2006 Mercedes Benz M-CLASS: complaints, problems and recalls

SUV ENGINE STALLED 7/3/2005 GOING 65 MPH WITHOUT WARNING; SUV RESTARTED AFTER STALL. SUV ENGINE STALLED AGAIN 7/22/2005 GOING 45 MPH WITHOUT WARNING; SUV DID NOT RESTART AFTER STALL. TOWED TO DEALER. THE DEALER FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE AND SAID CAUSE WAS WATER THAT SPILLED DURING THE INCIDENT HOWEVER WATER SPILLED BECAUSE OF INCIDENT NOT BEFORE. SUV HAD STALLED 3 WEEKS PRIOR AND NO WATER WAS INVOLVED. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE FOR FEAR IT WILL STALL AND I WILL GET HIT FROM BEHIND CAUSING BODILY INJURY OR DEATH. PLEASE HELP I…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,090 miles reported. Look up ODI 10130895 at NHTSA ↗

REGARDING: ODI ID NUMBER 10130895 I HAD SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE AND MERCEDES BENZ COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND BLAMED IT ON ME FOR DRIVING WITH TWO FEET. I DON'T DRIVE WITH TWO FEET AND I REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE CAR WITHOUT ANYTHING BEING DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED AND HAD A CODE FOR A FAULTY CRANK SENSOR WHICH THEY REPLACED. I HAVEN'T NOTICED ANY PROBLEMS SINCE THEN BUT IT WAS VERY UNNERVING TO KNOW MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE (ML500 '06) WHILE THESE PROBLEMS COULD HAPPEN. SOMEONE SHOULD RECALL THIS…

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10132005 at NHTSA ↗

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES ML350. WHEN SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE MOTOR RACED WHEN IT WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD WHEN HER FOOT WAS FIRST TAKEN OFF THE BRAKE. ON AUGUST 9, 2005 THE CONSUMER WAS PULLING INTO THE GARAGE WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. SHE STATED SHE COULD HEAR THE MOTOR SURGING. SHE PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE PUSHED A PING PONG TABLE THROUGH THE WALL AND THEN STOPPED. THIS CAUSED $5000 DAMAGE TO TH…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10133057 at NHTSA ↗

DT: 2006 MERCEDES ML350. VEHICLE SURGES WHEN STARTING/ PULLING OUT AND COMING TO A STOP. . THE DEALERSHIP HAS VEHICLE FOR FIVE WEEKS AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T FOUND THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM STARTED OCCURRING AFTER TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE. NO ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10138650 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS FAILURES ARE DETAILED BELOW: DOT SAFETY RECALL FOR POWER STEERING CLAMP REPAIRED BY MBM IN JULY CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF POWER STEERING SYSTEM OCCURRED ~ 2 WEEKS LATER WHILE ROUNDING A CORNER WITH 4 OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, BARELY AVOIDED A HEAD-ON COLLISION. VEHICLE TOWED TO MBM FOR REPAIRS. I INDICATED TO THE SERVICE REP THAT I WAS ALSO EXPERIENCING ABRUPT SHIFTING. A PROMISE BY NATIONAL SERVICE CENTER OF CLEAN UP OF GARAGE AND DRIVE FROM PS FLUID DID NOT OCCUR. POWER WASHING AND 4 HOURS AND $50 IN CLEANERS WERE NEED…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10140198 at NHTSA ↗

2006 MERCEDES ML 350 - WATER GOT SPILLED ON FLOOR IN PASSENGER REAR SEAT AREA; UNKNOWN TO US, THERE IS ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY - REFERRED TO AS THE FRT SAM IN THE INVOICE. THIS CAUSED THE ENTIRE CAR TO SHUT DOWN, AND AT ONE POINT THE CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC WHILE BEING DRIVEN. ALSO CAUSED A SHORT IN A POWER WINDOW THAT CREATED A LOT OF SMOKE. THERE IS A CUP HOLDER IN THE BACK SEAT, AND THAT IS WHERE KIDS SIT, BUT WE DID NOT KNOW THAT A LIQUID SPILL IN THE REAR SEAT COULD CAUSE THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THUS THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN (EVEN THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 4,481 miles reported. Look up ODI 10142963 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING A BRAND NEW 2006 ML-350, THE CAR SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. IT DISPLAYED THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE: ESP MALFUNCTION, HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION, SPEEDTRONIC INOPERATIVE. TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, WITH NO LUCK. HAD TO WAIT FOR 20 - 25 MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR CAN BE RESTARTED. THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES TO ME. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY SITTING AT A MB DEALERSHIP FOR 2 DAYS, AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OIUT THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS THAT ESP MALFUNCTION CAUSES THE NEW ML-350 TO STOP WHILE DRIVING,…

Owner-reported narrative. 502 miles reported. Look up ODI 10143990 at NHTSA ↗

AFTER DRIVEN THE NEW 2006 ML350 FOR 3500 MILES, THE LOW ENGINE OIL INDICATOR COME UP. TOOK THE CAR TO SERVICE, AND FOUND THE CAR IS LEAKING ENGINE OIL IN MULTIPLE PLACES. IT TOOK 1 WEEK TO FIX THE LEAK BETWEEN TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE. THEN THEY NEED TO ORDER PARTS TO FIX SECOND LEAK IN OIL PAN. AFTER THE PART ARRIVED, I TOOK THE CAR TO BE FIXED. AFTER 3 DAYS WITHOUT ANY CALL, I CALLED TO FIND OUT THE STATUS. NOW, THEY SAID ONE OF THE ENGINE CYLINDER IS LEAKING ENGINE OIL AND NEED SEVERAL MORE DAYS TO FIX. IT IS UNKNOWN TO ME IF THIS ENGINE …

Owner-reported narrative. 3,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10144352 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2005-05-16 (May 16, 2005)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A HOSE CLAMP THAT SECURES THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLING HOSE TO THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLER MAY NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CLAMPING FORCE FOR THIS CONNECTION.

Consequence: A LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID CAN DAMAGE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND MAY RESULT IN DIMINISHED POWER ASSIST FOR STEERING WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POWER STEERING HOSE CLAMP FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 17, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.

Reported: 2008-07-07 (July 7, 2008)

MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING MY 2006-2008 M-CLASS, R-CLASS, MY 2005-2009 SLK-CLASS, MY 2005-2008 C-CLASS, MY 2003-2004 AND 2006-2008 CLK-CLASS, MY 2003-2008 E-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2008 CL-CLASS, MY 2008 CLS-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2007-2008 S-CLASS, MY 2003 G-CLASS, AND MY 2003-2004, 2006 AND 2009 SL-CLASS VEHICLES. A SOFTWARE CALIBRATION NUMBER (SCN) CODING RECEIVED ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES DURING A RECENT WORKSHOP VISIT WAS INCORRECT. DEPENDING ON THE MODEL YEAR AND MODEL AFFECTED, THE RESULTS OF AN INCORRECT SCN CODING CAN AFFECT A NUMBER OF VEHICLE SAFETY AND EMISSION FUNCTIONS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF FUNCTIONS: (1) THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS MAY BE INCORRECT; (2) A STUCK FUEL-LEVEL SENSOR MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; (3) THE OBD SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INCORRECTLY; AND, (4) THE SPEEDOMETER MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE.

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE ELECTRICAL FUEL PUMP MAY NOT RECEIVE A CRASH SIGNAL THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE FUEL PUMP TO DISCONNECT AND PREVENT FUTURE FUEL DELIVERY AS DESIGNED.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL RECODE THE SCN FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 30, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.