Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Mercedes-Benz ML320 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
THE YAW RATE SENSOR IS CAUSING THE CAR TO UNINTENDED BREAKING. IT STARTED THE BREAKING SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN JUNE, HOWEVER OVER A WEEK AGO THE ACTUAL CAR WILL BREAK WHILE IM DRIVE AND BRING THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP AND WILL NOT GO UNTIL I CUT THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 10-15 MIN AND TURN IT BACK ON AND THEN IT WILL DRIVE AGAIN.
DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED 65MPH, THE ML320 SLAMMED ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE BREAK CAUSING TRUCK TO SWERVE RIGHT NEARLY OUT OF CONTROL. WHEN STOPPING AND CHECKING THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE, HUB AND BRAKE PAD WERE SMOKING AND VERY HOT
THIS IS IN REGARD TO NHTSA ID #10033607, ALSO MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE CAMPAIGN #2009100002 DATED JAN 2010, FOR MODEL 163. MY VEHICLE ISN'T COVERED BY ABOVE MERCEDES SERVICE CAMPAIGN BECAUSE IT'S V-6 MODEL, BUT SHOWING EXACTLY THE SAME SAFETY PROBLEM. I'VE TAKEN AND ATTACHED A FEW PHOTOS OF THE PROBLEM AREA SHOWING SEVERE DAMAGE TO FUEL LINE AND LESS SO TO BRAKE LINE. THE PHOTOS SHOWING SEVERE CHAFING BETWEEN FUEL LINE & BRAKE LINE JUST BELOW MASTER CYLINDER. THE SERVICE CAMPAIGN ONLY COVERS 8 CYLINDER MODELS, BUT MY 6 CYLINDER MODEL IS SHOWING EXACTLY THE SAME CHAFING AT THE SAME AREA. I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEM, BUT JUST NOTICED THIS ISSUE LAST FEW DAYS.
UNCOMMANDED BREAKING OF FRONT WHEELS RESULTED IN DECELERATION AND SEVERE OVERHEATING OF FRONT BRAKES. THIS OCCURRED WITHIN ONE MILE OF DESTINATION. HIGH ENGINE REVS AND DOWNSHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION WERE REQUIRED TO OVERCOME THE UNCOMMANDED BREAKING FORCE AND REACH THE DESTINATION. A SIMILAR SECOND OCCURRENCE EFFECTED ONLY THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE. *TR
99 MERCEDES ML320 FRONT RIGHT BRAKE OVERHEATED TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH. *TR
STOP AND GO TRAFFIC IN WORM WEATHER CAUSES FRONT BRAKES TO HEAT UP AND DRAG CONSTANTLY TO THE POINT OF CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT DOWN AND EVENTUALLY STOP THE CAR COMPLETELY. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF COOLING DOWN, IT WILL BEHAVE NORMALLY. DEALER AND A SPECIALTY SHOP CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THIS PROBLEM STARTED IN THE SUMMER OF 2005, FOUR INCIDENTS SINCE, THE LAST ONE ON THE DATE INDICATED.
FRONT BRAKES ON A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ ML 320 OVERHEATED, BRAKES WERE SMOKING . IT STARTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO ON THE RIGHT FRONT, THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE LEFT SIDE THIS MONTH. * DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER STATED THIS H HAPPENED BEFORE WITH A SIMILAR VEHICLE, WHERE FRONT BRAKES ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE OVERHEATING BRAKE PROBLEM , SO THEY REPLACED EVERYTHING ALL THE WAY UP TO THE BRAKE MASTER CYCLINDER. BRAKE FAILURE CAN LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT OR WDEATH IF NOT CORRECTED. *AK
FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ CORRECTLY/RUN OUT OF FUEL/ENGINE QUITS LOSS OF CONTROL, POWER BRAKES AND STEERING MAY LEAD TO CRASH/DEFECT *LA
1.) BRAKE PADS NEED REPLACING AFTER 10,000 MILES. 2.) FUEL FILTER REPLACEMENT REQUIRES NEWLY DESIGNED PART AND ADDITIONAL HOSES, CLAMPS ETC TOTALING OVER $300. BECAUSE PREVIOUS PART CAUSES FUEL LEAKS(?) AND NOT AVAILABLE. SHOULDN'T MB PAY FOR PART OF THIS?? *NLM
BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND ONCE ROTORS. BRAKES WERE MAKING A SQUEAKING SOUND. FRONT AND BACK BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALER NEVER GOT PERMISSION TO DO REPAIRS, BUT CHARGED CONSUMER FOR SERVICE. *AK
WHILE ROTATING MY TIRES, THE MERCEDES BENZ MECHANIC REPORTED THAT MY FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE WORN DOWN. I HAVE DRIVEN FOR 44 YEARS IN MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEHICLES. I HAVE DRIVEN IN 10 FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND ACROSS THE US SEVERAL TIMES. I DO NOT ABUSE MY CAR. MY BENZ HAS NEVER BEEN OFF THE ROAD. IT HAS NEVER BEEN IN FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE.IT IS 18 MILES TO MY OFFICE OF WHICH 15 MILES ARE FREEWAY DRIVING. I CANNOT BELIEVE BRAKE PADS SHOULD WEAR OUT AFTER ONE YEAR AND 15,500 MILES. $250 PER YEAR TO REPLACE BRAKE PADS IS CRAZY. MERCEDES SHOULD ADVISE PROSPECTIVE OWNERS OF THIS ANNUAL COST. HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS?*AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .