2005 Mercedes-Benz ML500 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 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML500, 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
- Engine266.7%
- Brakes133.3%
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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ ML500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO COME TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE DAS CONTROL BOX MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ ML500. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. HE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
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
ML500 EATS THROUGH BRAKES. EL DORADO HILLS MERCEDES REPLACED BRAKES AND ROTORS ON MY ML500 AT 29000 WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, SINCE THEN THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES AND ROTORS 3 TIMES AND I ONLY HAVE 60000 ON THE VEHICLE AND MOST OF THAT WAS HIGHWAY DRIVING. I DO NOT PULL ANYTHING, NO TRAILER HITCH INSTALLED. APPEARS TO BE DESIGN FLAW OR I'M BEING TAKEN BY THE DEALER. *AK
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 .