Used car safety, rank #28 of 188
Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD Safety Rating (2020-23)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2020-23 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD, a midsize luxury SUV, compared with its class and with the current model.
Honorable MentionIIHS 2026 edition Β· 2021β2024 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. Read the new release and its limits Β· Browse the older edition. Prices and reliability from older model years have not been carried forward.
The 2020-23 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD has an IIHS driver death rate of 13 per million registered vehicle years against a midsize luxury SUVs average of 17, which is 24% below the class average. That places it #28 of 188 used vehicles with a safety score of 81.8/100, earning our Honorable Mention designation.
What the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class death rate means
At 13 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD beats the midsize luxury SUVs average of 17 by 24%. The 95% confidence interval is 0 to 25, so the upper end of the range overlaps the class average and the advantage is not certain.
The other-driver death rate of 44 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class. Its 95% confidence interval is 21β67. It is higher than the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class's own driver death rate, the usual pattern for this class. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used luxury SUVs
The safest midsize luxury SUVs in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD highlighted. It ranks 8 of the 9 shown; the class leader is the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 2WD at a death rate of 0.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 2WD | 2020-23 | 0 (0 to 25) | 95.3 | n/a | n/a |
| Porsche Macan 4WD | 2020-23 | 4 (0 to 11) | 93.0 | n/a | n/a |
| BMW X5 4WD | 2020-23 | 5 (0 to 11) | 92.6 | n/a | n/a |
| BMW X5 2WD | 2020-23 | 6 (0 to 17) | 91.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Volvo XC90 4WD | 2020-23 | 7 (0 to 22) | 90.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Volvo XC60 4WD | 2020-23 | 7 (0 to 17) | 90.4 | n/a | n/a |
| BMW X3 4WD | 2021-23 | 11 (0 to 23) | 85.2 | n/a | n/a |
| Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD (this page) | 2020-23 | 13 (0 to 25) | 81.8 | n/a | n/a |
| Cadillac XT5 4WD | 2020-23 | 15 (0 to 32) | 79.5 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for midsize luxury SUVs: 17 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
Safety recalls for the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD
We do not have a verified NHTSA recall lookup for this nameplate and model year. Check by VIN rather than treating that as a clean record.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for one year. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD: Common Questions
Is the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 13 per million registered vehicle years for the 2020-23 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD, 24% below the class average (17 for midsize luxury SUVs). That earns a used-car safety score of 81.8 out of 100 and rank #28 of 188 used vehicles, with a Honorable Mention designation.
What is the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD driver death rate?
13 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 0 to 25. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class died at a rate of 44 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2020-23 models.
How does the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD compare with other midsize luxury SUVs?
The midsize luxury SUVs class averages 17 driver deaths per million; the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD sits at 13. Among the 9 midsize luxury SUVs compared above it ranks 8 by safety score; the top of that group is the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 2WD with a death rate of 0.