The Fanciest Mercs On The Block Are Falling Apart

Bad News For Mercedes GLE And GLS Owners

It’s not every day that you hear of pieces falling off a brand-new car, unless there are loads of Tesla Cybertrucks in your area. Yet that is exactly the issue that has befallen Mercedes-Benz and some of its most expensive SUVs in the U.S., with the NHTSA announcing a new recall for detaching interior cameras and mirrors on numerous trims across the GLE and GLS ranges, including the swanky bouncing SUV with the Maybach badge. According to the recall documents, the issue is similar to that of the Cybertruck: bad adhesive.

Mercedes Blames Supplier

Mercedes lays the blame at the feet of AGC Automotive Americas Co. in Michigan, which allowed a production deviation to pass unnoticed, resulting in smart rearview mirrors potentially falling off. Obviously, this creates a bit of a challenge when backing up, but there are bigger concerns. At this end of the market, technological proliferation has even extended to the seemingly basic rearview mirror housing. Thanks to forward-facing multifunction cameras and other sensors, the affected vehicles lose the function of other advanced driver aids, which, as the NHTSA is always quick to point out, could increase the risk of a crash at either end of the vehicle. So is your car affected? Probably not, because only 26 vehicles have been flagged under this recall, but since the spread of potentially affected models is wide, it’s worth a look before the recall notice hits your inbox.

• 2025 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC
• 2025 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC Coupe
• 2025 AMG GLE 63 S 4MATIC Coupe
• 2025 AMG GLS 63 4MATIC
• 2024 GLE 350 4MATIC
• 2025 GLE 450 4MATIC
• 2025 GLE 450 4MATIC Coupe
• 2025 GLS 450 4MATIC
• 2025 Maybach GLS 4MATIC

New Windshield Comes As Part Of Recall

If yours is one of the affected models built between June 5, 2024, and October 12, 2024, you could score a new pane of glass, as the camera elements are embedded. This means you score a new windshield if your rearview isn’t great, but it also means you may need to replace an expensive camera system if you suffer from something as minor as a stone chip. It’s a pity that Mercedes can’t simply glue the multipurpose rearview mirror housing back on, but that would add to the labor costs and potentially result in some subpar finishing. When you’re potentially inconveniencing Maybach owners with a letter notifying them of a recall (to be emailed on July 15), it’s best to get them back out the door as soon as possible.