Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 10 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz M Class. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–10 of 10
AFTER CHANGING THE SERPENTINE BELT, I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY WAS WOBBLING AND THE BELT VIBRATING, I BEEN DOING SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE, DOSE MINE STILL APPLIED TO THIS PROBLEM? IT IS ALREADY OUT OF WARRANTY BUT THIS KIND OF REPAIR IS EXPENSIVE, PLEASE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING IN MODERATE TRAFFIC ENGINE STOPPED. DRIVER (NOT ME) WAS VERY SCARED AND SAID AN ACCIDENT ALMOST OCCURRED AS SHE MANEUVERED TO BREAKDOWN LANE WITHOUT POWER AND NO POWER STEERING. SECOND OCCURRENCE OF SUDDEN ENGINE STOPPAGE WHILE DRIVING WITH LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND POWER STEERING IN THIS VEHICLE. FUEL PUMP HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPLACED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES-BENZ ML55. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH HE ENGAGED THE SEAT HEATER. THE FRONT AND REAR SEATS BECAME EXTREMELY HOT. HE WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE HEATER OFF. HE PULLED OVER AND NOTICED SMOKE AND SPARKS. HE POURED WATER OVER THE SEATS AND THE SPARKS STOPPED. THE SEAT HEATER DID NOT GO OFF UNTIL THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE COILS MALFUNCTIONED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 28,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER REPLACED SEAT AND ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS BUT WILL NOT PROVIDE CONSUMER WITH ANY DOCUMENTATION OR INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE DEFECT AND REPAIR. UPDATED 09/18/07 *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH GOING AROUND A CURVE THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT AND THEN LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AND DETERMINED THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL #03V121000 FOR THE STEERING HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST HOSE, PIPING AND CONNECTIONS. THE HOSE CLAMP ON THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 5/2/2006 - THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN RECALLED AND REPLACED IN 2003 FOR THE HOSE CLAMPS. *NM CONTACT WAS TOLD BY MERCEDES THAT THIS FAILURE DID NOT INVOLVE THE CLAMP BUT THE HOSE WORE OUT. ALSO, WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING FAILURE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MECHANIC WHO HAD SERVICED THE VEHICLE 2 DAYS PRIOR. IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED, AND THAT THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CURRENT CLAMP/ HOSE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. WHEN THE CONTACT PICKUP THE VEHICLE FROM DEALER NOTICED A CHARGE FOR REPLACING THE STEERING HOSE CLAMP AND LOWER HOSE. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD IT WAS ONLY A BILLING CODE FOR THE WORK DONE BY THE MECHANIC. THE NEW CLAMP WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE. SIMPSON MERCEDES REIMBURSED THE CONTACT WITH $1,950.00 BECAUSE IT WAS FELT THIS SHOULD NOT HAV EHAPPENED. CONTACT UNEASY ABOUT THE STEERING IN THE VEHICLE. *AK
- NO PRECURSORS OR APPARENT DAMAGE - DRIVERS SEAT HEATER FAILED RESULTING IN STRONG BURNING SMELL, AND SUPERFICIAL BURN TO LEFT UPPER LEG OF DRIVER
ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING 65 MY 2003 ML500 MERCEDES - BENZ COMPUTER SHUT DOWN AFTER HITTING A SMALL BUMP. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND WAS SCARED FOR MY LIFE THERE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND WAS LUCKILY ABLE TO STOP AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND START THE CAR AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE BUT IT STOPED FOR JUST A SECOND OR TWO. THIS ISN;T AN LD CAR WITH ABOUT 25K MILES ON IT. FOR A 55 THOUSAND DOLLARS CAR TO DO THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.*AK
THE TRANSMISSION OF THE SUV "JAMMED" WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, AND MY WIFE WHO WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ALMOST GOT INTO A ACCIDENT. THE SUV WAS PREVIOUSLY MAKING SUDDEN JUMPS WHILE AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTING THE GEARS. THE PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER, BUT DEALER DID NOT DIAGNOSE THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM CORRECTLY. NOW THE VEHICLE IS WITH THE DEALER AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TELLS ME THAT THERE WAS METAL DEBRIS IN THE TRASMISSION WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, COULD BE DUE TO FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH.
HELLO, I HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED A BRAND NEW MERCEDES ML500 TRUCK FROM MILLENNIUM IN BRIDGEWATER, NJ 908-685-0800. THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS THAT ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS IS DEFECTIVE AND HAS CONDENSATION BUILD IN IT ALL THE TIMES. WHILE THE DEALER SYMPTHISES WITH ME, THE DEALER REFUSES TO REPLACE IT BECAUSE MERCEDES WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT. MERCEDES SAYS IT IS NOT A PROBLEM. HOW CAN IT NOT BE A PROBLEM WHEN AT NIGHT IS PRESENTS A SAFTY PROBLEM AS IT IS LIKE DRIVING WITH ONE HEAD LIGHT ON, AND THE GLASS ON HEADLIGHT IS COVERED WITH CONDENSATION. SECONDLY, I HAVE YET TO SEE ANOTHER CAR WITH CONDENSATION BUILD IN THE HEADLIGHTS. IT IS A BRAND NEW SUV. *AK
I PURCHASED A NEW 2003 ML 350 DURING THE MEMORIAL DAY SALE FROM OUR LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER IN IOWA CITY, IA. THE SUV SHUTS OFF AUTOMATICALLY. INITIALLY, THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY. THE SUV HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALER THREE ADDITIONAL TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. EACH TIME, THE DAY AFTER I RECEIVED THE ML350 BACK, THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN. TWO INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHERE THE SUV WOULD NOT START IN MY GARAGE (WHICH PRESENTED NO HAZARD). TWO INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHERE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD - PARTICULARLY IF YOU TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE DATE LISTED BELOW IS THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT. *LA
I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE (WITH MY 3 SMALL CHILDREN STRAPPED IN THE BACK), WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE CAR WAS NOT STOPPING. I PRESSED THE BRAKE HARDER, THE CAR ACCELERATED, JUMPED THE CEMENT MEDIAN, AND HIT A PARKED CAR. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS INJURED. I AM SICK THINKING WHAT COULD OF HAPPENED. THE CAR IS 6 MONTHS OLD AND HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE FOR A PROBLEM I BELIEVE WAS THE BEGINNING OF THIS, I.E., WHEN I WOULD STEP ON THE BRAKE IT WOULD GO TO STALL, BUCK FORWARD AND THEN BE OK. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIND IT OR DUPLICATE IT. I HAVE SEEN WHERE OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. ALSO FOR 2003 THE MODEL IS ML 350 - MERCEDES. AGAIN THEY HAVE NOT FOUND A PROBLEM. THEY SENT THE MANUFACTURER OUT TO CHECK THE CAR AND NOTHING. I HAVE A POLICE REPORT THAT STATES THE RESPONDING POLICE OFFICER AND TOW TRUCK DRIVER CONCUR THAT THE BRAKES WERE DOWN TO THE FLOOR BOARD AND NOT ENGAGING.*JB
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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