IllustrationDRIVERSIDE BACKSEAT FRAME WELDED SUPPORT BOLT FELL APART. (WELDED TO BACK FRAME) THIS MAKES BACK OF SEAT UNSTABLE AND UNSAFE TO SIT IN. CAR IS DRIVEN MOSTLY TO WORK AND IS WELL MAINTAINED. DEALER SAID NO ONE TO SIT THERE, IT IS UNSAFE.
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
What owners actually said
133 reportsSAME PROBLEM AS THE DRIVERS POSTED ON THIS FORUM IN THE PROVIDED LINKHTTP://FORUMS.MBWORLD.ORG/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=EE805591A42AA150D9DA7BBB66F73A95&THREADID=40287&HIGHLIGHT=HARMONIC. *AK
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE STALLED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. DEALER STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS THE CAR WAS BAD. *AK
CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH,RESULTING IN STALLING.VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, TECHNICIAN INDICATED FUEL PUMP NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK
THE CONSUMER PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY WHERE BOTH LIGHTS HAD COME ON AT THE SAME TIME AND HAD BECOME UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON, BECAUSE THE BELT CAME OFF THE ALTERNATOR, POWER STEERING, AND THE AC, WHICH MADE THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER. *SCC *JB
AFTER BUCKLING THE SEAT BELT, THE SHOULDER HARNESS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE EXPLODED. THE HARNESS YANJED ME BACK AGAINST THE SEAT BURNING MY SHOULDER AND THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE CAR IS A 1998 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD WHEN THIS HAPPENED, IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. ARE THERE ANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS…
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AFTER BUCKLING THE SEAT BELT, THE SHOULDER HARNESS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE EXPLODED. THE HARNESS YANJED ME BACK AGAINST THE SEAT BURNING MY SHOULDER AND THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE CAR IS A 1998 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD WHEN THIS HAPPENED, IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. ARE THERE ANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING?*AK
IGNITION LOCK FAILED, ENABLING KEY TO BE REMOVED FROM IGNITION WHILE IN DRIVE GEAR.*AK
THE MBUSA GENERAL MANAGER IS WRITING TO INFORM CONSUMER'S OF THE USE OF CONVENTIONAL OIL WHICH COULD RESULT IN ENGINE DAMAGE-MAY EXPERIENCE OIL SLUDGE. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WILL COVER THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE UP TO 10 YRS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, LEASE, OR 150,000 MILE'S UNDER TERMS OF EXISTING WARRANTY/REIMBURSEMENT. SCC
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED, INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT COMPLETELY OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED 19 TIMES PROBLEM REOCCURRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
MY CAR ROLLED OVER ON KLONDIKE HIGHWAY IN YUKON, CANADA. IT HAPPENED WHEN DRIVEN ON DOWN SLOPE LOOSE GRAVEL. THE ROAD CONDITION WAS NOT GOOD ON THAT HIGHWAY. WHEN THE CAR TRAVEL FROM THE PAVED ROAD CONDITION TO LOOSE GRAVEL, IT SLIPPED IN THE BEGINNING THEN LOST CONTROL AND ROLLOVER. I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR BY STEPPING HARD ON …
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MY CAR ROLLED OVER ON KLONDIKE HIGHWAY IN YUKON, CANADA. IT HAPPENED WHEN DRIVEN ON DOWN SLOPE LOOSE GRAVEL. THE ROAD CONDITION WAS NOT GOOD ON THAT HIGHWAY. WHEN THE CAR TRAVEL FROM THE PAVED ROAD CONDITION TO LOOSE GRAVEL, IT SLIPPED IN THE BEGINNING THEN LOST CONTROL AND ROLLOVER. I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR BY STEPPING HARD ON THE BRAKE. MY WIFE GOT A BROKEN SHOULDER WHEN IT ROLLED OVER. I GOT SOME CUT AND SCRATCHES ON MY RIGHT HAND. THE CAR WAS UPSIDE DOWN FINALLY. I DON'T THINK THE ABS AND ETS KICKED IN AT THAT MOMENT. ALTHOUGH DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG WENT OFF, MY WIFE WAS NOT THAT LUCKY BECAUSE HER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY FROM HER DOOR TO PROTECT HER SO HER RIGHT SHOULDER BROKEN. I TOLD MBUSI ABOUT THE UN- DEPLOYED SIDE AIRBAG AFTER MY CAR ROLLING OVER. SHE ASKED FOR MY BEING PATIENT. TWO MONTHS HAVE PAST SINCE THEN, SHE DID NOT EVEN GIVE ME A WORD. I READ FROM NEWSPAPER KNOWING THAT GM RECALLED THOUSANDS OF CAR WHEN SHE FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM BEFORE ANYONE GET INJURED. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MB PUT THIS FATAL PROBLEM OFF? SO WHAT'S WRONG WITH ML320 AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE OF MERCEDES BENZ. *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.