2006 Mercedes Benz ML350

BENZ ML 350 - I WAS SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PULL OFF, THE VEHICLE STARTED DRIVING VERY SLOW AND ROUGH. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD; TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WAITED FOR A FEW SECONDS. WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE AWAY, THE VEHICLE DROVE PROPERLY. WHEN I GOT HOME, I CALLED MY MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND ADVISED THEM OF WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS TOLD THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A "SYSTEM GLITCH" AND THE SYSTEM JUST HAD TO "RESET" ITSELF. FOUR DAYS LATER, I WAS SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AGAIN AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PULL OFF, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS, IT SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE TO NEUTRAL, BUT WOULD NOT MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION. I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO MY DEALER. I WAS THEN ADVISED THAT MY VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. *TR

HIGH-RISK DESIGN FLAW IN MERCEDES 2006 SUV. THE SUN ROOF SAFETY MECHANISM (I.E., AUTO REVERSE WITH RESISTANCE) DOES NOT WORK WHEN THE SWITCH IS HELD THROUGHOUT CLOSURE. (THE SAFETY MECHANISM DOES WORK WHEN THE SWITCH IS INITIATED BUT NOT HELD THROUGHOUT CLOSURE). ALTHOUGH THIS IS ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, IT SHOULD BE PROMPTLY ADDRESSED TO PREVENT POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENTAL INJURY, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN. I HAVE SIMILARLY INFORMED MERCEDES BENZ. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU WISH TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER. THANK YOU. *TR

2006 MERCEDES ML350. UPON TURNING 78K MILES A CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR APPEARED. UPON EXAMINATION A SPROCKET IN THE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY WAS WORN AND IN DANGER OF FAILURE. WITHIN ONE DAY - AND WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT - I FOUND TWO OTHERS WITH THE SAME MOTOR HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. MERCEDES PRIDES ITSELF ON EXCELLENT ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING AND CHARGED ME $50K FOR SUCH EXCELLENCE. WITH THIS KIND OF MILEAGE THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF MACHINERY. APPARENTLY MB AGREED. UPON WORKING WITH A LOCAL DEALERSHIP MB PAID 50% OF THE BILL WHICH TOTALED $4200 WITH DISCOUNTS. THIS ITEM SHOULD TRULY BE A RECALL AND SHOULD NOT HAVE COST ME A PENNY. MB IS TRYING TO KEEP THIS SITUATION QUIET AS NOT TO INCUR EXTENSIVE DAMAGES. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECALL TAKE PLACE FOR OTHERS WHO WILL INEVITABLY HAVE THIS SAME EXPERIENCE AT SOME POINT. *TR

WHEN I WAS DRIVING MY MERCEDES BENZ ML350, THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON REGARDING THE REAR LIFT GATE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I SMELLED SMOKE AND TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF LIQUID SPILL IN THE CARGO AREA. THE LIQUID THAT SPILLED GOT INTO THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT, CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE SYSTEM AND THE REAR LIFT GATE WOULD NOT OPEN. THE VEHICLE CPU CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO THE SPILL. THERE ARE NO WARNING MESSAGES POSTED IN THE CARGO AREA, CAUTIONING THE OWNER THAT THE CAR COULD CATCH ON FIRE IF THERE IS A LIQUID SPILL IN THIS AREA. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS NO INFORMATION IN THE OWNERS MANUAL NOTIFYING OF THIS POTENTIAL DISASTROUS EVENT. SEEING THAT THE CARGO TRUNK IS THE MOST COMMON PLACE WHERE LIQUIDS WOULD BE TRANSPORTED FROM THE GROCERY STORE, MERCEDES SHOULD PROPERLY PROTECT THAT PART OF THE VEHICLE FROM LIQUIDS IF IT CONTAINS COMPUTER CIRCUITRY AND A SPILL CAN CAUSE A FIRE. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A SAFETY HAZARD. AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, THE COMPUTER SYSTEM, REAR LIFT GATE LATCH AND BODY COMPONENT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER ACCIDENTALLY SPILLED A SMOOTHIE ON THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT COVER LOCATED ON THE PASSENGER ROW FLOOR. THE LIQUID PENETRATED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL. AS A RESULT, THE STEERING AND THE ABS INVOLUNTARY ENGAGE. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WINDOW MOTOR AND THE COMPUTER AT THE COST OF $1,384. THE MANUFACTURER FILED A REPORT AND STATED THAT THE COVER WAS DESIGNED IN THAT MANNER. THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 34,695. UPDATED 11/07/08. *LJ UPDATED 11/07/08.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BEEP AND NOTICED A FLASH OF WARNING LIGHTS ACROSS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CHECK ENGINE, (!), AND BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE VEHICLE SEIZED TO A JOLT, RELEASED, COASTED, AND THEN FAILED. HE HAD DIFFICULTY RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, BUT WHEN IT DID, ALL OF THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN, INCLUDING ESP GO TO WORKSHOP. HE SAID THAT HIS FOOT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR THE ENTIRE TIME. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY WITH THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 23,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE AIR BAG LIGHT BEEPED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. AT 10,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED. AFTERWARDS, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 20-50 MPH. THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. ON DECEMBER 25, 2006, THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AFTER THE CRASH. THREE TO FOUR MONTHS LATER, THE TIRES WERE LOSING AIR RAPIDLY AND THE LOW PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, WHICH INDICATED THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH PRESSURE IN THE TIRES. AT 20,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS BECOMING LOUDER IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. SHE PAID $600 FOR THE REPAIR AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HEAR A NOISE AFTER DIAGNOSING THE FAILURE. AT 26,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO THE TIRES, STRUTS, SHOCKS AND A POWER STEERING LEAK. SHE CALLED THE SALES DEALER AND THEY INFORMED HER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER IN ANOTHER STATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AGO DUE TO THE POWER STEERING LEAK. THE PART FOR THE REPAIR HAD TO BE ORDERED FROM OVERSEAS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY REPLACED THE SHOCKS, BUT THE NOISE GREW LOUDER. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE WAS DUE TO THE SHOCKS. ON JANUARY 24, 2008, THERE WAS AN ODOR PRESENT AND THE NOISE RECURRED. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A BELT WAS OFF TRACK. THE BELT WAS ADJUSTED AND THE DEALER JUMP STARTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AGAIN ON JANUARY 28, 2008. THE COMPUTER HAD TO BE RESET, BUT CONTINUED TO MALFUNCTION WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 26,206 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE VEHICLE HAS CONTINENTAL, SIZE P235/6517 TIRES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TREAD ON THE TIRES WAS WORN, HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS FAILURES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 13,500. UPDATED 12/12/07