2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350. While the contact’s wife was driving approximately 30 - 35 MPH, the message "Do Not Drive Vehicle" was suddenly displayed. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic, and the brake fluid reservoir was topped off. The mechanic was unable to find any leaks. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The message turned off and was displayed again 4 hours later. The contact was called by his wife, and the vehicle was driven to the residence after the brake fluid reservoir was refilled. The contact stated that a half mile later, the message was displayed again. The vehicle was driven to the residence and parked. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall associated with the VIN related to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

NHTSA ID

11749928

Incident

Jun 22, 2026

Mileage

122,000 mi

ENGINE STALLED DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 70mph. MECHANIC DIAGNOSTIC INDICATED TO BE FAULTY FUEL PUMP and/or FUEL PUMP CONTROL UNIT. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY MERCEDES BENZ AS A FAULTY ISSUE AND SUBJECT TO RECALL. UPON CALLING MERCEDES BENZ DEALER WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS MATTER FOR MY VEHICLE CONTRADICTING THIS ISSUE PREVIOUSLY RECOGNIZED BY MERCEDES BENZ.

NHTSA ID

11731177

Incident

Apr 12, 2026

My name is [XXX] My vehicle cut off on me 3 times twice while stationary and once at an intersection. Found oil in engine control module due to failed cam position sensors. Oil has traveled through the engine harness to ECM causing oil to get into module and cause it to shut down but it did start back up. This is very dangerous and could cause serious injury to someone. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11637887

Incident

Jan 7, 2025

Vehicle stalled without warning, and I was advised by a mechanic that the fuel pump control unit was reporting a fault through the onboard diagnostics port and the check engine light on the dashboard. It was necessary to replace the fuel pump control unit as the defect was intermittent and subject to occur at any time the vehicle was being driven. There is no available solution save the replacement. I had the fuel pump control unit replaced at my cost and after replacing it found information concerning the NHTSA recall campaign online. The defective fuel pump control unit was discarded upon replacement and is not available for inspection. I believe the failure of this fuel pump control unit is a direct result of the recall not being complied with. I believe the manufacturer; Mercedes Benz USA is responsible for my costs expended in repairing this defect under the recall campaign because they did not notify me of the recall. I purchased this vehicle from an authorized Mercedes Benz USA dealer, my personal contact information is a matter of record of the sale, and I believe Mercedes Benz USA had a duty to contact me concerning the NHTSA recall campaign #2023010002 concerning this vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11634404

Incident

Nov 14, 2024

The driver's seat belt is locked and the retractor is not working without any reason. The front adaptive cruise control radar is also not working, along with the crucial blind spot sensor. Because of this, the vehicle cruise control (even without adaptive mode) is not working at all. This is a big safety issue and it is illegal to even drive this car without the seat belt working.

NHTSA ID

11629538

Incident

Dec 8, 2024

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated while driving uphill at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the abnormal shaking occurred at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with timing chain failure. The contact was informed that the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ID

11628291

Incident

Jul 19, 2024

Mileage

65,000 mi

My wife was driving home from shopping and noticed an accumulation of dust on the rear window. She used the rear wiper to clean it but it came right back, she repeated twice and gave up. Approx 3-4 miles later she heard a POP and red lights came on the dash, when she pulled over ASAP in a safe spot smoke started coming from under the hood. She shut the engine off and tried to exit the car to find the hood release under the dash but there was fire coming out from under the car. She closed the door, grabbed her purse and cell phone and got out quickly as possible, burning her ankle and singing her long skirt. She got approx 50 feet away, looked back and the entire car was ablaze, centered mid vehicle, as well as 4-5 spot fires along the road she had just traveled. Previous to the POP the car was driving, steering, and braking normally, no warning lights of any kind. Visiting the site the next day revealed sound deadening/insulation material in and along side the roadway for 2-300 yards as well as dripping molten aluminum, corresponding to the area traveled after she first heard the POP. The vehicle had extensive repairs of cascading failing emissions system components only 7-9 months earlier, culminating with 42 days at Mercedes San Rafael where one component after another failed and was replaced. Myself and all knowledgeable persons i talk to assume it was an overheated catalytic converter that caused the problem. So far Mercedes has not been aggressive i trying to determine the cause. I've hired a forensic company and a joint inspection is pending. Cal Fire was able to contain the vegetation fire started by the vehicle at 85 acres, known as the Veteran's Fire-Igo as it occurred near the Veteran's Cemetery, using multiple fire engines, bulldozers, helicopters and a boride bomber. We are thankful she was alone in the car at the time without grandchildren buckled into car seats in the back or the results surely would have been much more tragic.

NHTSA ID

11625550

Incident

Jun 27, 2022

My indicators stopped working a month prior to accident, then they started working again. On March 10th the issue happened again where I turned my signal on and no light appeared and no light on the dash with the indicator sound either. Boom, I had sideswipe someone on a major road causing an accident. NHTSA needs to do something about this because corporate won’t do anything!

NHTSA ID

11603926

Incident

Mar 10, 2021

Turn signals will not operate, dealership quoted me $1400 3 years ago, had the work performed and now the issue is happening again and I am being quoted the same amount of money. This is a safety concern if I cannot signal to others where I am turning!!!!! This could cause an accident!!!!! This is highly unsafe!!! What if my kids were in the car?! Talking to customers in waiting lounge at dealership other people have had same issue!! The one time they stopped working I had a person hit me going 30 mph, could have been much much worse.

NHTSA ID

11603923

Incident

Nov 12, 2020

Steering column module is intermittently not working as intended, therefore the blinkers will sometimes not work causing it to be a safety concern if I can not signal where I am going. When looking this issue up online I have seen numerous different forums and posts where people have had the same issue. When I took my vehicle to the dealership they had told me that this is very common with the vehicle I have and they do the fix all of the time, just for the issue to happen yet again later down the road.

NHTSA ID

11602716

Incident

Jun 5, 2024

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound and then stalled. Additionally, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly while driving. The contact's husband coasted the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,372.

NHTSA ID

11586089

Incident

Apr 18, 2024

Mileage

79,372 mi

When I start the engine, it makes a sound loud and strange

NHTSA ID

11571477

Incident

Jan 15, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and lost forward propulsion. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle for a short distance and the failure reoccurred. The vehicle lost motive power and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed of water entering the spare tire wheel well in the trunk of the vehicle. The contact was advised that the spare tire wheel well, was filled with water. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. Per the dealer's records, the work associated with NHTSA campaign #22V955000 and MBUSA recall #2023010002 had been completed in March 2023. However, that recall failed to address the source of the issue where water was improperly entering the spare tire wheel well. The dealer did not maintain any records as to the status of the fuel pump or signs of water entry when the recall was completed. The manufacturer refused to cover this repair under the associated recall. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.

NHTSA ID

11567440

Incident

Jan 22, 2024

Mileage

141,000 mi

I have own this vehicle on July 2023. I have recently noticed the exterior paint is peeling off quickly all over the body.

NHTSA ID

11561754

Incident

Dec 25, 2023

While driving, vehicle stalled. Mechanic found water in spare wheel Well. And fuel module and fuel pump shorted out. Had vehicle repaired; 07/22. The vehicle stalled again in 12/22. Mechanic found water in spare wheel well. Had to replace fuel pump. In February,2023, Mercedes Benz notified me of a recall, NHTSA Recall I D: 22V955 ; water intrusion in the spare wheel well. And, stated their local dealer would repair vehicle or reimburse me for the cost of repair, if I had the repair done already. I submitted receipts and documents pertaining to the repair. The Mercedes Benz Dealership refused to acknowledge the causal relationship between the repairs and the recall issue. And, refused me reimbursement.

NHTSA ID

11555567

Incident

Jul 6, 2022

When reversing the vehicle the brake pedal jumps with your feet on the brake pedal and a nose rattles,when driving and you have a sudden stop motion the vehicle brakes pedal with your feet on it it’s very hard to push the brake Pedal . Reversing the vehicle very strong nose and the vehicle doesn’t stop right away

NHTSA ID

11554614

Incident

Jul 12, 2023

CUANDO ENCIENDO MI GUAGUA HACE UN RUIDO MUY FUERTE Y SE SIENTE COMO SI SE VA A APAGAR. EL MOTOR SE PUEDE ROMPER EN CUALQUIER MOMENTO. SI SE HA LLEVADO A DIFERENTES TALLERES PARA CONFIRMAR EL RUIDO Y ME REFIEREN QUE SON MAS DE 80 GUAGUAS QUE HAN VISITADO SU TALLER CON EL MISMO PROBLEMA. NO PRESENTA NINGUNA ADVERTENCIA CUANDO APARECIO POR PRIMERA VEZ. EN EL TALLER ME DICEN QUE SE DEBE CAMBIAR EL MOTOR POR QUE SON LOS MOTOR STROKER Y ESO PUEDE CAUSAR UN FEO ACCIDENTE. WHEN I TURN ON MY BUS IT MAKES A VERY LOUD NOISE AND IT FEELS LIKE IT'S GOING TO TURN OFF. THE ENGINE CAN BREAK AT ANY TIME. IF IT HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DIFFERENT WORKSHOPS TO CONFIRM THE NOISE AND THEY TELL ME THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 80 BUSES THAT HAVE VISITED THEIR WORKSHOP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IT DOES NOT PRESENT ANY WARNING WHEN IT FIRST APPEARED. IN THE WORKSHOP THEY TELL ME THAT THE ENGINE MUST BE CHANGED BECAUSE THEY ARE THE STROKER ENGINES AND THAT CAN CAUSE AN UGLY ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

11546781

Incident

May 4, 2023

The contact’s husband owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V955000 (Fuel System, Diesel, Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle remained. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11523792

Incident

May 25, 2023

Due to water in the spare wheel well, (Recall ID:22V955) our fuel module and fuel pump went out. While driving in traffic on I-5 our car stalled then stopped which put us at risk of a crash.The first time (July 2022) It was repaired by Cooper's Auto Repair), After the 2nd time it failed again in Aug 2022, once again as we were driving, our mechanic at (Boyle's Foreign Car Repair) Aug 2022 & Dec 2022 (replace) decided to do an inspection of the whole car to see why this was happening, upon inspection he found water in the spare wheel well, He pulled out the plug to stop accumulation. 2 months later (Feb 2023 )we received the recall letter. In the letter it states that MBUSA would reimburse repairs performed prior to the recall. MBUSA is now refusing to reimburse for replacement but also refusing to find and fix where the water in entering. We reside in a very wet part of the country and see this as a continuing issue. There also is condensation in the back tail lights, which was not there until this issue started occurring. The car was previously in S Cal so there was no issue with water accumulation until it was moved to the rainy Pacific NW. We are fearful of using this car during very wet times as we do not know if this (failure of pump/module) will occur as well as condensation and water being in the back tail lights possibly resulting in the car stopping during it being driven. Therefore putting our lives in potential danger of an accident.

NHTSA ID

11521457

Incident

Dec 9, 2022

The steering column does not operate properly. The column no longer adjusts positions and more importantly, the turn signals work ad-hoc. When you start the vehicle, the turn signals tend to operate properly; however, after driving for approximately 15 minutes, the turn signals operate sporadically. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN as it's impossible to know when the turn signal will operate correctly or not, thus creating a hazard to me and others on the road. It is my understanding from investigating this online that this is a systemic issue with this model and not unique to my vehicle (just google "2012 Mercedes ml350 turn signal problems"). I discussed this with Mercedes Benz USA and they told me that the only way to resolve this issue is to replace the steering column (part #: 166-460-62-00) at the cost of $3,373.81. I hope that the NHTSA investigates this further as Mercedes-Benz has decided to ignore this safety issue that may cause harm or death. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11511019

Incident

Jan 1, 2023

Oil leaked thru wiring harness in to ECU and 02 sensors massive damage on car harness

NHTSA ID

11507737

Incident

Feb 4, 2022

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed a failure with the camshaft. The contact researched online and found a Technical Service Bulletin regarding the camshaft failure. The dealer advised the contact that the warranty had expired for the camshaft repair. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA ID

11481192

Incident

Aug 13, 2022

Mileage

96,000 mi

The following has been happening over the last 2 - 3 yrs. Also confirmed with other customers on MB world blog site. After traveling in the car for 5-15 minutes, and sooner if connected to cell phone via bluetooth, the indicators stop working. This leads to deactivation of the blind spot assist as well. The problem is temporarily resolved after switching the vehicle off and then on again, only to recur after driving it again for 10-15minutes, and earlier if attached to iPhone via Bluetooth. The blind spot assist is then permanently inactivated. 2 Mercedes dealerships in 2 separate states where I took the vehicle could not even identify a problem, let alone resolve it. When I called MBUSA, they claimed ignorance to the issue and told me to repair or change the vehicle myself. Since this is an issue with multiple vehicles, a recall needs to be issued for this model. It’s unknown how many collisions can be attributed to this since the problem has not been acknowledged by Mercedes’. The problem has occurred almost everyday over the last 3 years. I have narrowly missed being involved in collisions because of the inactivation of blind spot assist and changing lanes. I have almost been rear ended a bunch of times because of the indicators getting inactivated. All this has happened with my family traveling me with. Please lets not wait for loss of life before a recall is initiated. thank you.

NHTSA ID

11478166

Incident

Jul 17, 2022

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated while the vehicle was being inspected, the independent mechanic informed him of a diesel and oil leak. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ID

11454616

Incident

Feb 1, 2022

Mileage

110,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and attempted to restart the vehicle to see if the light would disappear however, the vehicle would not restart. The contact called the local dealer who arrived at the scene and connected the vehicle to a diagnostic machine to clear the sensor code for the vehicle to restart however, the failure persisted. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to the crankshaft position sensor. The vehicle was not repaired due the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

NHTSA ID

11427522

Incident

Jul 30, 2021

Mileage

145,000 mi