Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 2006090001 | 09/01/2006 | 10021242 | Coating formation on gear selector actuator motor (ism motor). *kb | 03/26/2007 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 15-P-050245 | 04/02/2012 | 10044200 | Xentry: grunting/creaking sound from the area of the front axle when braking, driving over surface undulations, negotiating tight corners, or while maneuvering. model years unknown. *js | 05/22/2012 | |
| 15-P-050245 | 04/02/2012 | 10044200 | Xentry: mercedes benz: grunting/creaking sound from the area of the front axle when braking, driving over surface undulations, negotiating tight corners, or while maneuvering. model years unknown. *js | 05/22/2012 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 11/08/2012 | 42689 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 mercedes benz ml350. the contact stated that the driver parked in a residential driveway with the engine running and exited the vehicle for thirty seconds. after attempting to re-enter the vehicle, the vehicle abnormally lunged forward, dragging the driver as she attempted to stop the vehicle. the driver noticed that the gear shifter had abnormally shifted out of park. before the driver was able to fully enter the vehicle, the vehicle crashed into a residential gate. the driver sustained minor abrasions to the head but did not seek any medical treatment. the police were contacted the following day. the manufacturer was also contacted and offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 42,689. kmj | |||
| 11/08/2012 | 42689 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 mercedes benz ml350. the contact stated that the driver of his vehicle was entering a driveway. the contact stated that the driver parked the vehicle with the engine running and exited for thirty seconds. after attempting to re-enter the vehicle, the vehicle abnormally lunged forward, dragging the driver as she attempted to stop the vehicle. the contact noticed that the gear shifter had abnormally shifted out of park. before the contact was able to fully enter the vehicle, the vehicle crashed into a residential gate. the driver sustained minor abrasions to the head but did not seek any medical treatment. the police were contacted the following day. the manufacturer was also contacted and offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 42,689. tb | |||
| 09/19/2012 | 75000 | 1 | |
| 2006 mercedes ml350 75k no warning light or check engine light/unable to drive,vehicle running. drive gears not moving or reverse not working/towed to mercedes dealer/service advisory need replace complete transmission will cost 6.5k to replace transmission. after research. mercedes u.s.a have a class action complaint. defective idle gears/these defective gears wear out prematurely,excessively, and without warning,causing the vehicle to malfunction, the check engine light to remain illuminated, and the vehicle to misfire and /or store driving. mercedes actual knowledge and intentional concealment of the defect due to company reputation don't want the public to know and may hurt the company image. i was shock after what i was explained by mercedes advisory not taking any responsible for defected gears and wanted to charge me. very bad experience with mercedes. *tr | |||
| 09/19/2012 | 75000 | ||
| 2006 mercedes ml350 75k no warning light or check engine light/unable to drive,vehicle running.drive gears not moving or reverse not working/towed to mercedes dealer/service advisory need replace complete transmission will cost 6.5k to replace transmission. after research. mercedes u.s.a have a class action complaint. defective idle gears/these defective gears wear out prematurely,excessively, and without warning,causing the vehicle to malfunction, the check engine light to remain illuminated, and the vehicle to misfire and /or store driving. mercedes actual knowledge and intentional concealment of the defect due to company reputation don't want the public to know and may hurt the company image. i was shock after what i was explained by mercedes advisory not taking any responsible for defected gears and wanted to charge me. very bad experience with mercedes. | |||
| 07/11/2012 | 63000 | 1 | |
| I recently started noticing a slight humming sound coming from the front of my suv. i took it to the service center and was told the front differential needs to be replace at a cost of $3668.00. i was told they just go bad and also they just replaced two more here lately. *tr | |||
| 07/11/2012 | 63000 | ||
| I recently started noticing a slight humming sound coming from the front of my suv. i took it to the service center and was told the front differential needs to be replace at a cost of $3668.00. i was told they just go bad and also they just replaced two more here lately. | |||
| 04/25/2012 | 101000 | ||
| I bought a 2006 mercedes 3 years ago thinking i would have a car for a lifetime boy did i go wrong. in the past 3 months i have had major problems and mercedes doesn't care. the first issue i had to replace the crank shaft $6000 plus for repair i almost went crazy so i started researching on the internet and found out there was a class action law suit for this issue so i phoned mercedes and they agree to pick up half of the repair. one month later car starts making winding noise take it back to them and now they say it is the front differential $5500 to repair i start to research that on the internet and there are so many complaints for my same issue on the same year and model so i go back to mercedes however this time not willing to help. how many complaints is it going to take for something to be done to such a powerful company like mercedes. i truly do not think this is fair and us the consumers are being ripped off. | |||
| 01/10/2012 | 40941 | ||
| Car does not down shift when slowing down to stop. then when you try to accelerate it barely moves. one has to place the transmission into park, then turn engine off and then restart engine to reset transmission. fault codes in the onboard computer all point to valve body conductor plate on transmission. mercedes will not sell or replace part to independent mechanics. they will only sell it to dealers which i believe are told to diagnose a different problem. in other words work around the problem to generate income before actually trying to fix the actual problem. this is a well documented problem amongst ml 350 owners with some paying thousands and still not having the problem corrected. please look into this because this can become a safety issue especially at a busy traffic light. | |||
| 06/01/2010 | 100000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mercedes benz ml350. the contact stated that the vehicle would lose power when the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle would not accelerate over 10 mph. the failure was experienced numerous times. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed and located the failure at the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000 and the approximate current mileage was 115,000. | |||
| 06/01/2010 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 mercedes benz ml350. the contact stated that the vehicle would lose power when the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle would not accelerate over 10 mph. the failure was experienced numerous times. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed and located the failure at the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000 and the approximate current mileage was 115,000. kmj | |||
| 06/01/2010 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 mercedes benz ml350. the contact stated the vehicle loses power while the accelerator pedal was depressed. the vehicle would not accelerate over 5 to 10mph. the failure was experienced numerous times. the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, a diagnosed was performed. the failure was located a the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin information was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000 and the approximate current mileage was 115,000. li | |||
| 11/14/2011 | 70000 | ||
| At approximately 70k miles, i began to notice a low-frequency whining noise in the front end of my ml-350 at speeds above 40 mph. the noise became more prevalent when i took my foot off of the accelerator at higher speeds. first, replaced all four tires with michelin latitude tour hp - $1,300 (including alignment). the noise still occurred. next, took to mb specialist, who recommended both wheel bearing be replaced - cost $425/side. the bearings were replaced and noise still occurred. mb specialist recommended checking differential oil for metal - found lots of metal fragments in differential oil. installation of new differential was ~$3,500. mb specialist stated that his parts distributor said that they sell at least one-to-two late model ml-350 front end differentials per month. in my opinion, it seems as though there is a flaw in the differential's design or manufacturing process, as i seen several reports of the same differential issues with [relatively]-low-mileage/late-model mb ml-350 suvs. i would like to see mb research this issue, and possibly instate a recall or reimburse mb owners who've already affected costly repairs on their low-mileage ml-350's front end differentials. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 40000 | ||
| Took car to mb dealership in north olmsted ohio because front end of car and steering wheel started shaking and vibrating excessively when the car was driven in excess of 60 mph. car drove fine under that speed. i almost was caused to drive off of road at multiple points because of excessive vibration and lack of steering control. condition did not occur at lower speeds. car was 1 week outside of mfr warranty. was told by mb dealership that car needed new front differential. i called mb national to complain about an alleged luxury car's front differential failing only after 40k miles. they told me it was not their problem. car continues to have problem to this day (1 year later). i was told that the car was safe to drive. i have since been looking for a used differntial because a new one w/install is over $3k. it seems as if i am not the only ml owner experiencing these problems. mb went with a new 7 speed transmission that year which may lead to problems. | |||
| 09/01/2011 | 45000 | ||
| Around 45,000 miles the check engine light came on. i took the vehicle to a mercedes benz dealer service department and was notified that the balance shaft needs to be replaced. in order to replace the balance shaft, the engine needs to be taken out of the vehicle and taken apart. estimated cost $6,000. the service dept. told me that it was due to a part that was not hardened properly during manufacturing. there is a technical service bulletin (s-b-03.30/08i) that was originally issued in 2007 which was found in internet searching, however it seems like mercedes benz knows that the check engine light (on the majority of these vehicles) will not come on until when the warranty has expired. since this fix is a huge expense, they are not going to issue a recall even though it is clearly a safety concern. if i would've have continued to drive the vehicle in this condition, eventually the balance shaft would have continued to break its teeth resulting in engine failure. continuing to drive the vehicle in the condition is not safe, it is a matter of time before the vehicle stops running and the engine would need to be replaced. the mercedes benz usa replaced our balance shaft or pay for it people who alredy fixed. | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 52000 | ||
| Front differential for my mercedes ml 350 year 2006 needs to be replaced after only 52000 miles. | |||
| 05/15/2011 | 62000 | ||
| Grinding noise in front diagnosed as failed front differential | |||
| 06/07/2011 | 75000 | ||
| 2006 mercedes ml350, front differential worn at ~75000 mileage, that could lead to lockup at any time if not fixed. from talking with the three mercedes dealerships in my local area, it seems there is a very high incidence of front differential problems on 2006 ml's. | |||
| 05/10/2011 | 80000 | ||
| Mercedes benz balance shaft problem (drivetrain) on 2006 ml350 a technical service bulletin was issued in 2007 by mercedes benz but owners such as myself were never notified. | |||
| 02/07/2011 | 85448 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 mercedes benz ml350. the contact stated he has a defective camp shaft. the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the dealer inspected the failure who stated the balance shaft and other parts needed to be replaced. the repairs would cost $5,000 to him. there are no recalls or warranty. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 85,448...mw | |||
| 02/09/2009 | 51286 | ||
| 2006 mercedes benz balance shaft is defective. the defect causes the car to sometimes sputter when accelerating, almost was killed by a truck as i turned left, or stall out completely | |||
| 08/20/2010 | 53000 | ||
| Around 52,000 miles the check engine light came on. i took the vehicle to a mercedes benz dealer service department and was notified that the balance shaft needs to be replaced. in order to replace the balance shaft, the engine needs to be taken out of the vehicle and taken apart. estimated cost $4,000 to $7,500. the service dept. told me that it was due to a part that was not hardened properly during manufacturing. there is a technical service bulletin (s-b-03.30/08i) that was originally issued in 2007, however it seems like mercedes benz knows that the check engine light (on the majority of these vehicles) will not come on until after 50,000 miles, when the warranty has expired. since this fix is a huge expense, they are not going to issue a recall even though it is clearly a safety concern. if we would've have continued to drive the vehicle in this condition, eventually the balance shaft would have continued to break its teeth resulting in engine failure. continuing to drive the vehicle in the condition is not safe, it is a matter of time before the vehicle stops running and the engine would need to be replaced. the service department replaced our balance shaft, the parts used are too numerous to list along with labor codes. here is a brief breakdown: 28.8 labor hours total $2,940.48, parts $1,263.50 (consumer cost), $925.49 (net cost). the failure has been corrected, however the service dept. told me all of these vehicles made during this time will eventually have this failure and it's a safety concern, not to mention a very expensive repair. i feel there should be a recall issued for these vehicles and mercedes benz should be required to notify consumers of this failure. i was an original purchaser and had mine repaired, however there are people out there buying these vehicles used unaware of the problem, not only stuck with a $4,000 + repair, but also unaware of the safety hazard. mercedes benz should take responsibility. | |||
| 02/09/2009 | 62500 | ||
| Balance shaft on my mercedes ml350 has worn cam causing checking engine light to come on and the timing to be off. mercedes service bulletin states that the balance shaft needs to be replaced and that the material of new replacement shaft has been updated. this has happening to neraly all mercedes benz equipped with m272 engine up to serial no. 2729..30 468993 or m273 engine up to serial no. 2739..30 088611 and occurs after 55,000 miles. mercedes wants $4,000 - $6,000 to replace defect part. | |||
| 11/23/2008 | 78000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 09/13/2009 | 53000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 mercedes benz ml-350. while shifting the vehicle into reverse it surged backwards, resulting in a crash. the vehicle was stopped momentarily. upon shifting the vehicle into drive it then surged forward, resulting in another crash. the police appeared on the scene and a report was filed. the contact was taken by ambulance to a hospital to be treat serious injuries. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to a towing lot where the failure was not diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 53,000. ds | |||
| 01/20/2011 | 46000 | ||
| Hello i live in ny and i have a 2006 ml350. recently i brought my car in for a check engine light to mercedes benz. they state the car needs new balance shaft and timing gears. the car only has 46,000 miles. this should not be possible. the cost is over $5,000 to get fixed. mercedes will not cover it.this seems to be a defect part. in researching the problem i found out i wasn't the only with this issue. there is a class action lawsuit in new jersey as well as other states. my inspection has expired and can't not pass without the repair which is a safety issue. here is the link to the class action lawsuit http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/10/07/mercedes.pdf. they should make a recall for this problem. | |||
| 11/30/2010 | 67000 | ||
| 2006 ml350 mercedes benz - check engine light has come on and the garage tells me that the balance shaft gears have worn and need to be replaced in a car with just 67,000 miles on it. the price is 5500 and there are many people i've heard from with the same issue iwith this car. i think this is an obvious flaw in this batch of engines and that there should be a recall as this is serious if the chains actually come off the gears. | |||
| 12/18/2009 | 61000 | 1 | 08/01/2006 |
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mercedes benz ml350. when accelerating from a complete stop, the engine stalled without warning. he was able to restart the engine and resume normal operation. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. the technician stated the failure was contributed to the transmission which required replacement. the vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction. the failure and current mileages were 61,000. updated 01/20/10. *lj updated 01/21/10.*jb | |||
| 08/03/2009 | 80000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 12/31/2006 | 10851 | 1 | 04/01/2005 |
| Tl* - the contact owns a 2006 mercedes 350 m class. the driver was unable to shift the transmission into drive to move forward or into reverse gear. the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward and hit a cement block and continued to lurch forward several times before she could stop the vehicle. the power steering and brakes were inoperable. the warning light indicator appeared on the vehicle after hitting the cement block. she did not recall which indicator light. the vehicle sustained front end passenger damage. the failure and the current mileage was 10,851. the contact was able to drive the vehicle home. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the mechanic replaced the compressor. the contact received a minor bruise. *ak the consumer stated the air bags did not deploy. updated 03/07/07. *jb | |||
| 08/03/2006 | 12200 | 1 | 02/02/2006 |
| Power train:automatic transmission heavy jolt and skippage at startup from first to second gear and heavy jolt while stopping. mercedes states it is a software problem however there is no software available to fix the problem. *nm | |||
| 02/28/2006 | 2100 | 4 | 12/11/2005 |
| When i drove my vehicle at low speed and came to stop, the vehicle jolted by moving forward. i believed this was caused by jerky transmission, and there was a bug in the software that controlled the transmission. i talked to a service guy at my dealership about this, and he told me that there was no fix at this time, awaiting an answer from mercedes benz. *nm | |||
| 07/15/2005 | 100 | 4 | 07/01/2005 |
| Dt: 2006 mercedes benz ml350. the contact stated there was hard and erratic transmission shift. he did not believe the defect was in the transmission. the vehicle jolted at speeds under 45 mph. the vehicle has been to the dealership four times, where they replaced the electronic hydraulic control unit each time. the problem persisted, and the dealership was unable to diagnose the problem. *ak | |||