NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
TWO BENT WHEELS ON RIGHT SIDE OF VEHICLE. IT IS UNKNOWN WHEN THE DAMAGE MAY HAVE OCCURRED OR IF THE WHEELS WERE IN FACT INCORRECT WHEN INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE DURING MANUFACTURE. INSPECTION BY THE MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER ON MAY 30 THOUGHT I HIT A LARGE POTHOLE IN ROAD. I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF HITTING A POTHOLE. I HAVE DRIVEN OVER THE NORMAL LESS THAN PERFECT "ROUGH " HIGHWAY ROADS IN THE US ONLY; NO OFF-ROAD. I BELIEVE THE WHEELS ARE DEFECTIVE. EITHER POOR METALLURGICAL SPECIFICATIONS BY MERCEDES-BENZ, A SUBSTANDARD MANUFACTURE OF THE CORRECT SPECIFICATIONS OR A FRAGILE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION FOR NORMAL ROAD USE. THIS VEHICLE IS A SUV WHICH IMPLIES A MORE HEAVY-DUTY CONSTRUCTION COMPARED TO A "CAR". MERCEDES-BENZ COMPANY VIDEOS ILLUSTRATE TRAILER-HAULING AND OFF-ROAD USAGE. *TR
THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER IS LOCATED ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN, JUST BELOW THE LEVER FOR THE TURN SIGNAL MECHANISM. I ACCIDENTALLY PULLED ON THE CRUISE LEVER INSTEAD OF THE TURN SIGNAL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO UNEXPECTEDLY SPEED UP. THIS IS SUCH AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL SOMEONE HAS AN ACCIDENT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES BENZ ML550. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD GLASS CAUSED A GLARE AND DISTORTED HIS VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER RECOGNIZED THE ISSUE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THE WINDSHIELD FUNCTIONED AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,600. UPDATED 04/30/14 MA *TR
ON 1/11/14 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45 P.M. AMIDST A VERY HEAVY DOWNPOUR WITH THE WIPERS IN USE, I WAS TRAVELING EASTWARD ON I-95 AT ABOUT 60 MPH APPROACHING NEW HAVEN, WITH MY WIFE AND SON AS PASSENGERS, WHEN I HEARD A NOISE AND IMMEDIATELY SAW THAT MY WIPERS HAD INTERLOCKED AND STOPPED FUNCTIONING, LEAVING ME WITH ALMOST ZERO VISIBILITY. I SLOWED DOWN, PUT ON FLASHERS, AND WAS ABLE SAFELY TO REACH THE NEXT EXIT AND COME TO A STOP ON A LOCAL STREET. THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER MECHANISM HAD COME APART. I DISENGAGED THE BLADE SO THAT THE DRIVER SIDE WIPER WAS ABLE TO FUNCTION. I TOOK THE CAR ON 1/14/14 TO THE MERCEDES DEALER IN WHITE PLAINS, NY. THE SERVICE REP UPON SEEING THE DISENGAGED ARM SAID HE'S SEEN IT HAPPEN BEFORE, AND HE IMMEDIATELY CONCLUDED THAT THE "SCREWS" HAD COME LOOSE DUE TO USE OF THE WIPERS DURING THE RECENT SEVERE COLD WEATHER/SNOW WITHOUT SCRAPING THE WINDSHIELD BEFORE USE, AND THAT THE LOOSENING OF THE SCREWS WAS "BETTER" THAN BURNING OUT A $700 WIPER MOTOR. I FIND THE REP'S STATEMENT TROUBLING, TO SAY THE LEAST, IN LIGHT OF THE RISK OF A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WHEN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING I HAD ALMOST NO VISIBILITY AT NIGHT IN A HEAVY DOWNPOUR DOING 60 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. I PICKED UP THE CAR THAT EVENING AND THE WIPERS ARE FULLY FUNCTIONING AGAIN. *TR
ON 1/11/14 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45 P.M. AMIDST A VERY HEAVY DOWNPOUR WITH THE WIPERS IN USE, I WAS TRAVELING EASTWARD ON I-95 AT ABOUT 60 MPH APPROACHING NEW HAVEN, WITH MY WIFE AND SON AS PASSENGERS, WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND IMMEDIATELY SAW THAT MY WIPERS HAD INTERLOCKED AND STOPPED FUNCTIONING, LEAVING ME WITH ALMOST NO VISIBILITY. I SLOWED DOWN, PUT ON FLASHERS, AND WAS ABLE SAFELY TO REACH THE NEXT EXIT AND COME TO A STOP ON A LOCAL STREET. THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER MECHANISM HAD COME APART. I DISENGAGED THE BLADE SO THAT THE DRIVER SIDE WIPER WAS ABLE TO FUNCTION. I TOOK THE CAR THIS MORNING (1/14) TO THE MERCEDES DEALER IN WHITE PLAINS, NY. THE SERVICE REP UPON SEEING THE DISENGAGED ARM SAID HE'S SEEN IT HAPPEN BEFORE, AND HE IMMEDIATELY CONCLUDED THAT THE "SCREWS" HAD COME LOOSE DUE TO USE OF THE WIPERS DURING THE RECENT SEVERE COLD WEATHER/SNOW WITHOUT SCRAPING THE WINDSHIELD BEFORE USE, AND THAT THE LOOSENING OF THE SCREWS WAS "BETTER" THAN BURNING OUT A $700 WIPER MOTOR. I DO NOT AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT IN LIGHT OF THE SERIOUS RISK OF AN ACCIDENT WHEN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING I HAD ALMOST NO VISIBILITY AT NIGHT IN A HEAVY DOWNPOUR DOING 60 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY.
SEAT BELT WAS LOCKED IN POSITION (UNABLE TO EXTEND) ON A LEAST SIX OCCASION IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE LOCKED SEAT BELT ISSUE. THEY SUGGESTED, I DRIVE DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP NEXT TIME THIS OCCURS. UNTIL NOW THE ISSUE HAS NOT OCCURRED AT A TIME THE DEALERSHIP WAS AVAILABLE.
2013 MERCEDES BENZ ML350: DURING THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, UPON ACCELERATION FROM A STOP POINT, THE VEHICLE HESITATED LURCHING TO THEN GAIN SPEED AS INTENDED BY THE DRIVER. SECOND AND THIRD OCCURRENCES WERE IDENTICAL AND OCCURRED WHILE LEAVING THE HOUSE WITH NO TRAFFIC ANYWHERE ON SIGHT. VEHICLE WAS SENT FOR REPAIRS AND DEALERSHIP SAID A SOFTWARE UPDATE SHOULD HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. ON 10/15/13, WHILE TRYING TO REENTER AN EXPRESSWAY FROM THE EMERGENCY LANE, THE CAR HESITATED WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM AN INCOMING VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE LURCHED CONSECUTIVE DURING THREE OCCASIONS IN A MATTER OF SECONDS THEN FINALLY GAINED SPEED THUS AVOIDING A COLLISION. SHOULD THE INCOMING CAR HAVE BEEN DRIVING JUST A BIT FASTER, 4 PASSENGERS INCLUDING A BABY WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED BY A VEHICLE TRAVELING AT EXPRESSWAY SPEEDS. *TR
THE BRAKES ON MY BRAND NEW 2013 MERCEDES BENZ ML 63 AMG SCREETCHES/SQUEALS WHEN SOFT BRAKING TO A STOP. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE MB DEALER IS WESTMINSTER, CO THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND I NEED TO BRAKE HARD IN ORDER TO STOP THE NOISE. THIS AWFUL NOISE DID NOT HAPPEN WHEN I FIRST STARTED DRIVING IT A FEW WEEKS AGO. IT STARTED ONLY RECENTLY AND IT IS GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THIS COULD BE A POTENTIAL DEFECT WAITING FOR A DISASTER. THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING TO A CAR THAT IS BRAND NEW AND COSTS OVER $100,000. *TR..UPDATED 01/30/13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE. THE BRAKE NOISE IS APPARENTLY NORMAL FOR AMG BRAKES. THIS IS NOT A POTENTIAL DEFECT MATTER. UPDATED 2/4/2013 *JS
2013 MERCEDES BENZ ML 350. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE PUSHED THE BUTTON FOR THE TRANSMISSION, BUT IT WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK, AND REMAINED IN DRIVE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE ENTIRE STOCK PART ON THE VEHICLE HAD FAILED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES BENZ ML550. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 53 MPH, THERE WAS A NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THEY HEARD THE NOISE BUT COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 0.