A Small Recall With Big Stakes: Mercedes Checks the Belt Bolts on Its Flagship SUVs

A. Krivonosov

MBUSA launches NHTSA campaign 26V353 covering 2026 GLE and GLS models built between January 21 and February 16. The fix is a free dealer retorque.

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Mercedes-Benz has announced a small but important recall in the United States for the 2026 GLE and GLS. NHTSA campaign 26V353 covers 207 vehicles, and the issue concerns the bolts that anchor the rear seat belts to the body.

The list spans different variants on the 167 platform: GLE 350, GLE 350 4MATIC, GLE 450 4MATIC, GLE 450e 4MATIC, GLE 580 4MATIC, GLE Coupe, AMG GLE 53, AMG GLE 63 S, GLS 450, GLS 580, AMG GLS 63 and Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600. The cars were built between January 21 and February 16, 2026. The largest groups in the recall are the GLE 450 4MATIC (65 cars) and the GLE 350 4MATIC (47 cars).

The defect is simple but unpleasant. The bolts that fasten the rear belts to the body may not have been tightened to the correct torque. In normal driving, the driver almost certainly will not notice anything — no dashboard warning appears for a fault like this. But in a crash, a loose anchor can compromise occupant restraint and raise the risk of injury.

Mercedes-Benz attributes the problem to a manufacturing deviation. In February 2026, the plant spotted an improperly tightened joint after a rework operation; through March and April the company analyzed the consequences and identified the list of affected cars. The recall was approved on May 22. According to the manufacturer, there are no warranty claims, service reports, injuries or other incidents in the US tied to this defect.

The repair will be free of charge. Dealers will retorque the rear belt bolt joints and install any bolts that are missing. Dealers were notified on June 5, VINs can already be checked through the NHTSA database, and owner letters are due to be mailed by July 28, 2026.

For the owner of an expensive SUV this is exactly the kind of recall where modest scale should not be reassuring. The number of cars is small, but the part in question is not about comfort — it is about whether the belt will do its job when there is no time for a second try.