2012 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class Complaint Log

WHILE TRAVELING AT 55MPH THE STEERING SUDDENLY FELT VERY STIFF AND HARD TO MOVE. HAD TO APPLY BRAKES WHEN IT SEEMED I COULDN'T NEGOTIATE A CURVE IN THE ROAD. THE STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL SHORTLY AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE STEERING PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN IN A LOCAL SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT AT SLOW SPEED. RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER SERVICE CENTER. THEY PERFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE AND STATED THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING. WITHIN 3 DAYS THE PROBLEM REAPPEARED AT SLOW SPEED WHILE STEERING THROUGH BARRIERS ENTERING A LOCAL AIR FORCE BASE. THE NEXT DAY (4 DAYS AFTER DEALER SERVICE) THE WIFE HAD THE STEERING LOCK UP AT SLOW SPEED IN A LOCAL GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT. SHE COULD NOT MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. SHE SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, RESTARTED THE ENGINE, AND THE STEERING RETURNED. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE WAY HOME AFTER GROCERY SHOPPING. SHE IS NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY. RETURNED THE CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR SERVICE. WE HAVE ONLY HAD THE ML350 THREE WEEKS. COULD NOT BELIEVE THE PROBLEM HADN'T BEEN DISCOVERED BEFORE BY THE PREVIOUS OWNERS OR THE SALES MANAGER THAT WAS USING IT AS A DEALER VEHICLE. *TR

I AM GOING TO UHAUL TO RENT TRAILER. UHAUL IS AROUND 8 MILES FROM MY HOUSE.AFTER 7 MILES OF DRIVING ON THE ROAD SUDDENLY SHOWING ERROR MESSAGE " POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION REFER TO OPERATOR'S MANUAL" AT THAT TIME STEERING WAS SUPER SUPER SUPER HARD TO TURN. IMMEDIATELY I TURNED ON THE HAZARDOUS LIGHTS. APPLIED FULL AMOUNT OF POWER WITH MY 2 HANDS TURNED STEERING WHEEL TO RIGHT TO EXIT THE ROAD. SLOWLY IT MOVED AND CHANGED LANES AND TOOK VEHICLE TO OFF THE ROAD IT TOOK AROUND 5 MINUTES TO OFF THE ROAD. I REFERRED, MANUAL NOTHING MENTIONED IN MANUAL. TRY CHANGE MODE FROM POWER MANUAL, BUT NO LUCK. CALLED EMERGENCY ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO SOLVE AND EVEN PROBLEM, BUT THEY AGREED THAT ITS TOO HARD TO STEER WHEEL WHEN U GET THIS MESSAGE. MY ML350 TOWED TO NEAREST DEALER AND ALSO TOWING GUY ALSO SURPRISED AND HE FELT IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS. AFTER 2 HOURS MERCEDES SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THEY DID NOT FOUND ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE, BUT THEY HAVE TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE. AND ALSO THEY ARE OBSERVING MY VEHICLE FOR 2 DAYS. IF IT HAPPENS ON HIGHWAY WITH THE SPEED OF 70-80MPH HOW SHOULD I CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND I WILL BE IN THE ACCIDENT AND IT WILL LEAD TO ANYTHING, MY WIFE IS TOO AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I SPEND 60K ON IT. I AM ALSO TOO SCARE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE FRONT ROTORS AND BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,882. *TR

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 PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT . IT HAPPENED ALL OF A SUDDEN. THE CAR WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE- REAR ENDED WITH BOTH MY WIFE AND SON STILL IN IT. *TR

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 CONDOMINIUM COMPLEX. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS A SCRATCHED BUMPER. UPON SEEING THE RESULTS OF THE ROLLAWAY, I GRABBED MY CAR KEY, CALLED TO THE DRIVER TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND WENT TO THE VEHICLE. I UNLOCKED THE VEHICLE AND OPENED THE DOOR OF THE ML350. I LOOKED AT THE DASHBOARD AND IT SHOWED THAT THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION WAS IN THE "PARK" POSITION. I NOTE THAT THE MERCEDES BENZ M-CLASS "OPERATOR'S MANUAL STATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS AUTOMATICALLY IN THE "PARK" POSITION IF YOU OPEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. WHETHER THIS WOULD CAUSE A ROLLED AWAY VEHICLE TO "AUTOMATICALLY" SHIFT INTO "PARK" IS A QUESTION FOR MERCEDES BENZ TO ANSWER. THE LOCAL MB DEALER HAS EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, MBUSA SENT AN ENGINEER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND SEPARATELY AND TOGETHER THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO "FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE" AND THEY PERFORMED NO REPAIRS. FMVSS 114 AT 49 CFR 571.114 REQUIRES THAT VEHICLES OF THIS TYPE MOVE NO MORE THAN 150 MM WHEN PLACE IN "PARK" ON A 10 PERCENT GRADE WITHOUT BENEFIT OF THE VEHICLE'S "PARKING BRAKE" (AKA "EMERGENCY BRAKE"). OUR ML 350 IS EITHER NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS 114 DUE TO IT'S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN ITS POSITION WHILE IN "PARK" OR IT'S INABILITY TO REMAIN IN "PARK" ON A GRADE CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN THE REQUIRED 10 PERCENT GRADE. IS THIS A DESIGN DEFECT?? *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS ARE REALLY DIM. IT'S HARD TO SEE THE CURB IN THE NIGHT WHEN DRIVING FROM A ROAD WITH NO CURB AND ENTERING A ROAD WITH CURB. *JS

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

FROM THE DAY ONE, DURING THE FIRST 25 MINUTES OF DRIVING, MY NEW 2012 MB ML350 VIBRATES AND MAKE GRINDING NOISE JUST IN BETWEEN 40 TO 45 MILES PER HOUR STEADY DRIVING. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES OF DRIVING, THE VIBRATION AND THE NOISE ARE NOT NOTICEABLE. MB AND THE DEALER WERE TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT FAILED TO RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. NOW, THEY HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE VIBRATION IS NORMAL AND IS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR. ANY PROBLEMS MB CAN'T SOLVE IS NORMAL!! WHAT KIND OF CAR IS IT THAT VIBRATES FOR FIRST 25 MINUTES OF DRIVING AT CERTAIN SPEED IS NORMAL!!

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. ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE HAS STALLED MOSTLY DURING A COMPLETE STOP, IT COULD POSSIBLY STALL WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, WHICH COULD POSE A GREATER RISK TO DRIVERS ESPECIALLY FEMALE DRIVER WITH A BABY INSIDE WHO DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO REACT APPROPRIATELY IN SUCH ENDANGERED SITUATION. *TR

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.

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 ENGINE CONTINUED TO REEVE UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE TO HAVE A STUCK THROTTLE. THE DEALER FINDS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I CANNOT AND WILL NOT DRIVE IT AGAIN UNTIL THEY FIND THE PROBLEM OR GIVE ME A DIFFERENT MODEL. THEY HAVE REFERRED ME TO MERCEDES. I AWAIT THEIR DECISION, HOWEVER I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT DOESN'T LOOK FAVORABLE. I DON'T WANT MY MONEY BACK JUST A SAFE CAR TO DRIVE AS I DO NOT HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THIS ONE. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE, THEY JUST CAN'T FIND IT AND I WON'T RISK MY LIFE DRIVING IT AGAIN. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST THE VEHICLE WAS GOING AS I WAS VERY FOCUSED IN WATCHING THE CARS I WAS GOING TO CRASH INTO IF I HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO STOP IT. THIS IS MY THIRD MERCEDES BUT NEVER AGAIN AS THEY ARE NOT BEING HELPFUL IN THE LEAST. WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE! *JS

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 SOLUTION, EVEN THEY TRIED TO FIND. SO FAR, STILL NO SOLUTION AT ALL. THE SERVICE GUY DECLARED THAT IT ONLY STOPES AT A STOP!! THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING AS MERCEDES STILL NO SOLUTION!! WILL ANYONE DRIVE SUCH A WEIRD CAR IT STOPES YOU AT STOP?? WHAT HAPPEN IF IT STOPS YOU ON THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGH WAY?? WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF SOMEBODY HIT YOU FROM THE BACK?? *TR

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, AND FREEWAY 5 WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT MUCH SERVICE LANE THAT I CAN PULL OUT. I GOT LUCKY AND GOT TO PULL OUT BEFORE BIG RIG SLAM INTO MY BACK. THIS CAR WILL SPORADICALLY LOSES POWER ON SURFACE STREET WHICH ALMOST LANDED ME INTO A HEAD ON COLLISION WHILE TRYING TO MAKE LEFT TURN ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC BECAUSE IT WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD. CURRENTLY, MY CAR HAS ABOUT 8000 MILES. I HAVE BEEN CONTACTING MBUSA, BUT THERE IS NO SENSE OF URGENCY ON THEIR END. I FILMED AND TOOK PHOTOS WHILE THE PROBLEM IS IN SESSION BECAUSE CAR COMPUTER WILL NOT LOG ANY. HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?FEATURE=PLAYER_EMBEDDED&V=OPQQFZT8ZOW HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?FEATURE=PLAYER_EMBEDDED&V=UZEDC-TNCSU HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?FEATURE=PLAYER_EMBEDDED&V=M_ZWNZWZ_LY I HAVE A BIT MORE VIDEOS AND PHOTOS, BUT THEY ARE JUST THE REPETITIVE OF WHAT I POSTED ABOVE. I POSTED PICTURES ON THE MBWORLD FORUM. HTTP://MBWORLD.ORG/FORUMS/NEW-M-CLASS-W166/466026-SO-MANY-PROBLEMS-MY-2012-ML350-BLUETEC.HTML [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HEAD LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE BEYOND TWENTY FIVE FEET, MAKING NIGHT TIME DRIVING VERY DIFFICULT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD TO UTILIZE THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER SIDE WILL NOT PULL OUT TO LATCH, I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES OVER THE COARSE OF 2.5 YEARS AND THEY SAY "THIS IS NORMAL FOR THIS VEHICLE", MY WIFE HAD TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH NO SEAT BELT. *JS