2001 Mercedes-Benz ML55 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 2001 Mercedes-Benz ML55, 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
- Brakes433.3%
- Other / unspecified216.7%
- Steering216.7%
- Tires & wheels18.3%
- Exterior lighting18.3%
- Driver assistance18.3%
- Electrical18.3%
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving the vehicle the car would randomly lock up different wheels on the car jerking the steering wheel out of my hands. The first time I was on a freeway and thought I must have run over a puddle of oil and the antilock system was trying to keep the car stable, even though the steering wheel was jerking from side to side. As it only last 10 terrifying seconds, I thought that would be the last time the car did that. The second time it happened was just getting off the freeway and the system kept locking up different wheels again, but this time it would not stop. I had to limp the car to an area where I could safely park it out of traffic and call a tow truck to take us home. Doing research on this it seems this is a common problem with this model of Mercedes as well as a few more models. It comes up in a simple Google search. I am grateful I was the person driving the car at the time and not my wife. This is her daily driving car and I really want to be able to trust the car for her to drive it again.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ ML55AMG. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE INDEPENDENTLY LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE WENT SIDEWAYS. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML55. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO A DEFECTIVE SENSOR MALFUNCTION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE LEFT FRONT TIRE LOCKED UP, SENDING THE VEHICLE INTO THE OPPOSITE LANE OF TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ROLLED OVER. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SENSOR DID NOT PREVENT THE ROLL OVER. *JB
2001 MERCEDES-BENZ ML55, DEFECTIVE SENSOR NEAR THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE THAT WHEN FUNCTIONING IS SUPPOSE TO PREVENT ROLL OVERS. UPDATED 02/12/15*BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE LOCKED UP AND HE GRABBED THE WHEEL TO PREVENT TO AVOID HITTING PARKED VEHICLES. HE STEERED LEFT, MAKING A U-TURN FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC, AVOIDING A COLLISION AND UPON OVER-COMPENSATING FOR THE MALFUNCTION OF THE VEHICLE, HE FLIPPED OVER TWICE AND THE WAS STOPPED BY A HITTING A LIGHT POLE. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ ML55. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE BECAME VERY HARD TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE HAD NUMEROUS LEAKS AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V121000 (STEERING), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000.
TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TAKING THE 2001 MERCEDES ML55 WITH 72029 CURRENT MILEAGE FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE STEERING RACK WAS CRACKED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A DEALER AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML55. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO A DEFECTIVE SENSOR MALFUNCTION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE LEFT FRONT TIRE LOCKED UP, SENDING THE VEHICLE INTO THE OPPOSITE LANE OF TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ROLLED OVER. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SENSOR DID NOT PREVENT THE ROLL OVER. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY GOING OFF WHILE DRIVING, FOG LIGHTS QUIT WORKING, CAN GET NO LIGHTS TO COME ON SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING. HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN A RECALL PUT OUT ON MY VEHICLE ACCORDING TO CARFAX, YET WHEN I SPEAK TO ANYONE AT MERCEDES-BENZ, THEY SAY MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED AND WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP. *TR
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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES ML55. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXHIBITING BRAKING ISSUES AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE LATERAL ACCELERATION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN THREE WEEKS OF THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING THROUGH A CAR WASH WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED, THE CONSUMER'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, BUT THE VEHICLE WENT OVER SOME HUGE BOULDER ROCKS AND WENT AIRBORNE AND LANDED HARD ON GROUND, TIRES FIRST. . THE CONTACT WAS REPORTED AS INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,836. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ESP AND BAS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AFTER THE INCIDENT. UPDATED 03/16/12
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY GOING OFF WHILE DRIVING, FOG LIGHTS QUIT WORKING, CAN GET NO LIGHTS TO COME ON SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING. HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN A RECALL PUT OUT ON MY VEHICLE ACCORDING TO CARFAX, YET WHEN I SPEAK TO ANYONE AT MERCEDES-BENZ, THEY SAY MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED AND WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP. *TR
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 .