1998 Mercedes-Benz ML320 recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Vehicle speed controlCrash

  1998 MERCEDES BENZ ML-320. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE MAKING A TURN AND RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND HIT A CONCRETE COLUMN. THIS DAMAGED THE MAIN METAL FRAME BEHIND THE FRONT BUMPER. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *JS

  Dec 30, 2014
• Wheels

  MICHELIN LATTITUDE TOUR 255/65R16 TIRES ARE PREMATURELY COMING APART. I HAVE LESS THAN 15K MILES ON THESE TIRES AND THE TREAD IS RIPPING AWAY FROM THE SIDE WALLS. THERE IS NO RECALL FROM MICHELIN FOR THIS SIZE OF TIRE AND IT HAS THE SAME DEFECT AS THE OTHER SIZES IN THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL TIRE. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! 164 DOLLARS A TIRE AND I COULD HAVE DIED DRIVING ON THESE THINGS. THESE NEED A RECALL NOW! PEOPLES LIVES ARE AT RICK DRIVING WITH THESE TIRES!

  Jan 5, 2016 · 15,000 miles
• Seat beltsFire

  WENT TO START MY CAR SEAT BELT BLEW UP ,SMOKE COMING OUT NOW WILL NOT WORK WILL NOT RETRACT .HOW CAN MERCEDES MAKE SUCH A DANGEROUS PRODUCT AND NOT BE BE SUED FOR SUCH A CRAPPY DANGEROUS PRODUCT.THIS NOT A ISOLATED OR FREAK OCCURANCE HAVE READ NUMEROUS SIMILAR ON LINE.

  Apr 15, 2015 · 170,549 miles
• Engine

  MY BATTERY WAS LOW AND UNKNOWN TO ME THE ML320 FOR THIS YEAR LOSES ITS TRANSPONDER CODES IN THE DAS SECURITY MODULE WHEN YOU TRY TO START THE VEHICLE WITH A LOW BATTERY. THIS IS EVIDENTALLY THE THIRD KEY THAT HAS LOST ITS PROGRAMMING ON MY VEHICLE DUE TO LOW BATTERY VOLTAGE. COST SO FAR IS 499 FOR A KEY, WEEKS WAITING FOR THE KEY FROM GERMANY, AND 300 TO PROGRAM IT ONCE THEY RECIEVE THE KEY. ITS A DEALERSHIP ONLY ITEM SO ITS VERY VERY COSTLY. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH MERCADES AND CHECKING THE FORUMS IT SEEMS THAT EVERYONE THAT HAS 1998-2000 MODEL MERCADES ALL LOSE THEIR TRANSPONDER CODES BETWEEN 129,000 AND 132,000 MILES NO MATTER WHAT.THIS IS AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND A KNOWN…

  Dec 27, 2014 · 131,459 miles
• Vehicle speed control

  SUDDENLY I COULD NOT GAIN OR GET ANY MORE SPEED. I WAS JUST COASTING ALONG, I THEN ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION AND GOT OUT AND SMELLED BURNING SMELL FROM FRONT WHEELS. I COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE GEAR I WAS IN. *JS

  May 23, 2014 · 98,000 miles
• Service brakes

  MESSAGE DISPLAY INDICATES LEFT BRAKE LIGHT NOT WORKING. REPLACED BULB AND MESSAGE DISAPPEARED FOR ONE DAY AND THEN REAPPEARED. REMOVED BULB AND BULB WAS OK. WENT ONLINE AND FOUND WHERE MERCEDES HAD A BRAKE LIGHT REPAIR KIT FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT I WAS NOT NOTIFIED. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THIS REPAIR KIT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY OR RECALL. I CONTACTED A LOCAL EUROPEAN CAR REPAIR SHOP WHO HAD THE REPAIR KIT IN STOCK GOING BACK TO 2010 MERCEDES HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT NEVER NOTIFIED ME OR FIXED THE PROBLEM WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR NORMAL SERVICE. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN MERCEDES. *TR

  Jul 5, 2014 · 98,275 miles
• Structure › Body

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE DOOR LOCKS ON ALL FOUR DOORS INDEPENDENTLY LOCK AND UNLOCK CONTINUOUSLY. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK FROM THE OUTSIDE AND THE CONTACT HAD TO ENTER FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT WHILE THERE WERE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS THERE WAS NO RECALLS AT THAT TIME. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 157,000.

  Nov 1, 2012 · 157,000 miles
• Service brakesFire

  THE BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED AND WORKED AGAIN AFTER SOME PUMPING AND COASTING TO AVOID COLLISION. THE CAR THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TR

  Sep 7, 2012 · 50,567 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY FAILUREClosed

  THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF POWER-STEERING ASSIST.ODI HAS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 546 NON-DUPLICATIVE REPORTS THAT ALLEGE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE ON ALL MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES USING THE SUBJECT COMPONENT.THE SUBJECT COMPONENT FAILURES ARE PROGRESSIVE IN NATURE AND ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE COMPLAINTS AND WARRANT CLAIMS INVOLVED A FAILURE THAT HAD PROGRESSED FAR ENOUGH TO EFFECT POWER STEERING PERFORMANCE (6 OF 55 ODI COMPLAINTS REFERENCE INCREASED STEERING EFFORT).THERE HAVE BEEN NO CRASHES OR INJURIES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE…

  PE03058 · opened Dec 17, 2003 · closed Apr 22, 2004