There are 5 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML-Classin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID RESULTING IN DIMINISHED OR TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THOUGH TOTAL LOSS DID NOT HAPPEN YET, THIS COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH WITHOUT ANY WARNING. 1998-2004 CLASS WAS RECALLED FOR THAT VERY REASON; WHY NOT THE MODEL YEARS THEREAFTER THAT HAVE SAME PROBLEM; LIKELY IN SAME FREQUENCY. *TR
ATM AT BANK WAS NOT OPERATING AND WAS GOING INSIDE BANK, AT REGIONS BANK IN HENDERSONVILLE TN. WHEN CAR WAS SHIFTED FROM PARK INTO DRIVE THE CAR TOOK OFF AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, THAT COULD NOT BE STOPPED BY BRAKING. THE RESULT BEING,HITTING TWO CARS, WHEN TRYING TO GO BETWEEN THEM, THEN STILL COULDN'T STOP UNTIL NOSE DIVE IN ROCK LINED FOUR FOOT DITCH . *TR
TRANSMISSION IS HAVING PROBLEMS ACCELERATING AND SHIFTING GEARS. WOULD "REV" UP THEN NOT SHIFT AND NOT ALLOW MY CAR TO ACCELERATE WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY, CAUSING CARS TO BACK UP BEHIND ME AND PUTTING ME IN DANGER. AT OTHER TIMES IT WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO EVEN ACCELERATE. HAVE TO CONSISTENTLY RESTART MY CAR IN DANGEROUS PLACES ON THE ROAD TO GET IT TO EVENTUALLY WORK. WENT BY BODY SHOP AND TURNS OUT TO BE A SPEED SENSOR CODE ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. NEEDS SOME FORM OF A VALVE BODY REPAIR, BUT UNSURE TO WHAT EXTENT. THIS IS ONE OF MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT FAILED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSIS AND LOCATED THE FAILURE AS THE TAIL LIGHT SOCKET GROUND WIRING CONNECTIONS AS FAULTY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SOCKET WITH AND UPGRADED SOCKET KIT. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT WAS EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION FAILURES WHEN DOWNSHIFTING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND ATTEMPTING TO UP SHIFT THE GEAR. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE COULD BE CORRECTED BY INSTALLING UPDATED SOFTWARE. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,630 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,678. UPDATED 5/24/11 *CN
MERCEDES BENZ ML 350 2008 WAS INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT IN WHICH THE DRIVER PUT THE CAR INTO PARK TO RETRIEVE AN ITEM FROM THE BACK SEAT. DRIVER STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO RETRIEVE AN ITEM FROM THE BACK SEAT OF VEHICLE. DRIVER OPENED THE BACK SEAT DOOR AND VEHICLE MOVED FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 31/2 FEET. DURING THE MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE DRIVERS FEET WERE RUN OVER BY VEHICLE AN PINNED UNDER LEFT BACK TIRE. 911 WAS CALLED POLICE & FIRE DEPARTMENT ASSISTED TO JACK UP CAR AND PULL DRIVER OUT FROM UNDER THE TIRE. PARAMEDICS ATTENDED AND DRIVER WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO HOSPITAL. DRIVER OBTAINED COMPRESSION INJURY WITH FOOT FRACTURE. DRIVER WILL BE CONTACTING MERCEDES BENZ TO NOTIFY OF INCIDENT REPORT AND INJURY. DRIVER WOULD LIKE COMPLAINT REGISTERED AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION TO AVOID SUCH FUTURE INCIDENCES RELATED TO ELECTRONIC SHIFTING COLUMN DEVICE INJURIES. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026