IllustrationCHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK THE CAR TO MY REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE HAD A BAD BALANCE SHAFT AND THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REMOVED FOR REPAIR. THE ESTIMATE COST COULD REACH $6,000 OR MORE AND WOULD TAKE MORE THAN WEEK TO COMPLETE. *TR
2006 Mercedes Benz ML350
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most ML350 years
Owner complaints for the 2006 Mercedes Benz ML350 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 51.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all ML350 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
150–25K
2125–50K
4050–75K
3075–100K
24100–150K
7150K+
137 reports with mileage · 35 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports19 fire reports10 injury reports
What owners actually said
172 reportsMY CAR STALLED ON THE STREET. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. CALLED DEALER, THEY SAID TURN OFF AND TURN ON TO RESET. THIS WORKED, HOWEVER IT CONTINUED TO HAPPENED UNTIL I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID IT WAS THE BALANCE SHAFT AND COST $6000. I CALLED CORPORATE AND GAVE THEM LAW SUIT DOCUMENTATION, ,EMAILS, TESTIMONIALS AND BULLET…
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MY CAR STALLED ON THE STREET. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. CALLED DEALER, THEY SAID TURN OFF AND TURN ON TO RESET. THIS WORKED, HOWEVER IT CONTINUED TO HAPPENED UNTIL I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID IT WAS THE BALANCE SHAFT AND COST $6000. I CALLED CORPORATE AND GAVE THEM LAW SUIT DOCUMENTATION, ,EMAILS, TESTIMONIALS AND BULLETINS SHOWING THE ISSUES OF THIS VEHICLE. BECAUSE OF THE MILES AND CAR NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THEY WOULD REDUCE COST BY 25%. THAT IS STILL TO HIGH. THIS CAR AT THE TIME SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED AND THE DEALER RECOMMENDED TURNING OFF/ON THE CAR TO RESET. FOR A NEW CAR TO BE GIVEN THAT ADVISE IS INSANE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE THEIR TONS OF INFORMATION ON THE WEB,EMAILS AND ETC. REGARDING THIS ISSUE. I NEED MY CAR FIXED ASAP. I CAN'T AFFORD THIS HIGH REPAIR. *TR
I WAS DRIVING WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE ELECTRIC SEAT HEATER TURNED ON. I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AND FELT A BURNING PAIN ON MY BACK. AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE I SAW THAT THE SEAT HEATER HAD BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE LEATHER DRIVER'S SEAT AND THROUGH MY JACKET. *TR
I WAS DRIVING AND I TURNED ON MY SEAT HEATER, AND I SAW SMOKE. I BURNED MY CLOTHING AND HAVE A LITTLE BURN ON MY BACK. THE SEAT WAS BURNING AND HAD A LITTLE FIRE. *TR
THE VEHICLE IS GETTING STUCK IN 7 GEAR ON THE FREEWAY AND NOT DOWN-SHIFTING TO ALLOW PASSING. EVEN WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE CAR WILL REMAIN IN 7TH GEAR. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION BECAUSE THE CONSUMER DOES NOT KNOW THE CAR IS NOT SHIFTING CORRECTLY. MERCEDES IS AWARE OF VALVEBODY AND CONDUCTOR PLATE ISSUES WITH THESE CAR…
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THE VEHICLE IS GETTING STUCK IN 7 GEAR ON THE FREEWAY AND NOT DOWN-SHIFTING TO ALLOW PASSING. EVEN WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE CAR WILL REMAIN IN 7TH GEAR. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION BECAUSE THE CONSUMER DOES NOT KNOW THE CAR IS NOT SHIFTING CORRECTLY. MERCEDES IS AWARE OF VALVEBODY AND CONDUCTOR PLATE ISSUES WITH THESE CARS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOLENOID SENSOR AND THE CAM SHAFT FUSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICL…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOLENOID SENSOR AND THE CAM SHAFT FUSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BALANCE SHAFT GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. A MONTH AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONDUCTOR PLATE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000. ...UPDATED 02/11/15 *BF THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE BALANCE SHIFT GEAR ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 02/19/15
CONTACT WAS DRIVING, APPROX. 15 MIN. AFTER ENGINE START AND SEAT HEATER TURN-ON. CONTACT FELT A BURNING SENSATION ON POSTERIOR/HIP. CONTACT STOPPED CAR AND GOT OUT. THERE WAS A BURN HOLE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK AT LOWER LEFT. THERE WERE TWO BURN HOLES THROUGH CONTACTS PANTS. LATER EXAMINATION SHOWED A SECOND DEGREE (BLIST…
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CONTACT WAS DRIVING, APPROX. 15 MIN. AFTER ENGINE START AND SEAT HEATER TURN-ON. CONTACT FELT A BURNING SENSATION ON POSTERIOR/HIP. CONTACT STOPPED CAR AND GOT OUT. THERE WAS A BURN HOLE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK AT LOWER LEFT. THERE WERE TWO BURN HOLES THROUGH CONTACTS PANTS. LATER EXAMINATION SHOWED A SECOND DEGREE (BLISTER) BURN ON CONTACTS HIP. THIS IS NOT A WARRANTY CLAIM AS THE DEALER SUGGESTS, BUT, RATHER A SERIOUS MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT CAUSES BURN INJURY (CHECK THE HISTORY OF DOCUMENTED COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET)... *TR
VEHICLE WAS MAKING A ROARING NOISE, REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS GONE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. FRONT DIFFERENTIAL IS ALSO BAD AND WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *TR
WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED THAT SAID TAKE TO WORKSHOP BEFORE PUTTING IN GEAR. VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIP OUT OF PARK. TRIED SEVERAL TIMES, FINALLY TURNED IGNITION OFF , TRIED AGAIN AND VEHICLE WENT INTO DRIVE. THIS SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN ON NOVEMBER 26, 2014. *TR
CAM-SHAFT AND CRANK-SHAFT MALFUNCTION. VEHICLE WONT DRIVE PROPERLY AND ALSO EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL ISSUES. LIGHTS AND LOCKING MECHANISMS GOING ON AND OFF ON THEIR OWN. *TR
Official recalls
224V298000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
Apr 26, 2024
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML, GL, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MMUSA's number for this recall is 2024050001/2. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-315.
22V315000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
May 9, 2022
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML-Class, GL-Class, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2022050014, 2022050015 2022090006, & 2022090007.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.