Mercedes-Benz GLE, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
43,492 Mercedes-Benz GLEs are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 87.1% of initial MOT tests, 14.8 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific GLE? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Mercedes-Benz GLE at the MOT
87.1% of 33,871 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the GLE 88th of 575 models. Mercedes-Benz GLEs aged 3 to 5 years passed 88.1% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 86.5%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Mercedes-Benz GLE tests in 2025.
Where GLEs fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Mercedes-Benz GLE tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (21.3%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (12.9%) and condition has ply or cords exposed (8.8%).
The MOT page lists every common GLE MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The GLE's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.49.4% of GLE failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.9.3% of GLE failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.8.9% of GLE failure items
Mercedes-Benz GLEs in the UK
43,492 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 244% since the end of 2017.
- Change since 2017
- +244%from 12,652 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2020half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2020 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 3,086against 6,987 in 2016
- Declared off the road
- 1,8214% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Mercedes-Benz GLEs since 2015
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2015 | 1,633 |
| End of 2016 | 8,247 |
| End of 2017 | 12,652 |
| End of 2018 | 18,513 |
| End of 2019 | 20,733 |
| End of 2020 | 27,024 |
| End of 2021 | 31,885 |
| End of 2022 | 35,354 |
| End of 2023 | 37,737 |
| End of 2024 | 40,380 |
| End of 2025 | 42,469 |
| End of June 2026 | 43,492 |
How old they are
Licensed Mercedes-Benz GLEs by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,059 | 3,086 |
| 2024 | 3,199 | 3,684 |
| 2023 | 3,556 | 3,832 |
| 2022 | 3,348 | 4,269 |
| 2021 | 4,613 | 5,474 |
| 2020 | 4,818 | 5,784 |
| 2019 | 3,312 | 4,249 |
| 2018 | 5,704 | 6,957 |
| 2017 | 4,412 | 5,652 |
| 2016 | 5,206 | 6,987 |
| 2015 | 1,172 | 1,742 |
1,172 GLEs first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 67% of the 1,742 first registered that year.
GLE engines and fuel
3.0 litre engines made up 30% of Mercedes-Benz GLE MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.1 litre at 25%. Diesel accounts for 65% of licensed GLEs and hybrid electric for 22%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 33,868 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed GLEs
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,467 | 3% |
| Diesel | 28,380 | 65% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 4,218 | 10% |
| Hybrid electric | 9,426 | 22% |
| Gas | 1 | <0.1% |
Mercedes-Benz GLE recalls
66 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz GLE. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every GLE is affected.
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Sep 2026 R/2026/326
Installation of the Heat Shield
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz AG has determined that on certain GLE (167 platform) vehicles with OM654 and hybrid drive a heat shield in the firewall area might not be installed according to specification.
- Remedy
- As a remedy Mercedes-Benz AG via its Mercedes-Benz service partners will check the heat shield and the fuel line on the affected vehicles and rework it if necessary.
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Jun 2026 R/2026/221
SRPC2607 - Rear Seat Belt Bolting
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz AG has determined that on certain GLE/GLS (167 platform) vehicles the bolting connection of the rear seat belts might not meet specifications.
- Remedy
- As a remedy Mercedes-Benz AG via its Mercedes-Benz service partners will rework the bolting connection of the affected rear seat belts on the affected vehicles.
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Jul 2025 R/2025/217
SRPC2509 - Mounting of Multi-Purpose Camera & Interior Mirror
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz AG has determined that on certain GLE/GLS (167 platform) and GLC (254 platform) vehicles the bonding of the multi-purpose camera and/or the interior mirror on the windscreen might not meet specifications.
- Remedy
- As a precautionary measure Mercedes-Benz AG via its Mercedes-Benz service partners will replace the windscreen on the affected vehicles.
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Apr 2024 R/2024/173
SRPC2405 - Bolting of 48V ground connection
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the 48V ground connection under the passenger seat might have come loose.
- Remedy
- Check the bolting of the ground connection and correct it if necessary.
-
Mar 2024 R/2024/131
SRPC 2402 - Downshift operation transmission software
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On certain vehicles the software of the transmission control unit might not meet specifications.
- Remedy
- Update the transmission control unit software on the affected vehicles.
-
Jan 2024 R/2023/361
On affected vehicles a 12V ground connection bolting under the driver seat might not meet specifications
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Check the bolting of the ground connection on the affected vehicles and rework if necessary.
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Jan 2024 R/2023/346
On affected vehicles under specific conditions (such as electric driving in wet weather) the required operating force of the brake pedal for a deceleration intended by the driver might be increased
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Update the ESP control unit software
-
Aug 2023 R/2023/223
On affected vehicles the fuel pump impeller might not meet specifications and may deform
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Replace the fuel pump module.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
The most-tested Mercedes-Benz models in 2025, against the GLE's 87.1% MOT pass rate.
- Mercedes-Benz A-Class
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class
- Mercedes-Benz GLA
- Mercedes-Benz Vito
- Mercedes-Benz GLC
Mercedes-Benz GLE FAQs
How many Mercedes-Benz GLEs are there in the UK?
43,492 Mercedes-Benz GLEs were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 1,821 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Mercedes-Benz GLE reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 87.1% first-time pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz GLE across 33,871 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Mercedes-Benz GLE had any recalls?
66 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz GLE. The most recent was published in September 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Mercedes-Benz GLE?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, brakes and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Mercedes-Benz GLE's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a GLE?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Mercedes-Benz history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Mercedes-Benz VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.