2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 Complaints

BALANCE SHAFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED $6500 FROM MERCEDES BENZ DEALER QUOTE ORIGINAL OWNER OIL CHANGED 8 TIMES IN 72000 MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT WARMER OVERHEATED AND CAUSED THE COILS TO BURN THROUGH. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SHE SUSTAINED SECOND DEGREE BURNS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT HEATER HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND THE SEAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BURST INTO FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED, WHO VERIFIED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE REAR TAIL LIGHT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. MY REGISTRATION IS UP NEXT MONTH AND NEED TO SMOG. IT WON'T PASS WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. DEALERSHIP SAYS ITS TIMING GEAR/CAMSHAFT ISSUE AND IT WILL BE $7500.00 TO REPAIR AND ITS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID MERCEDES WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY 25% OF PARTS FOR THE REPAIR WHICH WOULD BE AROUND $500.00. THIS I THOUGHT WAS STRANGE SO I LOOKED IT UP ONLINE AND THEIR ARE HUNDREDS OF STORIES AND A COUPLE CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE FOR THIS ENGINE. MERCEDES BENZ OBVIOUSLY KNOWS ABOUT IT AND SHOULD RECALL IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,357. *TR

NIGHT BEFORE INCIDENT THE AUTOMATIC REAR LIFT GATE OPENED WHEN FRONT DRIVER DOOR WOULD BE OPENED OR CLOSED. WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND SHUT OFF, TAIL HAZARD LIGHT WERE ACTIVATED ALONG WITH WARNING ALARM FOR TAILGATE MALFUNCTION OR OPEN. DURING THE MORNING OF THE INCIDENT, VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SHOW SAME ISSUES. WHEN VEHICLE WAS LATER ENTERED, ISSUE WITH TAILGATE OPENING SEEMED TO HAVE STOPPED, AFTER DRIVING AN APPROXIMATE 5-7 MILES, ODDER OF SMOKE EMERGED, TAILGATE WARNING ALARM SOUNDED ALONG WITH NORMAL TRAFFIC HORN, IN ADDITION CABIN LIGHTS TURNED ON AND WARN MESSAGES APPEARED ON DASH FOR FLAT TIRE,BLOWN BULBS, ETC, DRIVER PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND TURNED OFF VEHICLE TO INVESTIGATE. SOON AFTER TURNING OFF VEHICLE SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL CABIN, DRIVER IMMEDIATELY EXITED VEHICLE, FLAMES OVER TOOK VEHICLE WITHIN MINUTES. REMAINS SHOW UPPER HALF OF CABIN (SEATS AND UP) TOOK PRIMARY BURN, FLOORING WAS NOT BURNED. ENGINE BAY ONLY HAS MINOR FIRE DAMAGE FROM LARGE FLAMES AND HEAT GOING OUT OF FRONT WINDSHIELD. *TR

OWNER HAD ARRIVED HOME AT 7:00 P.M. FROM WORK AND WAS INSIDE HIS RESIDENCE. AT 10:00 P.M. POLICE AND FIRE PERSONNEL CAME TO HIS DOOR TO INFORM HIM THAT HIS CAR WAS ON FIRE. ONE RESIDENT SAID THAT, AS HE WAS WALKING IN THE PARKING LOT, HE NOTICED THERE WAS FIRE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TAIL LIGHT (AROUND 10:00 PM) AND WHEN HE LOOKED INSIDE, THERE WAS FIRE IN THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY BEHIND THE REAR TAIL LIGHT. HE RAN FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND ALSO YELLED FOR HELP AND FOR SOMEONE TO CALL 911 FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. BOTH FIRE AND POLICE ARRIVED. CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR 3 HOURS AND WAS PARKED, WAS DRIVEN ONLY 7 MILES THREE HOURS EARLIER WITH NO STOPS. CAR HAS BEEN CONSIDERED TOTALED BY INSURANCE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE INCURRED AND HAD BEEN OWNED FOR ONLY ONE YEAR, SERVICED REGULARLY BY MERCEDES BENZ, AND ALL RECALLS HAD BEEN UP-TO-DATE! THE SERVICING MERCEDES DEALERSHIP PROMPTLY INFORMED MERCEDES BENZ USA WHO ALSO PROMPTLY CONTACTED THE OWNER TO FILL OUT THE APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK AND SUBMIT PICTURES FOR REVIEW. THIS PAPERWORK/PICTURES WERE ALSO PROMPTLY SUBMITTED. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS FIRE AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC, THIS REPORT IS ALSO BEING SENT TO YOUR AGENCY FOR FOLLOW-UP. (NOTE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TAIL LIGHTS IN THE ML350 FOR POSSIBLE FIRE FOR 2007 AND YEARS ABOVE, BUT NOT THE YEAR OF THIS VEHICLE, 2006. A SIMILAR PROBLEM IS REPORTED IN THE C-CLASS AUTOMOBILES AND MAY BE MORE WIDESPREAD THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT). *TR

I WAS ON MY WAY TO PICK UP MY SPOUSE FROM THE AIRPORT ONE NIGHT WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A ROCKING MOTION AND THE ORANGE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND EXITED THE VEHICLE TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG, I RE-ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND TRIED TO RE-START THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT START. I CALLED MERCEDES BENZ AND THEY PROCEEDED TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO THE SHOP. I WAITED 4 MONTHS FOR THEM TO ASSIST ME IN FIXING MY VEHICLE SINCE THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND I HAVE NO EXTENDED, THEY REFUSED TO ASSIST ME EVEN THOUGH THEY TOLD ME THAT THE MANIFOLD HAD BROKEN OFF AND MAY GET INTO THE ENGINE AND THAT I MAY NEED A NEW ENGINE OF WHICH I ENDED UP PURCHASING A LOW MILEAGE ENGINE. PRIOR TO THIS I PAID $1500. FOR THEM TO FIX 2 LEAKS ON MY POWER STEERING AND AS OF NOW MY VEHICLE IS LEAKING OIL AND MAKING THAT SAME LOUD NOISE AS BEFORE THEY FIXED THE LEAKS. I HAVE BEEN VERY VERY UPSET WITH THEM, MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN GIVING ME TOO MUCH TROUBLE FOR NOT HAVING 100 THOUSAND MILES. PLEASE HELP. I CALL THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE AND EVEN WROTE A LETTER TO THEM AND ALL THEY OFFERED ME WAS $2000 TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE, YOU MAY THINK THAT A MERCEDES BENZ WILL BE ABLE TO DO BETTER THAT FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. I WAS LIED TO BY THEM PERTAINING TO THE ENGINE, ONCE I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS BAD THEN I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT BAD. I TOOK MY CAR FROM THEM AND TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT CAR REPAIRING. *JS

MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER, AND THE TECH TOLD ME THAT THE BALANCE SHAFT WAS THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT WILL COST ME ABOUT $8000.00 TO FIX IT. HE ALSO SAID THAT THERE WAS NO MANUFACTURER WARRANTY TO FIX IT. IT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH ABOUT $7200.00. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND OUT THAT IS COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MAKE AND MODEL, AND THERE IS A PENDING CLASS ACTION SUIT IN NJ AGAINST MERCEDES USA. I CONTACTED MERCEDES USA IN AUGUST 2013 ABOUT REIMBURSING ME THE COST OF REPAIR, BUT THE MANAGER I SPOKE TO DENIED THE REQUEST. ACTION REQUESTED: I AM SEEKING THE HELP OF NHTSA IN RECOVERING MY COST OF REPAIR. *TR

MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ABOUT 24 JUNE 2013 OR SO. I CONTACTED ATLANTA CLASSIC CARS, MY LOCAL MB DEALERSHIP TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. MY VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED ON 2 JULY, AND THE REPORT INDICATED MY BALANCE SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ($5,100), MY POWER STEERING COMPONENTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ($3,067.50), AND MY TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ($1,812.95). I HAVE BEEN THE SOLE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE, AND HAVE HAD IT SERVICED REGULARLY AT MB DEALERSHIPS (CRITZ - SAVANNAH, GA AND ATLANTA CLASSIC CARS - DULUTH, GA). PREVIOUSLY, THIS VEHICLE HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, WHICH OCCURRED JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. AT FIRST, ATLANTA CLASSIC CARS DID NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ISSUE, SINCE THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. AFTER MY HUSBAND GOT INVOLVED, THEY AGREED TO FIX THE PROBLEM FOR NO CHARGE. ANOTHER MINOR PROBLEM INVOLVED THE LOCKING MECHANISM ON THE VEHICLE'S HATCH -- IT HAD TO BE REPLACED THREE TIMES BEFORE IT FINALLY WORKED PROPERLY. I AM VERY DISMAYED THAT AFTER SEVEN YEARS AND 109K MILES, MY VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING SUCH EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS AS THIS. *TR