Mercedes-Benz ML350 problems and owner complaints

ABS AND ESP WARNING INDICATORS CAME ON. WAS TOLD MY WARRANTY HAD JUST EXPIRED DAYS EARLIER AND THAT ONLY ONE SENSOR WAS BAD BUT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS QUITE OFTEN AND RECOMMENDING CHANGING ALL 4 SENSORS. I SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A PRODUCT DEFECT AND COMPLAINED TO SERVICE MANAGER. HE SAID HE WOULD WARRANTY THE ONE BAD PART AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE OTHERS. THAT'S FINE BUT WHAT ABOUT THE COMMONALITY OF THIS PART GOING BAD FOLLOWED BY OTHERS FAILING SHORTLY AFTERWARDS?

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10724637 at NHTSA ↗

THE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT SENSOR GAVE A WARNING THAT THE BRAKE LAMP NEEDS REPLACING. WHILE MAKING ARRANGEMENTS TO REPLACE, THE LEFT BRAKE LIGHT BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION AND ALSO NEEDED REPLACEMENT. SINCE BOTH LED BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED WITHIN 3 MONTHS IT SEEMS TO BE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH MERCEDES BENZ LED LIGHTS. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO MERCEDES BENZ USA AND WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT THEY WOULD CALL THE LOCAL DEALER ON MY BEHALF AND SPEAK WITH THE MANAGER TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. WE REPLACED BOTH REAR LIGH…

Owner-reported narrative. 82,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10778198 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,702. ....UPDATED 01/13/16 *BF *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 90,702 miles reported. Look up ODI 10788322 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 41,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10811585 at NHTSA ↗

MASSIVE DIESEL LEAK FROM THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK WHEN FILLING UP. THEN CEL CAME ON AND CAR LOST POWER. GOING UPHILL IN A CRUISE CONTROL, STARTED WITH 60, BY THE END OF THE FAIRLY EASY HIL, IT WAS BARELY DOING 20. WHEN FILLING UP, DIESEL LEAKED ALL OVER THE PLACE FROM PASSENGER SIDE FUEL TANK. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, CAN CAUSE FIRE OR STRANDED ON HIGHWAY. SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND MAY BE FIXED AS RECALL. 400 MILES FROM HOME ON A HOLIDAY, WITH FAMILY. BARELY MADE HOME, WITH MY WIFE LOOKING BACK IF THERE THERE IS FIRE BREAK OUT. WHITE KNUCKLE DRIVE.…

Owner-reported narrative. 124,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10761930 at NHTSA ↗

THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNT. THE SMOKE WERE FIRST SPOTTED FROM THE PASSENGER A/C VENT WHILE DRIVING FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE TEACHER'S HOUSE (LESS THAN 1 MILE DISTANCE). WITHIN MINUTES THE FIRE STARTED FROM THE GLOVE BOX OR PASSENGER AC VENT AREA. THE FIRE SPREAD TO THE BACK OF THE CAR IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES. THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE THERE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE BEFORE IT GOT THE CHANCE TO GET TO THE FUEL TANK.

Owner-reported narrative. 56,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10958994 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE HAS A VERY UNSTABLE RIDE THAT CONTINUES TO WORSEN. THE PROBLEM AROSE ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO AND CONTINUES TO WORSEN -- MORE SO OVER THE LAST YEAR. I'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS AND TAKE METICULOUS CARE OF IT. I'VE KEPT UP WITH ALL MAINTENANCE AND ALWAYS PURCHASE THE BEST QUALITY REPLACEMENT TIRES. NOW THE VEHICLE IS SO UNSTABLE WITH ANY MINIMAL ROAD BUMPS OR EVEN SLIGHTLY UNEVEN SURFACES AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 35 MPH. SUV LOSES IT'S "GRIP" WITH THE ROAD, ESPECIALLY CONCERNING IF MAKING A TURN AT THE SAME TIME. THERE HAVE B…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11182291 at NHTSA ↗

Steering became increasingly sluggish and difficult to navigate; i took the vehicle into the shop and they said there is metal shards or shavings being worn into the power steering fluid and destroying the pump, clogging up the filter and the rack and pinion steering system is also being compromised making the vehicle unsafe to operate.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11746608 at NHTSA ↗

PURCHASED CAR USED IN FEBRUARY 2015, HAD TO REPLACE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT BULB THREE TIMES WITHIN THREE MONTHS. DEALERSHIP HAD TO REPLACE THE WIRE HARNESS ON BOTH TAILLIGHTS AS THE CONTACTS ON THE BRAKE LIGHT SOCKETS (BOTH SIDES) WERE DEFECTIVE. THE C230 MODEL HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM, HOWEVER, THE ML350 WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I WOULD ADVISE THE NHTSA TO SEE IF OTHER MODELS OF THE MERCEDES HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM TO AVOID REAR END ACCIDENTS WHEN BRAKES FAIL. THE CAR IS ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD, AND HAS NOT BEEN IN AN AR…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10794811 at NHTSA ↗

ON AUGUST 1ST 2017 BOUGHT BRAND NEW BATTERY FROM MERCEDES-BENZ OF EASTON. INSTALLED IN NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS WITHOUT ANY ISSUE. ON SEPT 12TH 2017 AROUND 2.45PM STARTED THE CAR(IN THE DRIVEWAY) AND WENT INSIDE TO GET MY MOBILE. WHEN I CAME OUT TO TE CAR, SAW BIG SMOKE INSIDE AND IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED OFF THE ENGINE. SAW FLAMES COMING UNDERNEATH OF PASSENGER SEAT AND IMMEDIATELY POURED WATER. LATER OBSERVED BATTERY IGNITED THE FLAMES AND EVEN TOP OF THE BATTERY STARTED MELTING. CALLED MBUSA AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT, AND WAS PROMISED THAT A…

Owner-reported narrative. 138,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 11022929 at NHTSA ↗

THE CAR WAS ON AN INCLINE IN MY DRIVEWAY. IT HAS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER ON THE COLUMN, AND I HAD BEEN BACKING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. I STOPPED PLACED THE CAR IN PARK AND GOT OUT WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING TO MOVE SOMETHING. THE CAR SAT IN PLACE FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS AND THEN SPONTANEOUSLY TOOK OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 5MILES/HOUR. FORTUNATELY MY DAUGHTER WAS STANDING ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE CAR IN FRONT AND SAW THE CAR ROLLING FORWARD, JUMPED IN AND HIT THE BRAKES JUST AS THE CAR STRUCK ONE OF OTHER CARS ON THE DRIVEWAY. THE SHIFT LE…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,550 miles reported. Look up ODI 10458253 at NHTSA ↗

WITH THE GEAR SELECTOR IN PARK AND THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT OCCUPIED, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS FROM A 4.4 PERCENT GRADE AND OVERTURNED AS IT PROCEEDED DOWNHILL. INSPECTION OF THE TRANSMISSION PARKING GEAR REVEALED THAT THE PARKING PAWL HAD BEEN ACTIVATED BUT DID NOT ENGAGE A PARKING GEAR SLOT. THIS INCIDENT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO EXCESSIVE ANGLE ON THE PARKING GEAR SLOT SIDES, AN UNDERPOWERED PRESSURE SPRING IN THE PARK INTERLOCK MECHANISM, OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH OF THESE CONDITIONS. THESE CONDITIONS PERMITTED THE PARKING PAWL TO BE RE…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,432 miles reported. Look up ODI 10732120 at NHTSA ↗