2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine2325.3%
- Fuel system1617.6%
- Electrical1112.1%
- Exterior lighting99.9%
- Steering77.7%
- Driver assistance66.6%
- Powertrain (other)66.6%
- Brakes33.3%
- Body & structure33.3%
- Seat belts33.3%
- Visibility22.2%
- Airbags22.2%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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)
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.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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)
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.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
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!
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.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
HELLO, REF: ML350 CAMSHAFT SOLENOID LEAK! I AM SEEKING OUT FOR YOUR HELP WRT TO A SITUATION WITH 2012 ML350. ENCLOSED HEREWITH IS AN INSPECTION REPORT FROM A RECENT SERVICE VISIT REQUIRING CLOSE OF $8K IN REPAIRS FOR YOUR REFERENCE. ENGINE HARNESS (OIL LLED HARNESS AND VARIOUS COMPONENTS HAVE OIL IN THEM, ALL COMPONENTS WITH OIL SHOULD BE REPLACED, QUICK INSP FOUND A FEW COMPONENTS BUT THERE MAY BE MORE THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED) AFTER REVIEWING THE INSPECTION REPORT, I DID SOME RESEARCH AND CAME ACROSS CAMPAIGN NO. 2012070002, SEPTEMBER 2012 (COPY ENCLOSED FOR YOUR REFERENCE), WHEREIN MERCEDES HAD IDENTIFIED IT AS A PART OF RECALL AND SERVICE CAMPAIGN AND AGREES TO COVER THE COST AND LABOR DAMAGES TO ANY DOWNSTREAM COMPONENTS DUE TO THE CAMSHAFT SOLENOID LEAK. THIS SERVICE CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN INITIATED BECAUSE DAIMLER AG (DAG), THE MANUFACTURER OF MERCEDES- BENZ VEHICLES, HAS DETERMINED THAT DUE TO THE SETTLING PROPERTIES OF THE SEAL, OIL MAY LEAK FROM THE CAMSHAFT ADJUSTMENT SOLENOID. DEALERS WILL RETROFIT FOUR ADAPTER HARNESSES ONTO THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE AT THE NEXT WORKSHOP VISIT. PLEASE NOTE THAT RECALL AND SERVICE CAMPAIGNS DO NOT EXPIRE AND MAY ALSO BE PERFORMED ON A VEHICLE WITH A VEHICLE STATUS INDICATOR. APPROXIMATELY 557,108 VEHICLES ARE AFFECTED PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. MERCEDES IS NOT OWNING THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIR. APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IN THIS REGARD.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
I have own this vehicle on July 2023. I have recently noticed the exterior paint is peeling off quickly all over the body.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
SEAT BELTS WILL NOT EXTEND. WHEN TRYING TO BUCKLE SEAT BELT, THE BELT RETRACTOR LOCKS AS YOU TRY TO EXTEND, PREVENTING YOU FROM BUCKLING YOUR SEAT-BELT. AFFECTS BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT-BELTS. INTERMITTENTLY HAPPENS AND SEEMS TO BE TEMPERATURE RELATED. MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN WHEN IT IS WARM.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE CONROL TO ACTIVATE THE WINDSHIELD WASHER IS A STALK MOUNTED BUTTON ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL. PRESSING THIS BUTTON WILL CORRECTLY CAUSE THE WINDSHIELD WASHER TO COME ON BRIEFLY, SPRAY THE WINDSHIELD WITH WATER AND FOLLOW UP WITH A FEW STROKES OF THE WIPER TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS ARRANGEMENT IS THAT THE SIMILARITY OF THE BUTTON ON THE END OF THE STALK ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WHICH PLACES THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK. THUS IF YOU ARE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU COULD EASILY CONFUSE GOING INTO PARK WITH WASHING THE WINDSHIELD. MY EXPERIENCE IF YOU MAKE THIS MISTAKE IS THAT THE CAR WILL NOT GO INTO PARK WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, BUT WILL GO INTO INTO NEUTRAL UNTIL THE CAR FULLY STOPS. THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS MANEUVER, ESPECIALLY IN THE RAIN ON A BUSY INTERSTATE. THIS BUTTON AND ITS PLACEMENT SHOULD BE IMPROVED TO CORRECT THIS CONFUSION.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350. WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE RADIO AND AIR CONDITIONER FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF COCONUT CREEK (4250 SR 7, COCONUT CREEK, FL 33073, PHONE: (954) 406-1167) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED, THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM, AND THE RADIATOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY VIN IS NOT PART OF THE TAKATA RECALL, ALTHOUGH SIMILAR MODELS I.E ML350 4MATIC 2012 IS. MY CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A HIGH IMPACT CRASH IN WHICH IT WAS TOTALED. THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND RESULTED IN SERIOUS NECK AND BACK INJURIES. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY ON THE HIGHWAY AS TRAFFIC SLOWED. A FAST ONCOMING VEHICLE (70-80 MPH) FAILED TO SEE MY STATIONARY VEHICLE AND REAR ENDED MY VEHICLE WITHOUT BREAKING CAUSING IT TO CRASH IN THE CAR IN FRONT. THE INCIDENT WAS SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO CAUSE MY ENGINE TO DROP AND THE FRONT CRUMBLE ZONE WAS FULLY UTILIZED. A WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD "LEFT SRS AIRBAG MALFUNCTION" SEE THE PICTURE ATTACHED. THIS IS POSSIBLY A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AFFECTING MULTIPLE CLASSES OF MERCEDES BENZ CARS.
MY VEHICLE CAME WITH ERROR MESSAGE "FRONT LEFT SRS MALFUNCTION SERVICE REQUIRED". DEALER CLAIMS THAT THE AIR BAG MIGHT NOT DEPLOY. LEFT IT FOR SERVICE. EL CABLE, CABLE CONNECTORS AND LOCKING MECHANISM WERE REPLACED. LOOKS LIKE THE ELECTRICAL CABLES WERE DAMAGED/DEFECTIVE IN THE MECHANISM. BEING A CAR WITH NO MORE THAN 4 YEARS AND UNDER 43000 MILES, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE PARTS REPLACED WERE DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. FURTHER THIS PROBLEM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH REGULAR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE. I DO NOT KNOW THE IMPACT WHICH IT WOULD CAUSE IF NOT SERVICED. PAID $444 FOR THE SERVICE AND I AM REALLY DOUBTFUL ABOUT THE RELIABILITY IN SAVING LIFE USING AIRBAGS ON MERCEDES. ATTACHED BILLS FOR THE SERVICE. APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD LOOK INTO THE MATTER AND FOLLOWUP. THANK YOU
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .