2006 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class Complaint Log

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES 350 M CLASS. THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION INTO DRIVE TO MOVE FORWARD OR INTO REVERSE GEAR. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AND HIT A CEMENT BLOCK AND CONTINUED TO LURCH FORWARD SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE SHE COULD STOP THE VEHICLE. THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WERE INOPERABLE. THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR APPEARED ON THE VEHICLE AFTER HITTING THE CEMENT BLOCK. SHE DID NOT RECALL WHICH INDICATOR LIGHT. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED FRONT END PASSENGER DAMAGE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,851. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE COMPRESSOR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A MINOR BRUISE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. UPDATED 03/07/07. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE AIR BAG LIGHT BEEPED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. AT 10,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED. AFTERWARDS, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 20-50 MPH. THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. ON DECEMBER 25, 2006, THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AFTER THE CRASH. THREE TO FOUR MONTHS LATER, THE TIRES WERE LOSING AIR RAPIDLY AND THE LOW PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, WHICH INDICATED THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH PRESSURE IN THE TIRES. AT 20,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS BECOMING LOUDER IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. SHE PAID $600 FOR THE REPAIR AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HEAR A NOISE AFTER DIAGNOSING THE FAILURE. AT 26,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO THE TIRES, STRUTS, SHOCKS AND A POWER STEERING LEAK. SHE CALLED THE SALES DEALER AND THEY INFORMED HER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER IN ANOTHER STATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AGO DUE TO THE POWER STEERING LEAK. THE PART FOR THE REPAIR HAD TO BE ORDERED FROM OVERSEAS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY REPLACED THE SHOCKS, BUT THE NOISE GREW LOUDER. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE WAS DUE TO THE SHOCKS. ON JANUARY 24, 2008, THERE WAS AN ODOR PRESENT AND THE NOISE RECURRED. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A BELT WAS OFF TRACK. THE BELT WAS ADJUSTED AND THE DEALER JUMP STARTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AGAIN ON JANUARY 28, 2008. THE COMPUTER HAD TO BE RESET, BUT CONTINUED TO MALFUNCTION WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 26,206 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

I PURCHASED MERCEDES ML 350, 2006 IN APRIL 2006. FROM DRIVER'S SEAT, THE LEFT SIDE VIEW MIRROR IS ONLY PARTIALLY VISIBLE! I SHOWED THIS TO HBL DEALERSHIP IN TYSONS CORNER VIRGINIA, AND THEY AGREED TO THIS DESIGN ISSUE. WHEN THE AC IS TURNED ON, MANY TIME, DUE TO VARIATION IN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES, SMALL FOG FORMS OUT OF THE WINDOW AT A LOCATION, THAT THE FOG NOW COMPLETELY OBSCURES THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR! THE MIRROR CANNOT BE USED ANY MOREE BY THE DRIVER, CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD! AGAIN THE ISSUE IS AGREED BY THE DEALERSHIP AS DESIGN ISSUE. CONTACTED MERCEDEZ BENZ AT 1800-367-6372 EXT 6, ID# IS 4635. SHE STILL THINKS THE CAR HAS NO ISSUE EVEN IF THE DEALERSHIP AND MYSELF THINK OTHERWISE! SHE FELT AT THE BEST SHE CAN DO IS JUST APOLOGIZE! HELP!!!!!!!!! *NM

LEASED VEHICLE FROM MERCEDES BENZ OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, ON FRIDAY 10/13/06 SRS SYSTEM LIGHT IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED IN RED, AND WOULDN'T GO OFF. CONTACTED DEALERS SERVICE ON 10/13/06, FRIDAY, SAME STATED, UPON MY INQUIRY, VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE, AND TO BRING IT IN ON TUESDAY 10/17/06, FOR ITS' SCHEDULED FIRST APPOINTMENT AT 8:00 A.M.. UPON REVIEWING THE OPERATOR'S MANUAL FOR THE ML350, SAME DISCLOSED ON PAGE 407, "IN THE EVENT A MALFUNCTION OF THE SRS IS INDICATED AS OUTLINED ABOVE, THE SRS MAY NOT BE OPERATIONAL. FOR YOUR SAFETY, WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU VISIT AN AUTHORIZED MERCEDES-BENZ LIGHT TRUCK CENTER IMMEDIATELY TO HAVE THE SYSTEM CHECKED, OTHERWISE THE SRS MAY NOT BE ACTIVATED WHEN NEEDED IN AN ACCIDENT, WHICH COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS OR FATAL INJURY, OR IT MIGHT DEPLOY UNEXPECTEDLY AND UNNECESSARILY WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT/OR INJURY TO YOU OR TO OTHERS." *NM

2006 ML350 MERCEDES BENZ - BALANCE SHAFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN A CAR WITH UNDER 50,00 MILES ON IT. THEY WANT 8,000 TO DO THE JOB AND I AM FINDING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. I WAS DIRECTED TO YOU BY A FACEBOOK SITE THAT IS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR MERCEDES. I THINK THIS IS A FLAW IN THE CAR AND THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HEAVY JOLT AND SKIPPAGE AT STARTUP FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR AND HEAVY JOLT WHILE STOPPING. MERCEDES STATES IT IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM HOWEVER THERE IS NO SOFTWARE AVAILABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *NM

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HIS 2006 MERCEDES ML 500 (19800 FAILURE MILEAGE) AT 25 MPH, AND MERGING RIGHT ONTO THE EXPRESSWAY, THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING STRAIGHT ONTO THE GRASS. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE TO CHECK THE STEERING WHEEL AND FOUND THAT THE STEERING WHEEL KEPT SPINNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT "THEY WILL NOT FIX THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS IN A CRASH" EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN'T STRIKE ANYTHING WHEN HE LOST CONTROL AND RAN OFF ON TO THE MEDIAN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED.

STEERING WHEEL HAS NOTICEABLE CLICKS AND FEEDBACKS WHEN TURNING TO THE RIGHT IN A MOTION OR STAND STILL. *NM

WHEN I DROVE MY VEHICLE AT LOW SPEED AND CAME TO STOP, THE VEHICLE JOLTED BY MOVING FORWARD. I BELIEVED THIS WAS CAUSED BY JERKY TRANSMISSION, AND THERE WAS A BUG IN THE SOFTWARE THAT CONTROLLED THE TRANSMISSION. I TALKED TO A SERVICE GUY AT MY DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS, AND HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO FIX AT THIS TIME, AWAITING AN ANSWER FROM MERCEDES BENZ. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS ONE CUP OF WATER IN A BAG IN THE CARGO AREA. THE WATER SPILLED ONTO THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT, CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE SYSTEM AND THE REAR LIFT GATE WOULD NOT OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP.

BRAKE SYSTEM ON 2006 ML350 HAS EXCESSIVE PEDAL TRAVEL CAUSING UNSAFE BRAKING AND JERKY STOPPING. MANUFACTURER AND DEALER STATE THAT THIS CONDITION IS "NORMAL" FOR THE ML SERIES MERCEDES TRUCK. THIS TRAVEL CAUSES DELAYED BRAKING AND DOES NOT EXIST ON ANOTHER MERCEDES AUTOMOBILES. MANUFACTURER TO FURTHER EVALUATE THE CONDITION OR ADMIT ANY POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM. *JB

DT: 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS HARD AND ERRATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT. HE DID NOT BELIEVE THE DEFECT WAS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE JOLTED AT SPEEDS UNDER 45 MPH. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOUR TIMES, WHERE THEY REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT EACH TIME. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED, AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. *AK

2006 ML 350 PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHEN DRIVING THROUGH WATER PUDDLES. *TS THE CONSUMER FEELS THE CONTINENTAL TIRES MAY BE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE TIRE HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH BRIDGESTONE DUELER HL. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT DRIVEN THE VEHICLE IN WET CONDITIONS WITH THE NEW TIRE YET. *NM