I purchased the GLE 350 in April and immediately noticed the problem. At first Mercedes denied the existence but after pressing the issue the service manager at the dealership ( who was very pro customer) discovered it was Harmonic Resonance in the exhaust system created by the through the body exhaust ports. His research also showed that at that time there were other identical complaints. The noise is now gone due to their "solution!! The solution was to eliminate the through the body exhaust pipes and install the system from the 2014 model that does not go through the ports but rather exhaust gases are point towards the ground and the ports are not functional--just two empty holes in the rear bumper--NICE!.
Upon realizing this I contacted Mercedes Client Service Center and was advised that they were not willing to re-engineer the vehicle problem and per their research of the problem "was within specs" to which I say "bullshit"!
For Mercedes to turn their back on a nationally know defect is unconscionable!
SOOO--I wanted to get rid of this monster and was going to turn it in for a LEXUS 350 only to find that the manager looked at the vehicle and said "this is a Mercedes with the noise problem that has been retro fitted"--We rather not take this vehicle in on trade"!
SOOO- next stop is the Mercedes dealership upon arrival of the 2017 models which I figured would have the problem corrected. WRONG--took it for a ride--exact same problem. SO Mercedes is aware of the problem now for two model years and refuses to do anything about it.
SOOOO- tell your friends and colleagues the story and advise them to not buy Mercedes. They provide lip service vs real service and hide behind the term "within specs" to avoid addressing this issue. In my book they are a not the fine company that the purport to be. Never again will I drive a Mercedes and BTW--I own three right now!!
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