Seats. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports4 fire reports2 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

2 reports

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187,000 miles · Dec 17, 2016

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control

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MY WIFE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO WORK ONE DAY AND WHEN SHE WAS PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT ONTO A BUSY STREET, THE YELLOW TRIANGLE WITH EXCLAMATION POINT STARTED TO FLASH AND ENGAGED THE BRAKES. MY WIFE QUICKLY PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE STREET AND MADE HER WAY BACK INTO THE PARKING LOT WHILE THE BRAKES WHERE ENGAGING. MY WIFE WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME FROM WORK. WE LET THE VEHICLE SIT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE MOVING BUT THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGING AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK HOME. I HAVE TAKING THE VEHICLE TO SEVERAL SHOPS AND ALL THE SHOPS ARE SAYING THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE FROM ONE OF THE SHOPS, AS SOON AS I PULLED OUT OF THE SHOP'S PARKING LOT THE BRAKES ENGAGED AND THE YELLOW TRIANGLE WITH EXCLAMATION WAS FLASHING. IT DID THIS FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS CAUSED THE APPROACHING VEHICLE FROM THE REAR TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES TO AVOID REAR ENDING ME. THE VEHICLE HAS BECOME UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T KNOW IF WHEN IT DOES THIS. IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY USUALLY AFTER THE VEHICLE AS BEEN SITTING OFF FOR A SEVERAL HOURS.

NHTSA ODI #10936005

160,000 miles · Feb 26, 2016

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes

BAS LIGHT TURNS ON WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR SHUTS OFF ON FREEWAY WHILE DRIVING. THE GAS PEDAL DIDN'T WORK SO I PULLED OVER. I FEEL LIKE ITS A DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND PUTTING OTHER DRIVER IN DANGER SO I STOPPED DRIVING IT. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR 2000-2002 ML320 BUT MY CAR IS 2003 AND ITS DOING THE SAME ISSUES THAT …

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NHTSA ODI #10838717

Official recalls

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

PE05005 · Electric Seat Warmer Overheats/burns

Opened Feb 2, 2005 · Closed Jun 29, 2005

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats:front Assembly:seat Heater/cooler

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON THREE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OF ELECTRIC SEAT WARMER OVERHEATING IN MY 2003 MERCEDES BENZ ML-320 VEHICLES.CONSUMERS ALLEGED THAT SUCH FAILURES MAY INFLICT BURN INJURIES TO SEAT OCCUPANTS.INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT THE IDENTICAL SEAT WARMER DESIGN WAS INSTALLED IN 65.5 PERCENT OF ALL M-CLASS VEHICLES PRODUCED DURING MY 2000-2005.THE ALLEGED DEFECT RESULTED FROM BREAKAGE OF THE ELECTRICAL BUS WIRE OF THE HEATER GRID IN THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF THE SEAT BOLSTER.THE FAILURES WERE CAUSED BY REPEATED HIGH STRESS APPLIED DURING OCCUPANT INGRESS AND EGRESS.A SIMILAR FAILURE MODE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED IN INVESTIGATIONS OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IN OTHER VEHICLES.THE RATES OF COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS FOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, AS WELL AS FOR OTHER M-CLASS VEHICLES WITH THE SAME SEAT WARMER DESIGN, WERE IN SOME CASES HIGHER, BUT ON THE SAME ORDER OF MAGNITUDE AS THE RATES SEEN IN OTHER VEHICLES INVESTIGATED.THE INFORMATION DISCLOSED THAT SEAT CUSHION DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO SMALL, LOCALIZED AREAS AND THAT NO RISK OF FIRE EXISTED.THE INJURIES REPORTED WERE CONSISTENTLY VERY MINOR IN SEVERITY AND AT RATES COMPARABLE TO THOSE SEEN ON OTHER INVESTIGATIONS.ODI CONCLUDED THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND WAS NOT IDENTIFIED IN THIS MATTER AT THIS TIME.ACCORDINGLY, THIS PE HAS BEEN CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.