Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 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
FUSE BOX SOME HAS POWER SOME NOT. FRONT LEFT WHEEL MAKING THIS NOISE AND STOPS AFTER 25 MILES PER HOUR RADIO VOLUME LOW WHEN IGNITION KEY IS ON POSITION 3 WHEN KEY IT'S IN THE POSITION 2 LAUD VOLUME WHEN KEY IS NOT IN I CAN TURN ON THE STEREO
"TAKATS RECALL" 1ST ISSUE I NOTICED IS WHEN I GAVE SOMEONE A JUMP OFF A DEAD CAR BATTERY. AS I WAS DRIVEN I NOTICED MY CAR BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON MEANING MY BATTERY WAS DECREASING POWER AND IT DID I WAS ON MY WAY HOME DRIVEN I NOTICED MY CAR LOSING POWER IN THE CAR SHUT COMPLETELY OFF SO I PULLED TO THE SIDE AND I CALLED SOMEONE TO GIVE ME A JUMP THE CAR STARTED BACK UP DROVE ABOUT 3, BLOCKS AND THE CAR SHUT COMPLETELY OFF AGAIN SO I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW BATTERY REPLACING THE OLD BATTERY WITH AN NEW ONE. GOT ANOTHER JUMP TO GIVE THE THE BATTERY SOME EXTRA JUICE. AFTER I RECEIVED THE JUMP I'M BACK ON THE ROAD. IN THE ANCIENT OCCUR AGAIN SO I CALLED SOMEONE TO GIVE ME A JUMP. THIS TIME THE CAR DIDN'T START. SO I HAD TO GET IT TOW HOME. GOT HOME DID SOME RESEARCH IN FOUND OUT IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR. REPLACE THE OLD ALTERNATOR WITH A NEW ONE. 2ND ISSUE I NOTICED AFTER I REPLACED THE OLD ALTERNATOR WITH THE NEW ONE I NOTICED MY TWO FANS BLOWER WILL CONTINUOUSLY RUN FOR HOURS WHEN I TAKE MY CAR KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION. AND DUE TO THAT THAT CAUSE MY DRAINED MY BATTERY CAUSING ME TO LOSE POWER AND MY CAR WON'T BE ABLE TO START WHEN I PUT MY KEY IN THE IGNITION I DON'T KNO IF THEY CONNECTED A WIRE TO KEEP RUNNING IF SO HE WAS TO SUPPOSED TO TELL ME THAT WHICH HE DIDN'T. 3RD ISSUE I NOTICED I RECENTLY ADDED NEW FRONT PADS AND ROTOR'S NEW REAR PADS AND ROTORS 1 NEW REAR PASSSGER SIDE BRAKE CALIPER. MY BRAKE LIGHTS STILL APPEARED TO POP UP I TOLD THE MERCHANT HE TOLD ME IT COULD BE A SENSOR FAILURE AND GET CHECK OUT AT A MERCEDES BENZ DEALER. 4TH ISSUE THE TRIANGLE LIGHT LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF DASH FLASHES OCCASIONALLY CAUSING UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, TAPPING THE BRAKE PEDAL MAY NOT AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGE CRUISE CONTROL AS EXPECTED IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR RECALL SUBJECT: SUSPENSION: FRONT CONTROL ARM UPPER ARM .RECALL: 6/SERVICE BULLETINS: 2
I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY INTERSECTION IN MY 2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML320 WHEN DRIVING THE YELLOW TRIANGLE IN THE SPEEDOMETER STARTS TO FLASH AND ALL THE BREAKS LOCK UP, THIS IS FOLLOWED BY A STALL, THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT BEING HIT. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THAT MANY MERCEDES ML320 OWNERS WERE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. SPECIFICALLY THE YAW RATE SENSOR. THIS IS A SERIOUS LIFE THREATENING ISSUE THAT CAN INJURE OR WORSE YET KILL SOMEONE. YOU GUYS NEED TO DO A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE DIES!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BAS AND ESP WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED EXTREME DIFFICULTY TURNING LEFT AND RIGHT AND HAD TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO THE FAILURES. THE UNKNOWN DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
I HAVE A 2002 ML320, THE RADIO IS OUT AND THE HOLE CLAMP USED TO SECURE THE POWER STEERING FLUID DOES NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CLAMPING CAUSING A LEAK, ESP/BAS STAYS ON CAUSING LOW TRACTION AND THE DOOR LOCK. THESE ITEMS WERE RECALLED ON THE M-CLASS 320, WHAT HAPPENED TO THES RECALLS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES WITHOUT THE CONTACT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EBS AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD SCREECHING SOUND WHEN BEING DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE IT COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 175,000.
MY 2002 ML320 CLUSTER DISPLAY LIGHTS ON MY DASH ALL LIGHT UP, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, THE SPEEDOMETER STOPS WORKING ACTUALLY GOES TO ZERO. ONCE THE CAR COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP IT ACCELERATES VERY SLOWLY AND WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. THIS IS VERY FRIGHTENING FOR SOMEONE IN TRAFFIC AND THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE IS REAR ENDED AND DIES. *TR
RUN OVER THE ANY PUMP ON THE ROAD THAT CAUSE THE GAS PEDAL PUSH DOWN TO THE BOTTOM, STILL DIDN'T ACCELERATE CAUSE THE CAR SLOWLY DOWN, THIS CAUSE EVERYTIME DRIVER OVER THE PUMP. *TR
ML 320 GOT IN FIRE ITSELF SUDDENLY START AT THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE ENGINE,I WAS DRIVING MY CAR FOR 5 MIN ON FWY, WHEN A CAR NEXT LINE HONK ON ME AND YELLED ME MY CAR HAS FIRE UNDER THE ENGINE AFTER THAT TRY TO STOP AND THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT WORK I HAVE TO STOP THE CAR WITH THE PARKING BRAKE AND RUN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. *TR
2002 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320. CONSUMER IS HAVING SOME WARRANTY REPAIR PROBLEMS WITH MERCEDES-BENZ. HE ALSO STATES THAT MERCEDES-BENZ IS REFUSING TO PAY FOR ANY RECALL REPAIRS. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED NOISES AND LACK OF POWER FROM THE VEHICLE WERE REPORTED TO THE DEALER. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOUND DIRTY SOLID METAL RESIDUE IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, THERE WERE MISSING PARTS IN THE PLANETARY GEAR. THE CAUSE OF DAMAGE WAS FAULTY ASSEMBLY OF THE PINS/PLUGS IN THE GEARS, WHICH RESULTED IN THE PARTS BECOMING LOOSE AND BREAKING THE TEETH, WHICH CAUSED EXCESSIVE NOISE AND LOSS OF POWER, ULTIMATELY THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE POWER STEERING WAS LEAKING, THE BRAKE AND ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED SEVERAL TIMES, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED, THE DOOR LOCKS HAD TO BE REPAIRED, THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THE SWAY BAR LINK BUSHING WERE REPLACED AS WELL. *JB UPDATED 06/01/10.*JB UPDATED 06/04/10.*JB UPDATED 10/18/10*JB UPDATED 10/29/10*JB
I WAS DRIVING AT 40-45 MPH WHEN I NOTICED AN ORANGE GLOW UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THE LIGHT TURNED YELLOW, AND SUDDENLY I NOTICED FLAMES ARE SHOOTING OUT OF THE SIDE MIRROR ALONG WITH THICK BLACK SMOKE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED INTO A GAS STATION AND PUT OFF THE FIRE WITH WATER HOSE. I WAS AFRAID OF THE FIRE TO GET INSIDE THE CAR. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 70 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LOCKED UP AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE INTO A MEDIAN. THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AT THE SAME TIME THE BRAKES LOCKED. THE CONTACT NEVER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL NOR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FOR THE BRAKES TO LOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE YAW RATE SENSOR FAILED. THE REPAIRS WERE SCHEDULED UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 63,000. UPDATED 02/05/09 *BF THE BAS/ESP LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS CRACKED AND THE TRANSMISSION ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WAS LEAKING.. UPDATED 02/06/09.*JB
VEHICLE'S DRIVE AUTHORIZATION SYSTEM FAILS TO RECOGNIZE KEY RESULTING IN A 'START ERROR' DISPLAYING ON DASH AND VEHICLE WILL NOT START. THIS ITEM CAN ONLY BE REPLACED BY THE DEALER AND IS A KNOWN DEFECT BY MERCEDES BENZ. THE DASH CONTROL UNIT IS PART # A163 545 28 32 AND IS REPLACED BY A MODIFIED VERSION A163 545 07 06. MERCEDES REQUIRES OWNERS TO BEAR FULL FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS REPAIR, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT WHICH CAN RESULT IN STALLS AND NO START SITUATION, POTENTIALLY PUTTING THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS IN DANGER. THE COST OF THIS REPAIR IS APPROX. $800 TO $1000. A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED BY MERCEDES BENZ AND THAT BULLETIN IS T-B-80.57/32 AND WAS ISSUED ON FEBRUARY 7, 2005. IT COVERS ALL M CLASS MODELS FROM 2000 TO 2005 MODEL YEAR. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN DEPRESSED. THE DEALER STATED THAT A BLOWN FUSE CAUSED THE FAILURE AND THEY MADE THE REPLACEMENT. THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER BLOWN FUSE AND MADE THE REPLACEMENT AGAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 27 TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. AS OF AUGUST 4, 2008, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED DASHBOARD FAILURE. THE HAZARD LIGHTS BEGAN FLASHING ON AND OFF. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY DISCOVERED A DEFECT IN THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT. THEY REPLACED A FUSE, WHICH CORRECTED THE FAILURE FOR APPROXIMATELY A MONTH, BUT THE FAILURE EVENTUALLY RECURRED. WHEN ALL OF THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN, THEY REMAINED LIT AND LOCKED THE GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN AND EVEN STALLED WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH. THE CONTACT HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AT LEAST ONCE PER MONTH AND THEY REPLACED THE FUSE EACH TIME, OR ATTEMPTED TO REPROGRAM THE SYSTEM; HOWEVER, THE REMEDY WAS NEVER PERMANENT. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
THIS CAR HAS BEEN INTO SERVICE OV 27 TIME IN THE LAST 2 1/2 YEARS REGARDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/ ALL OF THE LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD TURN ON. MY LASTEST ISSUE WAS ON THE HIGHWAY MY CAR JUST COMPLETELY TURN OFF ON ME WILL ON THE EXPRESSWAY WHEN I TURNED THE KEY AGAIN THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THIS CAR HAS BEEN FIX NUMEROUS TIMES BUT THE PROBLEM COMES BACK. *TR
ODOMETER FAILURE. CALLED EXPECTING WARRANTY WAS 8 YEARS 80000 MILES TO BE TOLD WAS NOT COVERED AT DEALERSHIP. WONDERED WHY SOME CARS WERE COVERED WITH UNLIMITED MILEAGE WHICH MAKES SENSE BECAUSE ODOMETER IS VIAL INFORMATION FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN DURING THE LIFE OF THE CAR. *JB
NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTING. MOST IMPORTANTLY THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL CONTINUALLY GOES OUT WITHOUT NOTICE. SOMETIME THE INTERIOR LEFT TURN LIGHTS UP AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. OTHER TIMES THE INTERIOR LEFT TURN LIGHT GOES COMPLETELY OUT PLACING ME AND MY CHILDREN IN GREAT DANGER. ALSO I MADE A LEFT TURN AND THE STEERING WENT OUT JUST AS I ENTERED THE BELTWAY AND WAS UNABLE STEER THE VEHICLE. *NM
THIS VEHICLE HAS NUMEROUS DEFECTS, AND HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE COUNTLESS AMOUNTS OF TIMES. MB PROMISED TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE IF THEIR FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE COULD VERIFY MY COMPLAINTS. THEY ABSOLUTELY FOUND NUMEROUS, REDUNDANT DEFECTS AND NOW ONLY WANT TO FIX THE VEHICLE, RATHER THAT REPLACE THE VEHICLE. WHAT A BUNCH OF LIARS. THE VEHICLE HAS ISSUES WITH THE STEERING SYSTEM, THE WHEEL RUBS AND THE POWER STEERING FADES OUT, THE RADIO AND CD CHANGER MALFUNCTION CONSTANTLY, FUMES FROM THE VENTILATION SYSTEM, AND WHEN YOU HIT A BUMP, THE CAR ALMOST GOES OUT OF CONTROL, EVEN THE ESP LIGHT COMES ON. *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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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