2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 Complaints

STEERING WHEELS RATTLES AND MAKE GROANING NOISE WHEN TURNING OR HITTING BUMPS. CAN DISTRACT DRIVERS AND CAUSE ACCIDENTS. *TR

I'M THE OWNER OF A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350 4MATIC, CURRENTLY AT 58,645 MILES WITH OUTSIDE EXTENDED WARRANTY UNTIL 2013. RECENTLY I HAD THE HEATED SEAT TURNED ON WHICH I STARTED THE CAR AND AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM INSIDE THE CABIN AND THEN STARTED SEEING SMOKE COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BOLSTER AROUND THE WAIST AREA. I FOUND A HOLE BURNT THE SIZE OF A NICKEL AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM IT. IT WAS BRIGHT RED AS I COULD SEE INSIDE THE HOLE I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE HEAT SEAT AND SLOWLY THE BURNING WENT AWAY. I TOOK MY CAR TO A MERCEDES BENZ DEALER THE NEXT AND THEY DENIED THAT THERE IS NO HEATING ELEMENT IN THAT PART OF THE SEAT AND REFUSED TO COVER UNDER OUTSIDE WARRANTY. AT THE DEALERSHIP I DID TRY TO TURN THE HEATED SEAT ON BUT NO SMOKE WAS COMING OUT SO I WASN'T ABLE TO PROOF THE SEATING ELEMENT WAS ACTUALLY CAUSING THE PROBLEM. BUT I READ NUMEROUS INCIDENTS ONLINE WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE BALANCE SHAFT AND OTHER PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,448.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN IT IGNITED IN SMALL FLAMES UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AREA; A BYPASSER EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY INFORMED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE FUSE BOX WHICH COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE WIRING HARNESS AND CAUSED OTHER DAMAGES. THE INSURANCE COMPANY CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000. UPDATED 03/24/11*LJ UPDATED 1/4/11 *CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. WHILE SHIFTING INTO REVERSE GEAR THE VEHICLE SURGED BACKWARDS, RESULTING IN A CRASH. UPON SHIFTING THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE, IT THEN SURGED FORWARD, RESULTING IN ANOTHER CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A SERIOUS INJURY AND WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A LOT WHERE THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000. UPDATED 3/11/11 *CN UPDATED 07/11/11

HELLO I LIVE IN NY AND I HAVE A 2006 ML350. RECENTLY I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO MERCEDES BENZ. THEY STATE THE CAR NEEDS NEW BALANCE SHAFT AND TIMING GEARS. THE CAR ONLY HAS 46,000 MILES. THIS SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. THE COST IS OVER $5,000 TO GET FIXED. MERCEDES WILL NOT COVER IT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT PART. IN RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I FOUND OUT I WASN'T THE ONLY WITH THIS ISSUE. THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN NEW JERSEY AS WELL AS OTHER STATES. MY INSPECTION HAS EXPIRED AND CAN'T NOT PASS WITHOUT THE REPAIR WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HERE IS THE LINK TO THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HTTP://WWW.COURTHOUSENEWS.COM/2010/10/07/MERCEDES.PDF. THEY SHOULD MAKE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML 350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK. APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH LATER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR REMAINED STUCK FROM THE INSIDE. SHE WAS FORCED TO CRAWL TO THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND REPLACED THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR ACTUATOR. THE CONTACT DID INFORM THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,240 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. UPDATED 10/27/2011 *LN *TR

2006 MERCEDES BENZ BALANCE SHAFT IS DEFECTIVE. THE DEFECT CAUSES THE CAR TO SOMETIMES SPUTTER WHEN ACCELERATING, ALMOST WAS KILLED BY A TRUCK AS I TURNED LEFT, OR STALL OUT COMPLETELY. *TR

AROUND 52,000 MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MERCEDES BENZ DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE BALANCE SHAFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE BALANCE SHAFT, THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND TAKEN APART. ESTIMATED COST $4,000 TO $7,500. THE SERVICE DEPT. TOLD ME THAT IT WAS DUE TO A PART THAT WAS NOT HARDENED PROPERLY DURING MANUFACTURING. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (S-B-03.30/08I) THAT WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN 2007, HOWEVER IT SEEMS LIKE MERCEDES BENZ KNOWS THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (ON THE MAJORITY OF THESE VEHICLES) WILL NOT COME ON UNTIL AFTER 50,000 MILES, WHEN THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. SINCE THIS FIX IS A HUGE EXPENSE, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO ISSUE A RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT IS CLEARLY A SAFETY CONCERN. IF WE WOULD'VE HAVE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION, EVENTUALLY THE BALANCE SHAFT WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO BREAK ITS TEETH RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE. CONTINUING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THE CONDITION IS NOT SAFE, IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE VEHICLE STOPS RUNNING AND THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED OUR BALANCE SHAFT, THE PARTS USED ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO LIST ALONG WITH LABOR CODES. HERE IS A BRIEF BREAKDOWN: 28.8 LABOR HOURS TOTAL $2,940.48, PARTS $1,263.50 (CONSUMER COST), $925.49 (NET COST). THE FAILURE HAS BEEN CORRECTED, HOWEVER THE SERVICE DEPT. TOLD ME ALL OF THESE VEHICLES MADE DURING THIS TIME WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE THIS FAILURE AND IT'S A SAFETY CONCERN, NOT TO MENTION A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUED FOR THESE VEHICLES AND MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY CONSUMERS OF THIS FAILURE. I WAS AN ORIGINAL PURCHASER AND HAD MINE REPAIRED, HOWEVER THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE BUYING THESE VEHICLES USED UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM, NOT ONLY STUCK WITH A $4,000 + REPAIR, BUT ALSO UNAWARE OF THE SAFETY HAZARD. MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

2006 ML350 MERCEDES BENZ - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AND THE GARAGE TELLS ME THAT THE BALANCE SHAFT GEARS HAVE WORN AND NEED TO BE REPLACED IN A CAR WITH JUST 67,000 MILES ON IT. THE PRICE IS 5500 AND THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE I'VE HEARD FROM WITH THE SAME ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. I THINK THIS IS AN OBVIOUS FLAW IN THIS BATCH OF ENGINES AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AS THIS IS SERIOUS IF THE CHAINS ACTUALLY COME OFF THE GEARS. *TR