IllustrationREPLACEMENT OF 10 FULL SENDER AND FUEL GAUGE RELATED EQUIPMENT PARTS ON 1998 MB ML320, REPLACEMENT OF TRANSFER CASE. *TR
1998 Mercedes Benz ML320
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most ML320 years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Mercedes Benz ML320 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 28.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all ML320 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
20–25K
625–50K
1150–75K
1275–100K
8100–150K
4150K+
43 reports with mileage · 90 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports5 fire reports10 injury reports
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
15 reportsLAUNDRY LIST OF FAILURES. JACK HAS ALMOST KILLED ME WHILE CHANGING TIRE. VEHICLE FELL, ALMOST HITTING ME BUT CATCHING SIDE OF VEHICLE BEFORE LANDING ON ME! HOOD LATCH HAS FAILED ON A FEW OCCASIONS, CAUSING HOOD TO OPEN WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. AIR MASS METER FAILED. HAS REQUIRED 5 (FIVE!) ALIGNMENTS IN TWO YEARS. WHEN …
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LAUNDRY LIST OF FAILURES. JACK HAS ALMOST KILLED ME WHILE CHANGING TIRE. VEHICLE FELL, ALMOST HITTING ME BUT CATCHING SIDE OF VEHICLE BEFORE LANDING ON ME! HOOD LATCH HAS FAILED ON A FEW OCCASIONS, CAUSING HOOD TO OPEN WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. AIR MASS METER FAILED. HAS REQUIRED 5 (FIVE!) ALIGNMENTS IN TWO YEARS. WHEN BROUGHT TO DEALER'S ATTENTION, WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. A MONTH LATER REQUIRES ANOTHER ALIGNMENT. ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS CAUSES WEAR ON TIRES, WHICH HAS CAUSED HYDROPLANING AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE SWERVES UNCONTROLLABLY WHEN HITS ANYTHING OTHER THAN FLAT ROAD. TRANSFER CASE MOTOR FIXED BY DEALER WITHOUT CONSULTING. AFTER REPAIR, TRANSFER CASE MOTOR FAILED. DEALER STATES OWNER RESPONSIBLE FOR COSTS. HAS HAD REPAIR OF HARMONIC BALANCER ON FRONT OF ENGINE DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILDUP LEADING TO OIL LEAK AND FAILURE OF BELT TENSIONER. WINDOW SWITCHES HAVE FAILED TWICE AND FIXED AT EXPENSE OF OWNER. SIX DIFFERENT KEYS HAVE FAILED @ THE COST OF $220/KEY. REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER CAUSES LOSS OF STEREO RECEPTION. REAR WINDOW WIPER MOTOR HAS FAILED. FRONT END MAKES NOISE.*AK
FUEL PUMP FAILURE AFTER 70,000 MILES. LEFT STRANDED ON THE ROAD. HAD TO CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK. HAMMOND TIRE AND AUTO CENTER IN HAMMOND,LA CONTACTED BENSON MERCEDES IN METAIRIE AND WAS TOLD SEVERAL OF THESE HAD APPEARED IN RECENT MONTHS IN HIS SHOP. BENSON MERCEDES SENT OUT THE NEW FUEL PUMP WITH SEVERAL MODIFICATIONS MADE TO BRI…
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FUEL PUMP FAILURE AFTER 70,000 MILES. LEFT STRANDED ON THE ROAD. HAD TO CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK. HAMMOND TIRE AND AUTO CENTER IN HAMMOND,LA CONTACTED BENSON MERCEDES IN METAIRIE AND WAS TOLD SEVERAL OF THESE HAD APPEARED IN RECENT MONTHS IN HIS SHOP. BENSON MERCEDES SENT OUT THE NEW FUEL PUMP WITH SEVERAL MODIFICATIONS MADE TO BRING THE VEHICLE UP TO "COMPLIANCE". I CONTACTED MERCEDES AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THERE WOULD BE NO REIMBURSEMENT FOR HALF THE COST OF THE PARTS SINCE I DID NOT HAVE THE WORK DONE AT A CERTIFIED MERCEDES DEALERSHIP. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT IT WOULD HAVE COST ME APPROXIMATELY $200 TO HAVE IT TOWED TO METARIE OR BATON ROUGE.*AK
ML320 FUEL PUMP FAILED, CAUSING CRASH INTO OTHER VEHICLE. MBZ ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED TWICE AND CLAIMED NO RECORD OF 1ST CALL 4 HOURS EARLIER. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE TO DEALER WHO CLAIMED STARMARK WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED, CONTRARY TO SAME DEALER REPRESENTATION AT SALE. *AK
1998 MERCEDES BENZ ML320: PERSISTENT SLOSHING SOUND COMING FROM UNDERBODY OF CAR. PRESUMED TO BE GAS SLOSHING AROUND IN THE TANK, OR SOME OTHER DRAINAGE PROBLEM. MB TOOK TWO SECONDS TO INVESTIGATE BY ROCKING THE CAR AND FOUND NOTHING.
FUEL LINE COMING OUT OF GAS TANK CAME LOOSE AND SPRAYED RAW FUEL ALL OVER BACK OF CAR AND ONTO STREET. COULD HAVE IGNITED FROM ANY SPARK OR OPEN FLAME.
CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH,RESULTING IN STALLING.VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, TECHNICIAN INDICATED FUEL PUMP NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK
AS TOLD BY THE MERCEDES BENZ COMPANY, THE FUEL LINE AND FUEL FILTER ON THIS PARTICUALER MODEL, ARE MUCH TOO SMALL TO ENSURE ADEQUATE FUEL TO THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO CHANGE THE LINE AND FILTER WHILE UNDER WARRANTY CLAIMING IT WOULD BE CHANGED AT THE 60,000 MILE SERVICE CHECK UP AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *JG …
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AS TOLD BY THE MERCEDES BENZ COMPANY, THE FUEL LINE AND FUEL FILTER ON THIS PARTICUALER MODEL, ARE MUCH TOO SMALL TO ENSURE ADEQUATE FUEL TO THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO CHANGE THE LINE AND FILTER WHILE UNDER WARRANTY CLAIMING IT WOULD BE CHANGED AT THE 60,000 MILE SERVICE CHECK UP AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *JG
FUEL GAUGE HAS BEEN READING INCORRECTLY SINCE PURCHASE. DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE FUEL GAUGE 10 TIMES, DID NOT REMEDY PROBLEM.*AK *SLC
FUEL TANK FILLER NECK IS DEFECTIVE. WHEN FUELING VEHICLE THERE IS FUEL SPILLAGE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE03058 · Engine Crankshaft Pulley Failure
Opened Dec 17, 2003 · Closed Apr 22, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:belts And Associated Pulleys
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF POWER-STEERING ASSIST.ODI HAS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 546 NON-DUPLICATIVE REPORTS THAT ALLEGE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE ON ALL MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES USING THE SUBJECT COMPONENT.THE SUBJECT COMPONENT FAILURES ARE PROGRESSIVE IN NATURE AND ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE COMPLAINTS AND WARRANT CLAIMS INVOLVED A FAILURE THAT HAD PROGRESSED FAR ENOUGH TO EFFECT POWER STEERING PERFORMANCE (6 OF 55 ODI COMPLAINTS REFERENCE INCREASED STEERING EFFORT).THERE HAVE BEEN NO CRASHES OR INJURIES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE SUMMARY REPORT ATTACHED FOR FURTHER DETAIL.