Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML350 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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
FAULTY WIRING IN THE BRAKE LIGHT HARNESS THAT COULD CAUSE FIRE. WIRING COMMONLY ARCS CAUSING THE BULBS TO BURN OUT AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. MERCEDES HAS OTHER CARS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM, BUT WON'T ADDRESS IT ON THE ML350'S. THEY EVEN MADE A PART TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, BUT DEMAND CAR OWNERS PAY OUT OF POCKET TO FIX MERCEDES FAULTY WIRING PROBLEM.
2008 MERCEDES ML 350 BRAKE LIGHTS CONTINUE TO SEND AN ERROR MESSAGE THAT LEFT AND RIGHT BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT SOMETIMES THEY ARE AND SOMETIMES THEY AREN'T ITS ISN'T THE LIGHT BULB AND WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR. WATER CONTINUES TO LEAK IN THROUGH THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT DAMAGING THE SAM UNIT
DUE TO A FAULTY RIGHT TAILLAMP SEAL, WATER GOT INTO A CONTROL MODULE AND DAMAGED IT BEYOND REPAIR. I WOKE UP AND WALKED OUTSIDE TO SEE MY HEADLIGHTS FLASHING AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION MY KEY FOB NOT WORKING, SRS DISABLED, AND MANY OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS DISABLED. SOME TIME BEFORE THIS, THE MOTOR TO THE REAR HATCH STOPPED WORKING, POSSIBLY FOR THE SAME REASON.
BRAKE LIGHT WENT OUT. TWO DAYS LATER THE BATTERY CAUSED A FIRE INSIDE OF VEHICLE WHILE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. KEYS WERE NOT IN THE IGNITION AT THE TIME
THE INSULATION OF THE CABLES FOR THE HIGH AND LOW BEAM IS MISSING.THE WIRES ARE WITHOUT ANY INSULATION AT ALL.I CAN NOT USE THE LIGHTS BECAUSE I'M AFRAID OF A SHORT .OTHER WISE, I CAN USE THE CAR AS LONG AS I DON'T TURN THE FRONT LIGHTS ON.
REAR HATCH WOULD NOT COMPETELY CATCH WHEN CLOSING. IT REQUIRED OPENING AND RECLOSING SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE COULD CATCH. SOON THEREAFTER IT WOULD NOT OPEN USING THE AUTOMATIC RELEASE. IT HAD TO BE OPENED USING THE MANUAL RELEASE ON THE INTERIOR SIDE OF THE DOOR. HAD TO CHANGE THE MECHANISM THAT CONTROLLED THE LOCKING AN OPENING OF THAT.
I PURCHASED A USED 2008 MERCEDES BENZ ML350 VIN: [XXX] TODAY, MY POWER LIFT GATE STOPPED OPERATING. I CAN HEAR THE MOTOR RUNNING WHEN I PRESS THE OPEN/CLOSE BUTTON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, AND ALSO ON MY REMOTE, BUT THE POWER LIFT GATE DOESN'T OPERATE. UPON DOING SOME BASIC RESEARCH, I UNDERSTOOD THAT RECALLS WERE MADE ON THE 2009 AND NEWER ML350 DUE TO A FAULTY SEAL WITH THE REAR LIGHTING ASSEMBLY UNIT, WHICH WOULD CAUSE WATER TO LEAK INTO THE SPARE TIRE ASSEMBLY AREA AND CAUSE THE POWER LIFT GATE TO STOP WORKING; IT MAY ALSO CAUSE A FIRE. UPON REMOVING THE SPARE TIRE TO INSPECT THE AREA, I SAW A LARGE POOL OF WATER IN THE AREA. THERE WAS ALSO WATER NEAR THE LEFT BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE WATER APPEARS TO HAVE EVEN CAUSED DETERIORATION OF WIRES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LEFT BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY UNIT. FOLLOWING MY ABOVE OBSERVATIONS, I CHECKED RECALLS AND NOTHING WAS SHOWN FOR MY 2008 ML350, BUT CLEARLY THIS IS ASSOCIATED PROBLEM OF MY YEAR AS WELL. HOW CAN WE GO ABOUT GETTING THIS COVERED? THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
MY ML350 KEPT BLOWING IT'S BRAKE LIGHTS. AFTER AWHILE OF THIS I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS OBVIOUSLY WRONG. AT THIS POINT BOTH LIGHTS WERE OUT AT THE SAME TIME. I TOOK IT IN TO FIND THAT THE SOCKETS WERE BURNT OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE WIRING ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND MERCEDES BENZ HAD A FIX FOR IT ALL BUT AT A PRICE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE C SERIES HAD A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY ARE THERE NO RECALL FOR THE ML OR THE M SERIES? *TR
REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT WITHIN SHORT PERIOD OF EACH OTHER. CHECKED WITH DEALER, WANTED TO REPLACE WHOLE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. CHECKED ONLINE, TURNS OUT TO BE FAULTY WIRING/INSTALL FOR WHICH MB ACTUALLY HAS A REPAIR KIT. SEEMS TO BE QUITE A FREQUENT PROBLEM. IN FACT THE MB C CLASS WAS RECENTLY RECALLED FOR THAT SAME REASON, WHY NOT THE ML350??? *TR
LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR, DURING MONTH OF APRIL 2014, DIFFERENT ERROR MESSAGES STARTED TO APPEAR ON DASH INCLUDING ABS (BRAKE SYSTEM), SRS (AIR BAGS), AND STEERING WHEEL VIBRATING, HARD TO TURN WHEEL, A FEW TAIL/PARKING LIGHTS NOT WORKING. AT SHOP, THEY SAID SENSORS WERE BAD, AND DUE TO MY EXTENDED WARRANTY THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE POWER STEERING SYSTEM ($272) BUT SAID TO REPAIR THE AIR BAGS WOULD COST $800. A DIFFERENT MECHANIC SAID UNDER $100 TO FIX AIR BAG SENSORS. NOW, AUGUST 2014, TRUNK LIFT MOTORS ARE KONKING OUT AND THE LOCK IS NOT LATCHING, POPS OPEN WHILE DRIVING, HAVE TO PULL OVER TO SHUT BEFORE EVERYTHING FALLS OUT. ALSO OTHER MOTORS FOR WINDOWS AND SUNROOF WORK INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN TURNING LEFT THE PARKING BRAKE SENSOR LIGHT POPS UP ON DASH....ALSO OUT OF THE BLUE ONE DAY THE WHOLE GPS SYSTEM WAS BLANK, TOTALLY WIPED OF ALL INFO DESTINATIONS, HISTORY ETC FROM PAST YEAR, ONLY A MAP SHOWS NOW. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CONTROL MODULE THAT IS LOCATED UNDER THE SPARE TIRE WAS DAMAGED. THERE WAS A RED LIGHT THAT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE PASSENGER DOOR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS FLASHED ON AND OFF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT GASKET AND CONTROL UNIT SAM MODULE WERE FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,500. UPDATED 10/03/2014*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND WOULD LIKE TO BE REFUNDED. UPDATED 5/12/2015 *JS
ORIGINAL CAR, 2007 ML350,REPLACED WITH A 2008 BY DEALER AFTER MULTIPLE PROBLEMS, 2008 MANUFACTURED IN JANUARY,2008 THESE CARS A MANUFACTURED PROBLEM IN TO SPRING OF 2008,.CARS AT THAT TIME CONSIDERED WORST USED CAR IN CONSUMER GUIDE.. INTERNET SHOWS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS FROM SEVERAL CUSTOMERS. NOT ABLE TO MAKE CONTACTS WITH THE HEAD OFFICE, WARRANTY GONE BECAUSE OF TIME,2008 HAS SAME PROBLEMS AS 2007, CAR HAS BEEN IN GARAGE MORE TIME THAN I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE IT, AIR BAGS ENGAGED AND DISENGAGED, WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON WHEN NO RAIN, BACK LIFT OPENS BY ITSELF, WINDOWS WILL GO UP AND DOWN AT WILL, GPS DOES NOT WORK, STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT ADJUST, SEATS WON'T FOLD DOWN, OIL LEAK, OCCASIONAL ROTTEN EGG SMELL IN CAR, HEATER COMES ON AUTOMATICALLY AND CAR GETS SO HOT, HAVE TO OPEN THE WINDOWS, YET WHEN YOU WANT HEAT YOU OFTEN TIMES CANNOT GET IT TRANSMISSION LEAK (ALL CONSIDERED UNUSUAL BY THE DISTRIBUTOR, HAVE ALL REPAIR BILLS AVAILABLE, TECHNICIANS HAVE FOUND MOST ALL OF THE PROBLEMS, REPAIR COSTS ABOUT 1500 A WHACK, THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT SHOULD SOMEONE GET HURT IN THIS CAR, THEY WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE, CAN'T AFFORD TO TRADE, I AM HANGING OUT ON A LIMB IN AN UNSAFE CAR. THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN- HAVE FRIENDS IN THE CAR THAT CAN VERIFY ALL HAPPENINGS. LETTERS TO IRA ROSENBURRG (?) FROM PRIME MOTORS, SCARBOROUGH, MAINE GO UNANSWERED, JUST ASKED TO SIT DOWN AND TALK, SOME RUDE ENCOUNTERS, PRESENTLY WANT TO DO A TRANSMISSION OIL REPAIR AT 1500, CAR COST 57,000 THINKING ONE HAD A RELIABLE CAR, ONLY HAS LOW MILEAGE EITHER DON'T DARE DRIVE IT A LONG DISTANCE OR IT IS IN THE GARAGE FOR WORK.MY QUESTION: WHY DO WE SEE MAJOR RECALLS FOR MANY CARS BUT NEVER SEE MAJOR RECALLS FOR MERCEDES WHEN INTERNET SHOWS MANY PEOPLE HAVE PROBLEMS????? WOULD I RECOMMEND MERCEDES TO ANYONE---- NEVER QUESTION IS "CAR IN GARAGE AGAIN?" *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A BURNING ODOR WAS EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE CABIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER MERGING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHE NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT AND IN A MATTER OF MINUTES THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
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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