2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350: complaints, problems and recalls

I ACCELERATED TO ENTER INTERSTATE #81 AND THE THROTTLE PEDAL RETRACTED FROM FOOT AND PRESSED TO FLOOR. FELT AS IF CRUISE CONTROL HAD ENGAGED BUT IT HAD NOT BEEN. I TAPPED BREAK PEDAL REPEATEDLY AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. IF IT WAS IN CRUISE CONTROL THIS SHOULD HAVE DISENGAGED IT. THE THROTTLE WAS FULLY FLOORED AND CAR WAS RACING DOWN INTERSTATE #81 WITH FOUR PASSENGERS OUT OF CONTROL. I APPLIED BREAK PEDAL WITH FULL FORCE FOR ABOUT TWO TO THREE MINUTES AND VEHICLE FINALLY BEGAN SLOWING DOWN AND I PULLED CAR TO SHOULDER OF INTERSTATE. THE ENG…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10457218 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ ML 350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START UNTIL AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS, WHO STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE PISTONS IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 800.

Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10470651 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE LOSES POWER AFTER A FEW HOURS OF DRIVING. THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT SHOW ANY ERROR MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD, AND THE DEALER CANNOT FIX THIS PROBLEM AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. LAST TRIP TO THE DEALER WHICH WAS 2 WEEKS AGO, THEY INSISTED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. HERE ARE EXAMPLES OF HOW SERIOUS THE PROBLEM IS, I WAS STRANDED AND HAD TO SHUT THE CAR DOWN FOR 30 - 45 MINUTES TO LET THE CAR RESET BEFORE CONTINUE DRIVING. I WAS STRANDED ON GRAPEVINE WHILE DRIVING BACK FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO LOS ANGELES. THE CAR COULD BARELY PULL ITSELF UP THE HILL,…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10479969 at NHTSA ↗

THIS HAPPENED AS A NEW CAR, ONLY NOW, AFTER IT HAPPENED ABOUT 5 OR 6 TIMES, WE CAME TO KNOW THIS WEIRED AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM-IT LOSES THE POWER AT A STOP; AT RED LIGHT, AND EVEN WHEN WE TRIED TO START TO MOVE. WHEN IT HAPPENED, AT FIRST SEVERAL TIMES, WE WERE THINKING MAYBE I DID SOMETHING, AFTER 5 TO 6 TIMES HAPPENED TO ME AND TO MY WIFE, WE JUST CAME TO UNDERSTAND IT IS SUCH DANGEROUS PROBLEM. NOW, IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON FRIDAY AND WE WENT TO THE MERCEDES DEALER, WE CAME TO KNOW MORE, MANY HAPPEN LIKE THIS, WE ARE NOT THE FIRST; MERCEDES NO SO…

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10485224 at NHTSA ↗

DRIVER DROVE 2012 MERCEDES BENZ ML350 TO CONDOMINIUM AND PARKED VEHICLE IN PARKING SPACE, PLACED VEHICLE IN "PARK" AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE USING THE "KEYLESS GO" BUTTON. DRIVER OPENED THE DOOR, EXITED THE VEHICLE AND LOCKED IT. THE AREA WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WAS FLAT WITH ONLY ENOUGH GRADE TO CAUSE WATER TO RUN OFF OF THE PAVERS. A SHORT TIME LATER, I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND SAW THAT THE 2012 MERCEDES BENZ ML350 HAD ROLLED AWAY BACKWARDS APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET INTO BUSHES AND SHRUBS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CIRCULAR DRIVE OF THE CON…

Owner-reported narrative. 14,017 miles reported. Look up ODI 10500510 at NHTSA ↗

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY ML350 ON THE FREEWAY WITH MY 7 YEAR OLD SON IN THE BACK. SHE SAID THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE IN AN UNUSUAL WAY SO SHE DECIDED TO GET OFF AT THE NEAREST EXIT AND WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES ON THE OFF RAMP THE CAR'S ENGINE STOPPED. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, DASH READ INOPERABLE YET ALL THE ELECTRICAL WAS STILL ON. SHE TRIED TO TURN THE KEY AND RESTART IT BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT START. BEFORE THIS INCIDENT WE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS. THIS IS A 2012 MODEL WITH JUST OVER 21,000 MILES AND WAS JUST SERVICED TWO WEEKS …

Owner-reported narrative. 21,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10501076 at NHTSA ↗

I HAD THIS CAR FOR OVER AN YEAR AND STARTED TO HAVE RANDOM STALLING PROBLEM WHEN STOPS AT TRAFFIC LIGHT. IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR AND CALLED THE MB DEALER. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM DUE TO NO ERROR CODE WAS GENERATED. SO THEY DON'T FIX IT. I GOOGLE ON THE WEBSITE AND SAW A LOT OF POSTING REGARDS OF THIS ISSUE ON THE MBWORLD.ORG I STRONGLY FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. SUDDEN STALLING CAN CAUSE A CAR ACCIDENTS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10502622 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER THE FIRST WEEK OF PICKING UP A BRAND NEW VEHICLE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. DEALER REPLACED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL ON MANY DIFFERENT SUBSEQUENT OCCASIONS RANDOMLY. THERE WERE A FEW TIMES THAT THE CAR DIED REPEATEDLY ON CONSECUTIVE DAYS. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE EXACT PROBLEM SINCE IT OCCURS RANDOMLY, AND MERCEDES WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY RESOLUTION TO REMEDY STALLING ISSUE. DEALER MENTIONED THAT MERCEDES HEADQUARTER AWARE OF THE SYMPTOMS BUT HAS NO FIX IN THE MEAN TIME. ALTHOU…

Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10510348 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2017-03-14 (March 14, 2017)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 AMG GT-S, GLC300, CLA250 and GLE300d 4Matic vehicles, 2013 C250, E350 BlueTec and G63 AMG vehicles, 2008-2014 C300 vehicles, 2013-2014 C300 4Matic and ML350 4Matic vehicles, 2009 C350 vehicles, 2014 CLS550, E350 4Matic, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E350 Wagon 4Matic, GLK350 and SL550 vehicles, 2012 CLS550 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2016 E350 vehicles, 2016-2017 GL450 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2014 ML350 4Matic BlueTec vehicles, 2015 S550, S550 4Matic and C300 4Matic Sedan vehicles, 2015-2016 C300 Sedan vehicles, and 2017 SL63 AMG vehicles. Various control units on these vehicles may have been updated with incorrect software, potentially affecting the correct deployment of the air bags in the event of a crash.

Consequence: If the air bags do not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update software in the affected control units, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Reported: 2018-04-27 (April 27, 2018)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2012-2014 ML350 Bluetec 4Matic and ML550 4Matic, 2012-2015 ML63 AMG 4Matic and ML350 4Matic, 2013-2016 GL350 Bluetec 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and GL63 AMG 4Matic, 2017 GLS350d 4Matic, GLS450 4Matic, GLS550 4Matic and GLS63 AMG 4Matic, 2015 ML400 4Matic, 2016 GLE400 4Matic, GLE350 4Matic, GLE63 AMG 4Matic, GLE63S AMG 4Matic, GLE450 4Matic Coupe and GLE63S AMG 4Matic Coupe, 2015-2016 GL450 4Matic and 2013-2014 GL450 4Matic vehicles equipped with the Active Curve System (ACS). In certain driving conditions, if the oil level in the ACS reservoir is below the minimum level, the oil may foam and leak out of the vent holes in the reservoir cap.

Consequence: The leaking oil in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will correct the oil level as necessary and replace the reservoir sealing cap to prevent oil foam from leaking out, free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2018070015.

Reported: 2022-12-23 (December 23, 2022)

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2012-2014 ML550, 2012-2015 ML350, AMG ML63, 2015 ML250, ML400, 2016 GLE450, GLE300, 2016-2018 GLE350, GLE550, 2016-2019 GLE400, 2017-2019 AMG GLE43, and 2016-2020 AMG GLE63 vehicles. Water might accumulate in the spare tire wheel well and damage the fuel pump control unit, which could cause an engine stall while driving.

Consequence: An engine stall while driving increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will install a water drain plug, inspect for water intrusion, and replace the fuel pump control unit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2023010002 and 2023010003.