2006 Mercedes Benz ML500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, SHE BEGAN TO SMELL AN ABNORMAL, BURNING ODOR EMITTING FROM THE VEHICLE. AS THE CONTACT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE PASSENGER SEAT ERUPTED IN FLAMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE VEHICLE AND A LOCAL BYSTANDER CALLED THE AUTHORITIES. ONCE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, THEY WERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN IF A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT VERBALLY INFORMED THAT CONTACT AT THE SCENE THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE; SHE WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DESTROYED. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HER HOME DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 240,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, A GRINDING NOISE WAS DETECTED FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF STEVENS CREEK (4500 STEVENS CREEK BLVD, SAN JOSE, CA 95129, (408) 641-4610) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

OUR 2006 MERCEDES ML500 HAS HAD BOTH INTERNAL MECHANICAL LATCHES TO DOORS BREAK APART INSIDE THE FRONT DOORS AT DIFFERENT TIMES. WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT WHEN USE USE THE ELECTRONIC SWITCH TO OPEN THE VEHICLE DOORS, THEY UNLOCK OK BUT THE DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE OR LOCK AFTER INITIAL OPENING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, YOU CANNOT CLOSE THE DOOR (THE LATCH IS BROKEN). THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM IF YOU HAVE TO DRIVE ANY DISTANCE TO GET TO A MERCEDES DEALER. OF COURSE THEY NEVER HAVE THE PARTS IN STOCK. ON ONE OCCASION, I HAD TO TRY TO PHYSICALLY HOLD THE PASSENGERS SIDE FRONT DOOR CLOSED UNTIL WE COULD GET SOME ROPE TO TIE FROM ONE DOOR TO ANOTHER. FORTUNATELY WE NOW HAVE A ROPE IN THE CAR AT ALL TIMES. MY WIFE WAS ALONE IN THE VEHICLE YESTERDAY AND HAD TO TIE THE DIVERS DOOR TO THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. FORTUNATELY SHE WORKS 1 1/2 MILE FROM THE LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER. IT WAS STILL VERY SCARY FOR HER BECAUSE WHENEVER SHE TURNED A CORNER, THE DRIVER'S DOOR WOULD SWING OPEN SLIGHTLY. AGAIN THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND IS A $1,000.00 REPAIR. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO.

THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS SOCKETS ARE GETTING BURNT CAUSING THE BRAKES LIGHT TO FAIL. CORROSION ON A CONNECTOR CAN CAUSE THE TAIL, BRAKE OR REAR TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS TO DIM OR FAIL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT CAN MAKE CARS LESS VISIBLE TO OTHER DRIVERS, WHICH CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH. THIS IS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE WITH THE 2008 - 2011 MERCEDES C CLASS WHICH RECENTLY HAD A RECALL ISSUED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF, THE HATCH DOOR LATCH WOULD ERRONEOUSLY LOCK AND UNLOCKED INDEPENDENTLY AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD CONTINUOUSLY BLINK OFF AND ON. THE FOLLOWING DAY WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE HORN ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATED AND COULD NOT BE TURN OFF. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT MOMENT LATER SMOKE STARTED TO EMIT INSIDE THE VEHICLE FROM THE REAR HATCH AREA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE FLAMES WERE DISCOVERED COMING FROM THE BRAKE LIGHT AND FUSE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED DURING THE INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

SPORADICALLY, WHILE DRIVING ALONG ON LOCAL ROADS OR THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SWITCH HIGHER THAN THIRD GEAR. THE PROBLEM OCCURS ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. UPON ENGINE RESTART, VEHICLE DRIVES PROPERLY. MY PEDAL SHIFTERS DO NOT WORK WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS; I CAN TRY TO SHIFT GEARS WITH THE PEDAL SHIFTERS, AND THE SOFTWARE INDICATES A CHANGE FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR, BUT THE ACTUAL TRANSMISSION DOES NOT CHANGE GEARS. IT REMAINS STUCK IN THIRD GEAR WHETHER I SPEED UP OR SLOW DOWN. IF I PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND TRY TO REVERSE, THERE IS NO POWER TO THE VEHICLE UNTIL I RESTART THE CAR. THIS SEEMS TO BE OCCURRING WITH MORE AND MORE FREQUENCY. I HAVE A SAFETY CONCERN THAT I HAVE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND RESTART MY CAR WHENEVER THIS OCCURS. THIS SEEMS TO BE PROBLEMATIC FOR SEVERAL OWNERS ON THE NHTSA SITE AND ONLINE. *JB