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Mercedes-Benz GLE 350de Coupé

OM654 2.0L Diesel 320 hp Automatic All-wheel drive Coupé 2020–2025
– Be Careful
Engine OM654 – Be Careful 8,850–34,200 €

Completely new aluminium diesel with NANOSLIDE coating and integrated particulate filter. Noticeably quieter and cleaner than the OM651. Few typical faults known to date.

Fun Factor? Decent

Diesel Coupé Power

Powerful diesel with 235 kW in the SUV coupé. Enormous torque, effortlessly capable.

Engine Weaknesses 11

!! Rocker Arm and Camshaft Wear

Known weak point: the narrow camshaft lobes and rocker arms in the OM654 wear prematurely due to inadequate lubrication. Mercedes issued TSBs.

Symptoms: Ticking or knocking from engine bay, misfires, rough running, engine warning light

2,000–5,000 € from 80,000 km
!! Electric Coolant Pump Leaking — Recall

Over 800,000 Mercedes diesel vehicles with OM654/OM656 were recalled due to a leaking electric coolant pump. Coolant loss can lead to overheating.

Symptoms: Coolant loss, overheating warning, coolant warning light, engine temperature rises

0–500 €
!! NOx Sensor Defective — AdBlue Fault and Start Inhibit

NOx sensors wear out from soot particles and deliver erroneous readings. Consequence: incorrect AdBlue injection, CEL illumination; if unaddressed, an engine start inhibit may follow. Both sensors can be affected.

Symptoms: CEL, AdBlue warning, fault code P20EE or P204F, message 'No start after X km', rough idle

500–2,000 € from 90,000 km
!! Rocker Arms Prematurely Worn — Camshaft Damage

Early OM654 units had overly soft rocker arms. From engine number 80278367 (10/07/2018) a reinforced version A6540505701 was fitted. Older examples may develop camshaft damage.

Symptoms: Clattering or ticking noise in the valvetrain, poor cold start, increased oil consumption, rough idle

1,500–5,000 € from 100,000 km
!! Timing Chain — Recall Due to Wear

Recall (action code 0591016) affects approximately 10,700 vehicles (built 01/2016–02/2021): individual bolts or chain links wear and can cause chain snap with engine damage.

Symptoms: Rattling on cold start, sudden power loss and engine damage in the event of chain snap, engine warning light

0–3,500 €
!! Turbocharger Damage from Elevated Exhaust Back Pressure

A blocked DPF or coked EGR increases exhaust back pressure. The pressure pushes the turbo shaft axially into the compressor housing, the thrust bearing wears and the turbocharger fails.

Symptoms: Power loss and boost pressure fault, blue smoke from exhaust, whistling from turbocharger, oil leaking from turbo

1,500–3,500 € from 150,000 km
!! Particulate Filter Problems with Short-Trip Use

With predominantly short-trip use the OM654 DPF does not regenerate fully. Leads to oil dilution from stored diesel fuel and premature DPF blockage.

Symptoms: DPF warning light, rising oil level from fuel dilution, power reduction

1,000–3,000 € from 100,000 km
!! EGR Valve Coking — Judder and Limp Mode

EGR valve coking up with frequent short-distance use. Clogged passages cause juddering, fault codes and limp mode. Euro 6d exhaust gas recirculation is heavily loaded by design.

Symptoms: Juddering and power loss at part throttle, CEL, increased fuel consumption, rough idle

500–1,500 € from 80,000 km
!! Particulate Filter Clogged — Short-Distance Operation

DPF does not regenerate fully during short-distance driving. Accumulating soot particles lead to warnings, limp mode and, if neglected, filter replacement or engine damage through oil dilution.

Symptoms: DPF warning light, increased fuel consumption, power reduction, engine oil smells of diesel from post-injection

1,200–3,500 € from 100,000 km
!! Oil Dilution from DPF Post-Injection

With frequent short-trip driving unburnt fuel enters the engine oil through DPF post-injection. This dilutes the oil, reduces lubrication, and promotes wear in the valve train.

Symptoms: Oil level rising above maximum (oil increase), frequent DPF regeneration cycles, engine warning light, limp mode after aborted regenerations

50–2,500 €
!! Injector Wear and Leaks

The OM654 high-pressure injection system operates at up to 2,050 bar. At high mileage or with poor fuel quality, injectors wear and develop quantity errors.

Symptoms: Juddering and knocking, rough idle, starting problems, elevated fuel consumption, in extreme cases cylinder misfires

600–2,500 € from 180,000 km

Vehicle Weaknesses 10

!! HVAC Condensate drain incorrectly routed — fire risk (recall)

Incorrectly fitted A/C condensate drain hoses direct water into the interior. Short circuits and fire risk. KBA recall 012644 affects 11,601 vehicles.

0–0 €
!! Suspension Damper rod seal defective (recall)

On early V167 models, damper rod seals do not meet specification. Leaking hydraulic fluid leads to premature failure.

0–0 €
!! Electronics Water ingress through defective weld stud

An incorrectly welded stud on the right-hand side of the vehicle allows water ingress. Electrical connections for the engine, lighting and wipers can fail. Approximately 3,576 vehicles affected.

0–0 €
!! Electronics Recall: A/C Condensate Water Fire Risk

Incorrectly routed condensate drain hoses direct water into the vehicle interior. Contact with electrics can cause short circuits and fire risk. Recall KBA 012644, 171,463 vehicles worldwide.

0–0 €
!! Suspension Defective damper rod seal (recall)

On early C167 examples, the damper rod seal cannot meet long-term sealing requirements. Risk of tipping at maximum load and cornering.

0–0 €
!! Electronics Recall: A/C condensate drain — fire risk

Incorrectly routed A/C condensate drain hoses can cause short circuits and fire risk. Approximately 171,463 vehicles worldwide affected.

0–0 €
!! Body Window trim strip detaches

Incorrectly secured window channel trim strips can detach while driving. Approximately 450,000 vehicles on the 167 platform worldwide affected.

0–200 €
! Electronics Infotainment freezes and becomes unresponsive

The infotainment system freezes occasionally. Climate control and seat adjustments become non-functional. Software updates only partially improve the situation.

0–500 € from 30,000 km
! Body Rear Door Trim Strips Detaching

Decorative trim strips on rear doors detach. Around 450,000 vehicles affected. Mercedes covers costs under a goodwill action.

0–200 €
! Electronics MBUX infotainment freezes

The MBUX system no longer responds to touch inputs or hangs on long journeys. Software updates alleviate the problem but rarely solve it permanently.

0–800 €

Reports & Tests

nhtsa_complaints NHTSA Complaint Summary 2026-03
Below Average

231 owner complaints filed with NHTSA (2019–2025). Most reported: Engine (61), Electrical (44), Other (36).