There are 19 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML-Classin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
safety defect rear sam acting up after rain . no lights no fuel gauge no remote no turn signal while driving almost had an accident
My NHTSA #11431874 I have made a complaint about my back computer was damage by water where the is installed on the right side of my car now I found out that the reason my chairs are not moving is because the electrical is also damage this is so unfair the problem is not my car but the ways and place they installed the computer??
The back computer seat on the top of the was supposed to be draining out of the car instead the water retrain in the cause damage to my the computer I complained about it but never got a solution until the water damage the and saw for the first time where was the water on back of my car this was careless why put computer on the top of water that caused the damage and problem for my car?
THIS VEHICLE HAS MAJOR PROBLEM WITH REAR SAM AND SEAT NO POWER. EVER SINCE THIS ML WAS MADE 10 CAR I HAD WAS BOUGHT SAM AND NO POWER TO THE SEAT FRONT
FAULTY WIRING IN THE BRAKE LIGHT HARNESS THAT COULD CAUSE FIRE. WIRING COMMONLY ARCS CAUSING THE BULBS TO BURN OUT AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. MERCEDES HAS OTHER CARS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM, BUT WON'T ADDRESS IT ON THE ML350'S. THEY EVEN MADE A PART TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, BUT DEMAND CAR OWNERS PAY OUT OF POCKET TO FIX MERCEDES FAULTY WIRING PROBLEM.
THE REAR TURN SIGNALS AND BRAKES LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY, EVEN WITH NEW BULBS AND REPLACEMENT OF THE BULBS BASE CASE THE TURN SIGNAL STILL BLINKING AS IF THE BULB IS BURNED AND THE BRAKE LIGHT DOESN'T WORK SIMULTANEOUSLY IT WORK WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL IS NOT USED. THE CAR WAS TOOK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUE THE SAME.
BRAKE LIGHT WENT OUT. TWO DAYS LATER THE BATTERY CAUSED A FIRE INSIDE OF VEHICLE WHILE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. KEYS WERE NOT IN THE IGNITION AT THE TIME
MY 2008 IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS THIS 2009. MERCEDES BENZ IS RECALLING 16,130 MY 2009 M-CLASS W164 PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE OPTIONAL POWER LIFT GATE. AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY SEAL AROUND THE REAR TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY, WATER MAY ENTER THE REAR COMPARTMENT CONTAINING THE SPARE TIRE. WATER CONTAMINATION OF THE CONTROL UNIT FOR THE POWER LIFT GATE CAN RESULT IN DISABLING OF THE POWER LIFT GATE MOTOR. HAZARD:WATER WILL CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT WHICH COULD LEAD TO A FIRE. REMEDY:DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAL OF THE REAR TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY WITH A THICKER ONE AND REPOSITION THE AFFECTED POWER LIFT GATE CONTROL UNIT INSIDE THE CHASSIS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372. ADDITIONAL INFO:MERCEDES BENZ RECALL NO. 2009030003.OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S
DUE TO A FAULTY RIGHT TAILLAMP SEAL, WATER GOT INTO A CONTROL MODULE AND DAMAGED IT BEYOND REPAIR. I WOKE UP AND WALKED OUTSIDE TO SEE MY HEADLIGHTS FLASHING AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION MY KEY FOB NOT WORKING, SRS DISABLED, AND MANY OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS DISABLED. SOME TIME BEFORE THIS, THE MOTOR TO THE REAR HATCH STOPPED WORKING, POSSIBLY FOR THE SAME REASON.
THE INSULATION OF THE CABLES FOR THE HIGH AND LOW BEAM IS MISSING.THE WIRES ARE WITHOUT ANY INSULATION AT ALL.I CAN NOT USE THE LIGHTS BECAUSE I'M AFRAID OF A SHORT .OTHER WISE, I CAN USE THE CAR AS LONG AS I DON'T TURN THE FRONT LIGHTS ON.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE SECOND TIME THE FAILURE RECURRED, THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESTART. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE HORN SOUNDED WITHOUT BEING PROMPTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000.
I PURCHASED A USED 2008 MERCEDES BENZ ML350 VIN: [XXX] TODAY, MY POWER LIFT GATE STOPPED OPERATING. I CAN HEAR THE MOTOR RUNNING WHEN I PRESS THE OPEN/CLOSE BUTTON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, AND ALSO ON MY REMOTE, BUT THE POWER LIFT GATE DOESN'T OPERATE. UPON DOING SOME BASIC RESEARCH, I UNDERSTOOD THAT RECALLS WERE MADE ON THE 2009 AND NEWER ML350 DUE TO A FAULTY SEAL WITH THE REAR LIGHTING ASSEMBLY UNIT, WHICH WOULD CAUSE WATER TO LEAK INTO THE SPARE TIRE ASSEMBLY AREA AND CAUSE THE POWER LIFT GATE TO STOP WORKING; IT MAY ALSO CAUSE A FIRE. UPON REMOVING THE SPARE TIRE TO INSPECT THE AREA, I SAW A LARGE POOL OF WATER IN THE AREA. THERE WAS ALSO WATER NEAR THE LEFT BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE WATER APPEARS TO HAVE EVEN CAUSED DETERIORATION OF WIRES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LEFT BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY UNIT. FOLLOWING MY ABOVE OBSERVATIONS, I CHECKED RECALLS AND NOTHING WAS SHOWN FOR MY 2008 ML350, BUT CLEARLY THIS IS ASSOCIATED PROBLEM OF MY YEAR AS WELL. HOW CAN WE GO ABOUT GETTING THIS COVERED? THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
WATER ENTERED THE VEHICLE (RAIN) STANDING WATER IN THE SPARE TIRE AREA OF THE CAR. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER QUIT WORKING. GOT ERROR MESSAGES ON THE DASH REAR HATCH OPEN, CHECKED REAR HATCH WAS CLOSED AND IT WOULD NOT OPEN EITHER MANUALLY OR USING THE REMOTE OPENER OR THE BUTTON IN THE CAR, MULTIPLE ERROR MESSAGES REAR BRAKE LIGHTS LEFT RIGHT SIDE AND TRAILER, ERROR MESSAGE SRS FAILURE, FUEL GAUGE QUIT WORKING, LOCKS NOT WORKING..... PARKED THE CAR IT WAS RAINING UNABLE TO DRIVE, THE NEXT DAY DROVE IT TO A MECHANIC WHO FOUND 1" OF STANDING WATER IN THE SPARE TIRE WELL. THE LIFT GATE CONTROLLER IS IN THE WELL AND WAS WET AND NOT FUNCTIONING IN ALSO TOOK OUT ANOTHER CONTROLLER PART COST $978.61 LABOR 474.50 I DID NOT HAVE TIME FOR THE MECHANIC TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK HE HAD THE CAR 4 DAYS BEFORE THE NEW YEARS DAY WEEKEND (OUT OF TOWN 250 MILES FROM HOME) TOOK IT TO THE MERCEDES DEALER THEY SAID THE 2009 YEAR MODEL HAD A LEAKY SEAL AT THE TURN SIGNALS THAT HAD A RECALL BUT IT DID NOT INCLUDE MY MODEL YEAR ALTHOUGH IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN IN THE RAIN I DID NOT ENCOUNTER FLOODED ROADS JUST RAINFALL. MERCEDES WAS UNWILLING TO HELP IN ANY WAY.
2008 MERCEDES ML 350 BRAKE LIGHTS CONTINUE TO SEND AN ERROR MESSAGE THAT LEFT AND RIGHT BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT SOMETIMES THEY ARE AND SOMETIMES THEY AREN'T ITS ISN'T THE LIGHT BULB AND WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR. WATER CONTINUES TO LEAK IN THROUGH THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT DAMAGING THE SAM UNIT
REAR HATCH WOULD NOT COMPETELY CATCH WHEN CLOSING. IT REQUIRED OPENING AND RECLOSING SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE COULD CATCH. SOON THEREAFTER IT WOULD NOT OPEN USING THE AUTOMATIC RELEASE. IT HAD TO BE OPENED USING THE MANUAL RELEASE ON THE INTERIOR SIDE OF THE DOOR. HAD TO CHANGE THE MECHANISM THAT CONTROLLED THE LOCKING AN OPENING OF THAT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CONTROL MODULE THAT IS LOCATED UNDER THE SPARE TIRE WAS DAMAGED. THERE WAS A RED LIGHT THAT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE PASSENGER DOOR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS FLASHED ON AND OFF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT GASKET AND CONTROL UNIT SAM MODULE WERE FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,500. UPDATED 10/03/2014*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND WOULD LIKE TO BE REFUNDED. UPDATED 5/12/2015 *JS
MY ML350 KEPT BLOWING IT'S BRAKE LIGHTS. AFTER AWHILE OF THIS I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS OBVIOUSLY WRONG. AT THIS POINT BOTH LIGHTS WERE OUT AT THE SAME TIME. I TOOK IT IN TO FIND THAT THE SOCKETS WERE BURNT OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE WIRING ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND MERCEDES BENZ HAD A FIX FOR IT ALL BUT AT A PRICE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE C SERIES HAD A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY ARE THERE NO RECALL FOR THE ML OR THE M SERIES? *TR
REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT WITHIN SHORT PERIOD OF EACH OTHER. CHECKED WITH DEALER, WANTED TO REPLACE WHOLE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. CHECKED ONLINE, TURNS OUT TO BE FAULTY WIRING/INSTALL FOR WHICH MB ACTUALLY HAS A REPAIR KIT. SEEMS TO BE QUITE A FREQUENT PROBLEM. IN FACT THE MB C CLASS WAS RECENTLY RECALLED FOR THAT SAME REASON, WHY NOT THE ML350??? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A BURNING ODOR WAS EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE CABIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER MERGING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHE NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT AND IN A MATTER OF MINUTES THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026