IllustrationSee attached document for complaint
2008 Mercedes Benz ML350
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2008 Mercedes Benz ML350 do not stand out strongly from 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
70–25K
425–50K
1750–75K
975–100K
13100–150K
2150K+
52 reports with mileage · 15 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.
- Steering. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports6 fire reports3 injury reports
Steering complaints
24 reportsThe contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel failed to respond as designed. The contact drove the vehicle safely off the road. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was made aware of a power steering rack leak. The vehicle …
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The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel failed to respond as designed. The contact drove the vehicle safely off the road. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was made aware of a power steering rack leak. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred several times. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V682000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 38,000.
STEERING WHEEL GET HARD THEN SOFT ON TURN CAUSING LOSE OF CONTROL I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND SAID ITS THE RACK & PINION I LOOK ONLINE FOR RECALL THIER IS ONE FOR STEERING RACK SO I CALL THE DEALER THEY SAID MINE IS NOT
MILEAGE 80K AND A STEERING RACK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A BROKEN PIN. I SEE A RECALL 2008120011 AND FOLLOWING THE DOCUMENTATION THIS VIN QUALIFIES FOR IT BUT THE MB DEALER IS SAYING THAT THERE IS NO OPEN RECALL FOR THIS CAR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKED STEERING FLUID, WHICH MADE THE STEERING WHEEL DIFFICULT TO TURN WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH OR ABOVE. THE CONTACT ALSO HEARD A THUMPING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AND APPROACHING A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANI…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKED STEERING FLUID, WHICH MADE THE STEERING WHEEL DIFFICULT TO TURN WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH OR ABOVE. THE CONTACT ALSO HEARD A THUMPING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AND APPROACHING A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC CONTACTED AN UNKNOWN DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (MERCEDES-BENZ OF JACKSONVILLE, 10231 ATLANTIC BLVD, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32225), BUT NO REPAIRS OR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS WERE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
STEERING FEELS WEIRD
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND A SQUEALING SOUND WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE AND THE POWER STEERING CONTROL HEAD …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND A SQUEALING SOUND WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE AND THE POWER STEERING CONTROL HEAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,745.
THE POWER STEERING IS NOT WORKING SINCE APRIL 2015. CHECK BY THE DEALER AND SAID IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IT IS NOT RECALLED. BUT WHEN CHECK THE CONSUMER REPORT MECERDEZ BENZ 2008 ML 350 HAS POWER STEERING RECALL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE R&R STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WHERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE.…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE R&R STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WHERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,483.
CONSUMER RECENTLY NOTICED HARD, WHINING SOUNDS FROM STEERING/TURNING THE WHEEL ESPECIALLY AFTER STARTING THE CAR. SEEMS LIKE NOISE COMES FROM STEERING COLUMN. NOISE DISSIPATES AFTER CAR WARMS UP OR WHEN YOU SHUT IT OFF AND START UP AGAIN. *TR
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.