2012 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class Electrical System Problems

My name is [XXX] My vehicle cut off on me 3 times twice while stationary and once at an intersection. Found oil in engine control module due to failed cam position sensors. Oil has traveled through the engine harness to ECM causing oil to get into module and cause it to shut down but it did start back up. This is very dangerous and could cause serious injury to someone. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

In the last year, randomly, when starting the vehicle, the yellow check engine light comes on. Turn the vehicle off, it is gone. The side view mirrors have the yellow lights lit up on them when driving down any road, the red warning lights that tell you there's something behind or in front of you start going off for no reason while driving down any road, all the "safety" and lane assist features seem to have a ghost controlling them. The radio will also glitch out from time to time. It will swap through the channels or pull up list of channels when there is Nobody in the vehicle messing with it at all. Yesterday, I received the message that the backup assist was not working and another about lane assist not working. This morning, both messages are gone and things seem to be normal. This is very distracting! I've been on the highway, in the high speed lane and my alert is flashing and loudly sounding. It startled me, caused me to abruptly slow down and start looking all around; I was concerned someone was about to hit me or worse, I was about to hit something I couldn't see; it turns out there was nothing in front of, behind or around me at all. This needs to get resolved, asap. It appears to me to be a computer/electrical issue. It seems that there are many others complaining about very similar issues! Come on Mercedes-Benz, let's put out the recall already! The dealership just says "unless it's doing it while it's here, there's not much I can do". Of course it is never doing it then! Unreal!!!!

The following has been happening over the last 2 - 3 yrs. Also confirmed with other customers on MB world blog site. After traveling in the car for 5-15 minutes, and sooner if connected to cell phone via bluetooth, the indicators stop working. This leads to deactivation of the blind spot assist as well. The problem is temporarily resolved after switching the vehicle off and then on again, only to recur after driving it again for 10-15minutes, and earlier if attached to iPhone via Bluetooth. The blind spot assist is then permanently inactivated. 2 Mercedes dealerships in 2 separate states where I took the vehicle could not even identify a problem, let alone resolve it. When I called MBUSA, they claimed ignorance to the issue and told me to repair or change the vehicle myself. Since this is an issue with multiple vehicles, a recall needs to be issued for this model. It’s unknown how many collisions can be attributed to this since the problem has not been acknowledged by Mercedes’. The problem has occurred almost everyday over the last 3 years. I have narrowly missed being involved in collisions because of the inactivation of blind spot assist and changing lanes. I have almost been rear ended a bunch of times because of the indicators getting inactivated. All this has happened with my family traveling me with. Please lets not wait for loss of life before a recall is initiated. thank you.

Oil leaked thru wiring harness in to ECU and 02 sensors massive damage on car harness

THE TURN SIGNALS STOP WORKING AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR A FEW MINUTES. TO GET THEM TO WORK AGAIN REQUIRES STOPPING THE CAR, SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING IT WHICH IN TURN RESETS THE COMPUTER. THIS EFFORT DOES NOT PERMANENTLY FIX THE ISSUE AND THEY USUALLY QUIT WORKING AGAIN WITHIN TWO TO TEN MILES. THIS IS THE FIFTH COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA WITH THIS ISSUE AND THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND FIXED FREE OF CHARGE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR THE PAST TWO TO THREE YEARS WITH THIS CAR. TODAY WE WERE ALMOST REAR ENDED WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN OFF OF A TWO LANE ROAD WITHOUT A DESIGNATED TURN LANE.

THE TURN SIGNALS RANDOMLY STOP WORKING. VEHICLE MUST BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED TO GET SIGNALS TO WORK AGAIN WHICH ONLY LASTS FOR AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF TIMES. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED WITH GRANDCHILD IN CAR WHEN TURN SIGNAL THAT WORKED MOMENTS EARLIER FAILED AND CAR BEHIND ME CONSEQUENTLY ALMOST HIT ME. MERCEDES USA WAS CONTACTED AND WAS UNWILLING TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A DEFECTIVE STEERING COLUMN MODULE THAT NEEDE TO BE REPLACED. THE ESTIMATE WAS ALMOST $1300. THE CAR HAS ONLY 39,000 MILES ON IT AND BASED ON RESEARCH OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. MERCEDES BASICALLY INDICATED THAT I WAS NOT A LOYAL ENOUGH CUSTOMER TO WARRANT COMPENSATION. I AM FORCED TO VIOLATE TRAFFIC LAWS AT TIMES BECAUSE I TRY TO NOT USE SIGNALS WHEN ABSOLUTELY NEEDED AS I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY WON'T WORK. IN ADDITION I CANNOT LET ANYONE ELSE USE THE VEHICLE FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, SAFETY, LIABILITY, ETC. MERCEDES SHOULD HAVE DONE A RECALL AND I THINK THEY SHOULD BE LIABLE IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ANYONE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM.

ON RANDOM OCCASIONS, WHILE IN MOTION AT ANY SPEED, THE MESSAGE "BLIND SPOT ASSIST IS INOPERATIVE" AND INDICATOR LIGHTS STOP WORKING. THE ONLY WAY TO CLEAR IT IS TO STOP THE VEHICLE, TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND START THE VEHICLE BACK UP.

ON OCCASION THE BLIND SPOT ASSIST BECOMES INOPERATIVE. FREQUENTLY WHEN THIS OCCURS, IT ALSO DEACTIVATES THE TURN SIGNALS CREATING, IN MY OPINION, A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. EACH TIME IT'S HAPPENED IN MOTION ON AN EXPRESSWAY. I'VE CONTACTED THE LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALER WHO TELLS ME THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IS TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURN OFF THE CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON TO REACTIVATE THE SYSTEM. NOT ONLY IS THIS INCONVENIENT, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I CAN LIVE WITHOUT THE BLIND SPOT ASSIST; HOWEVER, NOT WITH INOPERATIVE TURN SIGNALS. THIS IS A 6-YEAR OLD CAR SO I AM NOT WILLING TO INVEST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON A PROBLEM THAT I FEEL THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD RECTIFY AT NO CHARGE. I AM A 72 YEAR OLD AND HAVE OWNED MANY CARS AND NEVER HAD ONE WHERE THE TURN SIGNALS BECOME INOPERATIVE.

WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS STOP WORKING