Is the Mercedes-Benz GLE reliable?

On MOT evidence the Mercedes-Benz GLE is well above average. It passes 87.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 62% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Mercedes-Benz GLE?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 38.3% of failed Mercedes-Benz GLE tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Mercedes-Benz GLE?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 30.9% of all Mercedes-Benz GLE tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Mercedes-Benz GLE usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 57,633 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Mercedes-Benz GLE get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 87.8% of Mercedes-Benz GLE tests pass. By 9 to 11 years, that falls to 86.5%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Mercedes-Benz GLE models petrol or diesel?

Of the Mercedes-Benz GLE cars tested, 81% are diesel, 8% are diesel hybrid, 6% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Mercedes-Benz GLE MOT pass rate & common failures

From 33,876 recorded MOT tests of the Mercedes-Benz GLE, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Mercedes-Benz GLE passes 87.6% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well above average. Based on 33,876 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 38.3% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 57,633 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

87.6%national average72.3%unadjusted87.1%range covered62%

The GLE is 15.3 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well above average. The unadjusted figure is 87.1%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Mercedes-Benz GLE tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements38.3%
1,456 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged23.6%
898 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.A tyre cords visible or damaged16.1%
611 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened8.1%
309 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.0%
267 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements5.6%
214 occurrencesRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained
7.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc4.9%
185 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
8.Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator4.8%
184 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
9.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn4.8%
184 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
10.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction4.7%
180 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Mercedes-Benz GLE tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements30.9%
10,483 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.9%
2,669 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements5.0%
1,708 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured4.6%
1,566 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.6%
1,563 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
6.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt3.0%
1,025 tests
7.A tyre seriously damaged3.0%
1,003 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Nail in tyre2.9%
992 tests

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs88%

6–8 yrs87%

9–11 yrs86%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The GLE fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 57,633
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel81.3%
Diesel hybrid7.9%
Hybrid5.5%
Petrol5.2%

Trim names grouped into this model (37)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

AMG GLE 53 MHEV 4MATIC+ AUTO
AMG GLE 53 NGT ED PRM+MHEV 4MA
AMG GLE 53 PREM MHEV 4MATIC+ A
AMG GLE 53 PREMIUM+ MHEV 4M+ A
AMG GLE 63 MHEV 4MATIC+ AUTO
AMG GLE 63 S MHEV 4MATIC+ AUTO
GLE 250
GLE 250D
GLE 250D 4 MATIC
GLE 300
GLE 300 AMG LINE D MHEV 4MAT A
GLE 300 AMG LINE EXEC D 4MAT A
GLE 300 AMG LINE PREM D 4MA
GLE 300 AMG LN PREM D MHEV 4MA
GLE 300 AMG LN PREM+D MHEV 4MA
GLE 300D
GLE 300D 4MATIC
GLE 350
GLE 350 AMG LINE DE 4MATIC A
GLE 350 AMG LINE EXEC D 4MAT A
GLE 350 AMG LINE PREM DE 4M A
GLE 350 AMG LINE PREM+ DE 4M A
GLE 350 D
GLE 350D
GLE 350DE
GLE 400
GLE 400 AMG LINE PREM + E 4M A
GLE 43
GLE 43 AMG
GLE 450
GLE 450 AMG LINE D MHEV 4M A
GLE 450 AMG LN PRM D MHEV 4M A
GLE 450 AMG LN PRM+ D MHEV 4MA
GLE 450 AMG LNE PRM+ MHEV 4M A
GLE 500E
GLE 580
GLE 580 AMG LNE EXEC MHEV 4M A

Check a specific Mercedes-Benz GLE

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Mercedes-Benz models

Mercedes-Benz A-Class — 73.3% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz C-Class — 77.0% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz E-Class — 78.5% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz GLA — 82.3% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz Vito — 71.0% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz GLC — 85.9% adjusted
All Mercedes-Benz models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Hyundai Santa FE — 72.2% adjusted, ranked 145
Renault Scenic — 61.8% adjusted, ranked 248
DS DS3 — 68.0% adjusted, ranked 197
Ford Grand C-Max — 68.6% adjusted, ranked 187

Common questions

Is the Mercedes-Benz GLE reliable?: On MOT evidence the Mercedes-Benz GLE is well above average. It passes 87.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 62% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Mercedes-Benz GLE?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 38.3% of failed Mercedes-Benz GLE tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Mercedes-Benz GLE?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 30.9% of all Mercedes-Benz GLE tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Mercedes-Benz GLE usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 57,633 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Mercedes-Benz GLE get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 87.8% of Mercedes-Benz GLE tests pass. By 9 to 11 years, that falls to 86.5%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Mercedes-Benz GLE models petrol or diesel?: Of the Mercedes-Benz GLE cars tested, 81% are diesel, 8% are diesel hybrid, 6% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.