distance control, inoperative blind spot assist, and inoperative active stop and go assist. with all those alerts it was very concerning and I felt apprehensive to operate the vehicle further, as it may crash. Mercedes Benz dealer technician confirmed that the Distronic and Cruise control unit was defective/faulty.

I have begun noticing symptoms of the adhesive failing, such as excessive wind noise coming from the front roof area and visible gaps/separation between the panel and the vehicle body. This poses a severe safety risk, as the panel could completely detach while driving and become a high-speed road hazard. No warning lights have appeared. The vehicle and component are available for inspection upon request.

While driving my 2026 Mercedes-Benz E350 (rear-wheel drive) at approximately 40 mph, I began slowing for a traffic light. As I approached the intersection, the vehicle suddenly experienced what appeared to be a catastrophic electronic failure. Without warning, the vehicle became almost completely inoperable while the engine continued to run. The vehicle abruptly came to a stop and became immobilized. The rear wheels locked, preventing the vehicle from moving. I was unable to shift the transmission out of Drive or into any other gear. The gear selector became completely unresponsive. I was unable to shut the vehicle off. Numerous warning lights and system malfunction messages appeared simultaneously across the instrument cluster. The windshield wipers activated on their own without any driver input. The windows rolled down automatically and would not roll up. Nearly every electronic system appeared to malfunction at the same time. I lost the ability to control the vehicle normally because I could not shift gears, restart the vehicle, or clear any of the system failures. The engine continued running throughout the event, but the vehicle was effectively disabled and could not be driven. Emergency personnel were dispatched to guide the flow of traffic as the vehicle was obstructing traffic. This failure created an extremely dangerous traffic situation. The vehicle became immobilized in the roadway without warning during normal driving. As the driver I had no reasonable ability to anticipate or respond to this type of sudden total electronic failure. The vehicle has 1,117 miles. Unlike other reports to the NHTSA, this was not an isolated warning light or infotainment issue. The simultaneous failure of multiple independent systems suggests a significant electrical, software, communications network, or control module malfunction. The vehicle is currently with the dealership, they have been unable to diagnose the problem as the vehicle remains unresponsive.