2002 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class Steering Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BAS AND ESP WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED EXTREME DIFFICULTY TURNING LEFT AND RIGHT AND HAD TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO THE FAILURES. THE UNKNOWN DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I WAS PULLING AWAY FROM THE CURB, STEERING WHEEL STARTED MAKING WHINING NOISES AND HARDER TO TURN. I CONTINUED ON CITY STREETS THEN TO A FREEWAY WHERE MY CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. I PULLED OVER AT A GAS STATION OPENED THE HOOD AND COULD SEE FLUID ALL OVER RIGHT LOWER DRIVER SIDE. IT SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM A HOSE BY THE POWER STEERING CAP AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RADIATOR. UNDER THE CAR SAME SPOT RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE I COULD SEE POWER STEERING AND RADIATOR COOLANT LEAKING FROM THAT AREA.

HOUSE FROM POWER STEERING POMP IS LEAKING , DURING DRIVE I LOOSE POWER STEERING FLUID AND ALMOST I HIT CAT FROM ANOTHER LINE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL SOUND UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS FRACTURED AND FLUID WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER MANUFACTURER SAFETY CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 2003-040005. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000.

I HAVE A 2002 ML320, THE RADIO IS OUT AND THE HOLE CLAMP USED TO SECURE THE POWER STEERING FLUID DOES NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CLAMPING CAUSING A LEAK, ESP/BAS STAYS ON CAUSING LOW TRACTION AND THE DOOR LOCK. THESE ITEMS WERE RECALLED ON THE M-CLASS 320, WHAT HAPPENED TO THES RECALLS.

I BOUGHT THIS CAR YESTERDAY FROM AN INDIVIDUAL OFF CRAIGSLIST AND THE POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT 5 TIMES. SO FAR ONLY AT VERY LOW SPEEDS, BUT I HAVE LOOKED ONLINE AND SEEN NUMBERS COMPLAINTS WITH POWER STEERING FAILURE AT FASTER SPEEDS TOO. VERY UNSETTLING. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF RECALLS REGARDING THE CLAMPS AND HOSES, BUT UPON RESEARCH I FOUND THAT Y CAR HAS NO OPEN CAMPAIGNS. I GUESS THAT MEANS THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM STILL AND I NEED IT FIXED OR I NEED A NEW CAR. THIS IS NOT SAFE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY. THE BRAKES STARTED ENGAGING ON THEIR OWN PULLING THE CAR TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT AND NEARLY BRINGING THE CAR TO A SUDDEN STOP. IT TOOK A LOT OF EFFORT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM PULLING INTO THE OTHER LANES AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE BAS/ESP LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH AND HAS STAYED ON NOW. THIS ALL LASTED FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. I WAS IN THE 3RD LANE OF A 4 LANE HIGHWAY DURING MODERATE TRAFFIC. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY TWO DIFFERENT VEHICLES. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE AND FOUND MANY OTHER DRIVERS WITH THE SAME THING. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH FOR A SUDDEN CHANGE IN DIRECTION AND SPEED TO CAUSE A SEVERE ACCIDENT WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AND KNOWING THAT THIS VEHICLE IS CAPABLE AND KNOW FOR DOING THIS MAKES IT VERY DANGEROUS. IT MAKES ME WONDER HOW MANY FATAL ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, BUT NO ONE KNEW BECAUSE IT WAS JUST ASSUMED THE TO BE DRIVER ERROR. *TR

DRIVING HOME ON A LOCAL STREET AT ABOUT 30 MILES PER HOUR, APPROACHING INTERSECTION, TRYING TO TURN, ALL THE SUDDEN, STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN, WITH NO ASSISTING POWER, CAR RUN OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD, ALMOST CRASH INTO CURB. IT IS VERY LUCKY, THERE IS NO INCOMING CARS, WOULD HAVE CRASH HEAD ON OTHERWISE. CAR TOWED TO DEALER, FOUND STEERING HOSE FROM RADIATOR TO STEERING RACK BROKEN OFF, STEERING FLUID SPLATTING ALL OVER ENGINE. DEALER STATED NO RECALL FOR STEERING HOSE COMING OUT OF RADIATOR, BUT THERE WAS RECALL ON STEERING HOSE COMING OUT OF PUMP. SO THIS DEFECT WAS NOT COVERED. I URGE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT IMMEDIATELY, AND ISSUE RECALL TO SAVE LIVES. *TR

POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING IN SMALL DRIPS WHEN PARKED. HARD TO STEER AT TIMES AND MAKES LOUD NOISE. HAVE CONCERNS THAT STEERING MAY BE AFFECTED AND CAUSE TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING. *TR

POWER STEERING O RING AND HOSE RECALL. *TR

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BRAKE ON IT'S OWN, PULLING ME OFF TO THE LEFT OF THE ROAD VEHICLE BRAKE (RIGHT SIDE) STAYED ENGAGED UNTIL VEHICLE SPEED WAS DOWN TO ABOUT 20 MPH. DEALER SAID A BAD YAW RATE SENSOR WAS THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML 500. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER UNDER THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V465000 (STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST: HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS). WHEN RECEIVING THE VEHICLE FROM THE AUTHORIZED DEALER, THE CONTACT BEGAN TO NOTICE POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND WHEREVER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE BUT NO REMEDY WAS OFFERED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,726 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES ML320. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF LESS THAN 50 MPH, THE STEERING LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE WHEEL TO BECOME TREMENDOUSLY HARD TO TURN. SHE ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER SHE WAS ABLE TO EVENTUALLY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OFF OF HE HIGHWAY SAFELY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL CAMPAIGN ON THE VEHICLE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V121000; STEERING, HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS) AND ADVISED COMING IN FOR REPAIRS. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO DATE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 85,000.

MY CAR LOST ALL OF THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND I ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT. I LOST ALMOST ALL STEERING CONTROL. IT IS RELATED TO MERCEDES BENZ RECALL #2003-040005. I RECEIVED A LETTER ABOUT THIS RECALL AND IT SAID MY CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN FIXED. THEY SAID THAT IS WHAT THEIR RECORDS SHOW. THAT IS NOT TRUE AND NOW I ALMOST LOST MY LIFE BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT AND I AM QUITE UPSET. MY CAR IS COMPLETELY IMMOBILE. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ (MB) ML320. THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS DEPLETING ALL THE TIME FROM A LEAKAGE BETWEEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE HOSE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN MB DEALERSHIP IN GEORGETOWN, TX (GARLYN SHELTON MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP). THE REPAIR WAS UNDER RECALL, BUT THE DEALERSHIP STILL CHARGED ME $214.16. I TOLD THEM THE REPAIR WAS FOR A RECALL, BUT THEY WOULD NOT LET ME TAKE MY CAR WITHOUT PAYMENT, SO I PAID THEM TO HAVE MY CAR BACK. HOWEVER, I'D LIKE NHTSA TO COMPEL THEM OR MERCEDES BENZ TO REFUND ME BACK MY $214.16. I WROTE TO MB HEADQUARTERS IN NEW JERSEY AND THEY SILL REFUSED TO REFUND ME BACK MY MONEY. I HAVE A RECEIPT OF THE REPAIR THAT WAS DONE ON THE CAR AND THE COST THEY BILLED ME. I CAN SEND YOU THE LETTER I WROTE TO MB HEADQUARTERS AND THE REPAIR RECEIPT IF YOU CONTACT ME. I'LL BE GRATEFUL IF YOU CAN HELP ME FROM THIS RIPOFF. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAL IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE FUEL. THE REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AT THE COST OF $525.22. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO A RECALL FIVE YEARS PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE. TEN DAYS LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V121000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS). HE CALLED THE DEALER AND STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP, IN WHICH HE PAID TO HAVE REPAIRED PRIOR TO RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTICE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NO REIMBURSEMENT WOULD BE PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,752.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE O-RING BETWEEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND RESERVOIR FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE RECALL REPAIRS WOULD BE INEFFECTIVE WITHOUT ALSO REPLACING THE O-RING. THE DEALER FURTHER STATED THAT THE O-RING WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE RECALL; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY AN ESTIMATED COST OF $162 FOR THIS REPAIR. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 70,000. UPDATED 03/23/09. *LJ UPDATED 03/23/09. *JB

ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2008, WHILE DRIVING TO WORK MY STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. WHEN I LEFT WORK, I NOTICED THAT MOST OF THE STEERING FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT OF MY VEHICLE. THEN ON THURSDAY, A CO WORKER CONTACTED ME AND TOLD ME THAT SHE SAW A RECALL ON THE NEWS ABOUT THE STEERING ON MERCEDES SUV. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A RECALL IN THEIR SYSTEM FOR MY AUTO AND IT WOULD COST ME $110 TO HAVE THEM DIAGNOSIS MY VEHICLE. I CONTACTED THE 800# THAT WAS ON THE NEWS AND WAS TOLD THAT SOMEONE WILL GET BACK WITH ME. IN THE MEANTIME, I AM A RECENT SINGLE PARENT WITH A 14 YEAR CHILD THAT I TRANSPORT IN A VEHICLE THAT I HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME TO STEER. *TR

IN MARCH OF 2003 MERCEDES INITIATED A RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE FOR A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING HOSE, THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICING AND THE PROBLEM SUPPOSEDLY FIXED. ON APRIL 2ND OF 2008 I TOOK THE CAR TO MERCEDES BECAUSE IT WAS MAKING A REALLY LOUD SOUND I WAS TOLD THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS LEAKING A $665 FIX. I HAD THE WORK DONE. ON APRIL 15TH OF 2008 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TOOK THE CAR BACK TO MERCEDES AND WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED A $1211 FIX. I WAS FURIOUS AT THIS POINT. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2008 THE NHTSA ISSUED A RECALL ON THE MODEL FOR A PROBLEM WITH THE CLAMP FOR THE POWER STEERING HOSE. I CONTACTED MERCEDES WHEN I BECAME AWARE OF THIS RECALL EARLIER THIS WEEK. I WAS TOLD THAT THE HOSE THAT WAS REPLACED ON MY CAR'S POWER STEERING SYSTEM IS NOT THE ONE BEING RECALLED. I DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL BECAUSE MY CAR'S VIN NUMBER WAS NOT A PART OF THE SPECIFIC CARS THAT WERE RECALLED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE 2003 RECALL. I ARGUED THAT MY POWER STEERING PUMP WENT BAD BECAUSE OF MERCEDES NEGLIGENCE WITH THE HOSE ISSUE AND I HAVE GOTTEN NOWHERE WITH THEM. THE DEALER WILL NOT HELP ME AND MB USA WILL NOT HELP ME BECAUSE MY VIN IS NOT ON THAT RECALL EVEN THOUGH I AM STILL HAVING THE ISSUE AND YES MY CAR IS STILL LEAKING FLUID ALL OVER MY GARAGE. *TR

RECALL CAMPAIGN # 2003-040005 - MERCEDES BENZ ML 320 RECALL OF POWER STEERING CLAMP. ITEM WAS REPLACED BY INDEPENDENT DEALER IN VIRGINIA AND THE CHARGE WAS COMPLETED FOR THE SERVICE RENDERED. RECALL NOTICE CAME IN THE MAIL 3 DAYS LATER, AND INDEPENDENT DEALER DOES NOT WANT TO REFUND ANY OR ALL OF THE SERVICE COST. INFORMATION RECEIVED CLAIMS THAT MERCEDES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REFUND NOW. COST FOR PART AND SERVICE WAS $133.57. LOOKING FOR REFUND, WORK IS COMPLETE AND VEHICLE RUNS FINE. *TR