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2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 111 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350, most often about the air bags (53% of complaints, typically around 58,000 miles). It is the most complained-about ML350 model year since 2000 and has 3 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory2 recalls for this car came with a do-not-drive warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350 problems
Air bags
59 complaints · 53%Half of these problems showed up before 58,000 miles.
I was in a car accident in march 2016 and it was a front end collision. I almost went through the windshield however my seat belt didn't stop me or lock in place at all. I also contacted mercedes in april 2016 about my driver airbag that was recalled due to safety concerns and I still haven't been contacted for a…
Takata recall. I have been waiting patiently since february 2016, and every 6 months mercedes benz keeps delaying the remedy to this potentially fatal issue. My wife and toddler ride in this vehicle and I'm always in fear the airbag can deploy causing serious injury or death. How much longer am I supposed to wait for…
Brakes
19 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 100,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH and approaching a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. There brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the…
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the vehicle also stalled while driving in traffic. There were no warning lights illuminated. The message to remove-the-key was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who…
Electrical
16 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 57,000 miles. Parts named most often: ignition.
The car caught fire and burnt. The smoke were first spotted from the passenger A/C vent while driving from the school to the teacher's house (less than 1 mile distance). Within minutes the fire started from the glove box or passenger AC vent area. The fire spread to the back of the car in less than 10 minutes. The…
While vehicle is stationary, turning key in the ignition switch may or may not start the vehicle or turning key in ignition may experience a delay before vehicle will start or it may require turning the key in the on and off position several times before starting. After a no start situation, it may take several…
Transmission
7 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 66,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
Reference: seifi vs Mercedes-Benz. I have 66,000 miles on my car. The engine light came on while driving, when I took it to the dealership, I was told part was defective. Has code1200, 12007 for balance shaft. Mercedes had this same problem just settled for 2005-2007 model.
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350. While accelerating from a stop, the engine jerked and the vehicle lost acceleration. Also, the check engine indicator illuminated. The contact restarted the engine and was able to regain acceleration. On one occasion, while exiting traffic at 40 MPH, the vehicle lost…
Engine
7 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 88,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60â65 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle started sliding. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The local dealer was not…
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. In addition, the SRS and ABS warning indicators illuminated, and the side view and blind side indicators were inoperable. The gear shifter failed to engage in the park position. The vehicle was towed to a friend's residence. The…
Other or unspecified
4 complaints · 4%Takata recall. When we were ready to trade our vehicle, the dealer took about $6000 off of it's trade in value because it had a takata air bag in it and a replacement bag was unavailable to remedy the issue. The dealer was unable to put the vehicle on their lot, it had to be sold at auction. I feel we should be…
Lights
3 complaints · 3%Rear left brake light keep failing, the bulb is fine. Have to take out socket and put it back in, this keeps happening over and over. Was told the hole light assembly needs to be replaced. No one can seem to say why this keep happening. This can happen at any time in motion, on the highway, turning.
Seats
3 complaints · 3%Parts named most often: front assembly.
Passanger seat with seat heat on caused burnt damage of leather upholsterey in lower left part of the back rest accompany with smoke/fumes. The damaged area is about 2" long. 2011 ML350 with 27kmiles
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact activated the seat warmer for the front driver's seat and noticed that the back of the seat was overheating. The contact also noticed smoke coming from the seat. The contact stated that the seat warmer burned a hole in the seat. When the warmer was turned off…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350 recalls
Brakes: vacuum
Risk: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Brakes: vacuum
Risk: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Mbusa will their notify owners, and fiat chrysler will notify the affected chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. This recall began november 2016. Mercedes-benz owners may contact mbusa customer service at 1-800-367-6372 and chrysler owners may contact fiat chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
Mercedes-benz USA, llc. (mbusa) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 ml320 bluetec 4matic, gl320 bluetec 4matic and r320 cdi 4matic, 2011 e350 cabriolet and e550 cabriolet, 2009-2011 ml350, ml350 4matic, ml550 4matic, ml63 amg, and c63 amg, 2010-2011 ml450 4matic hybrid, e350 coupe, e350 4matic, e550 coupe, e550 4matic, and e63 amg, 2011-2012 gl350 bluetec 4matic and r350 bluetec 4matic, 2009-2012 gl450 4matic, gl550 4matic and r350 4matic, 2007-2008 slk280, slk350, and slk55 amg, 2011-2014 sls amg coupe, 2012 sls amg cabriolet, 2013-2014 sls amg gt and sls amg gt cabriolet, 2005 c230 kompressor and c320, 2006-2007 c230, 2006-2011 c350, 2008-2011 c300 and c300 4matic, 2010-2012 glk350 and glk350 4matic and 2007-2008 chrysler crossfire vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Questions about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (59 complaints, typically around 58,000 miles); brakes (19 complaints, typically around 100,000 miles); electrical (16 complaints, typically around 57,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350 have?
- 3 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from April 26, 2024 (brakes). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2011 a bad year for the Mercedes-Benz ML350?
- It is the most complained-about ML350 model year since 2000, with 111 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.