2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 Complaints

I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 MERCEDES ML 350, WITH THE SEAT WARMER TURNED ON. I NOTICED A SMELL OF SMOKE COMING FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE, SO I TURNED OFF THE SEAT WARMER AND THE SMELL WENT AWAY. THE NEXT DAY I DISCOVERED THAT THE SEAT WARMER HAD BURNED A SMALL HOLE IN THE SEAT COVERING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT JUST ABOVE THE DRIVER'S WAIST. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THAT IT WOULD COST $800-$1000 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC THAT I TALKED WITH 1-ON-1 TOLD ME THAT THEY GET THIS PROBLEM FREQUENTLY. SINCE THE DAY OF THE BURN THROUGH, I HAVE NOT USED THE SEAT WARMER. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT I NOTICED THE SMOKE AND SHUT THE SEAT WARMER DOWN BEFORE THE SITUATION RESULTED IN A FIRE OR PERSONAL INJURY. SYSTEMS WITH THESE TYPES OF RISKS SHOULD HAVE SOME KIND OF "EXTENDED" WARRANTY COVERAGE WHEN THEY FAIL, TO HELP COVER THE RISK OF FIRE OR INJURY. *TR

ABOUT 2 MINUTES AFTER TURNING ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER, THE DRIVER'S SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. A HOLE BURNED THROUGH THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND BURNED MY BACK. LUCKILY, I RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM QUICKLY ENOUGH THAT I WAS ONLY SLIGHTLY BURNED. MY HUSBAND AND MY 1 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WERE IN THE CAR WITH ME. I WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME, SO MY CLOTHES COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. IF WE HAD TURNED ON THE SEAT WARMER WHILE WARMING UP THE CAR, THE ENTIRE CAR COULD HAVE GONE UP IN FLAMES.

2006 MERCEDES ML350 AT 91,100 MILES DRIVER SMELLED A BURNING SMELL AND LATER FOUND A BURNED HOLE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, DRIVER NOTICED SMELL WHEN SEAT WARMER WAS TURNED ON. DEALERSHIP IS REQUIRING THE DRIVER TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THIS ISN'T NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO THE DRIVER AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS SHOULD THE SEAT CATCH A FLAME. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED SHE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE BUT THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD ONLY SHIFT INTO DRIVE OR NEUTRAL. SHE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE BACK INTO PARK BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO PARK AND A MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD INFORMED HER THAT SHE COULD NOT SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK WHILE IT WAS IN MOTION. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGED AND SHE WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN SHUT OFF AND TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS REPROGRAMMED AND THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE REPLACED. SHE WAS INFORMED THE FAILURE WITHIN THE WHEEL BEARINGS RESULTED IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM THINKING THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED ONCE MORE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE BUT THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE AGAIN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 41,000. UPDATED 01/06/11 *BF UPDATED 01/24/11*JB

2006 ML350 MERCEDES BENZ - BALANCE SHAFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN A CAR WITH UNDER 50,00 MILES ON IT. THEY WANT 8,000 TO DO THE JOB AND I AM FINDING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. I WAS DIRECTED TO YOU BY A FACEBOOK SITE THAT IS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR MERCEDES. I THINK THIS IS A FLAW IN THE CAR AND THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO HER IT BEGAN TO LUNGE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS DRAGGING. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO EXHIBIT THE JERKING MOTION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE STATING THAT THE MANIFOLD WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE HAD RECURRED. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ADDITIONAL REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116247.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE RESTARTED FOR A PERIOD OF TWO SECONDS AND THE AUTOMATED WINDOWS BEGAN TO OPERATE WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THE HORN SOUNDED AND THE FRONT AND REAR WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLYT ACTIVATED . THE "BRAKE FLUID LOW" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR AND NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR DOOR AREA. THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECOMMENED LEVEL OF BRAKE FLUID WAS IN THE RESERVOIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A BUILD UP OF MOISTURE FROM AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF LIQUID SPILLED UNDERNEATH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OR POSSIBLY THE DRIVER SEAT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE WAS LIFE THREATENING AND THAT THE INTERIOR CARPET SHOULD BE DESIGNED WITH A WATERPROOF PROTECTOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME EXTREMELY STIFF RESISTANT TO THE CONTACTS ATTEMPTS TO MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE (NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V224000: STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSISTS SYSTEM) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 59,000.

BALANCE SHAFT ON MY MERCEDES ML350 HAS WORN CAM CAUSING CHECKING ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON AND THE TIMING TO BE OFF. MERCEDES SERVICE BULLETIN STATES THAT THE BALANCE SHAFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THAT THE MATERIAL OF NEW REPLACEMENT SHAFT HAS BEEN UPDATED. THIS HAS HAPPENING TO NEARLY ALL MERCEDES BENZ EQUIPPED WITH M272 ENGINE UP TO SERIAL NO. 2729..30 468993 OR M273 ENGINE UP TO SERIAL NO. 2739..30 088611 AND OCCURS AFTER 55,000 MILES. MERCEDES WANTS $4,000 - $6,000 TO REPLACE DEFECT PART. *TR

ON N.Y. STATE THRUWAY,ON CRUISE CONTROL,BRAKES SUDDENLY APPLIED THEMSELVES. ABS AND SLS FLASHED ON DASH.CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED. TURNED OFF CRUISE CONTROL AND PULLED OFF. ATTEMPT TO START AGAIN AND BRAKES APPLIED THEMSELVES. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES ,@20 MIN. WAS ABLE TO GET CAR MOVING. BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER WHO SAID SOME KIND OF BRAKE SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. CHARGED FOR REPLACEMENT. *TR