IllustrationWARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASH. SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SDS) MALFUNCTION. TOOK CAR TO NEAREST MERCEDES DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG IGNITION SWITCH WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND CONTACT FAULT IN DRIVER FRONT SEAT HARNESS.SUGGESTED IFILE A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA AND MERCEDES BENZ USA TO GET REPAIRED.
2006 Mercedes Benz ML350
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most ML350 years
Owner complaints for the 2006 Mercedes Benz ML350 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 51.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all ML350 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
150–25K
2125–50K
4050–75K
3075–100K
24100–150K
7150K+
137 reports with mileage · 35 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.
- Power Train. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports19 fire reports10 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
2 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WITH THE HEATED SEAT IN ACTIVATION. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT, IN WHICH THE HEATER OVERHEATED AND CAUSED A BURNED HOLE IN THE CUSHION AND PADDING. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A MINOR BURN TO THE LEFT HIP …
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WITH THE HEATED SEAT IN ACTIVATION. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT, IN WHICH THE HEATER OVERHEATED AND CAUSED A BURNED HOLE IN THE CUSHION AND PADDING. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A MINOR BURN TO THE LEFT HIP AS A RESULT OF THE EXCESSIVE HEAT PENETRATION. THERE WERE NO FLAMES PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE HEATED SEAT WIRE WAS DISENGAGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Official recalls
224V298000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
Apr 26, 2024
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
22V315000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
May 9, 2022
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.