AI Damage2004 Mercedes-Benz ML350: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz ML350 filed 35 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 35
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 17% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 4 Seats 11% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 6% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 6% of all complaints
- Steering: 6 complaints (17% of all).
- Air bags: 5 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Seats: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 35 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was destroyed and the driver suffered injuries. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard and the failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and the current mileages were 55,000. Updated 01/27/12
Hello my check engine light is on in my 2004 Mercedes ml350 so I took it to a Mercedes dealership for inspection and repairs. They kept my suv for 8 days and finally called me back and said they believe the check engine light is on because I need to replace my charcoal canister shut off valve.
Leakage of power steering fluid coming from hoses, or pipe, or some connection. I was about to leave when I started my car only to hear a loud whining noise and a hard-to-turn steering wheel.
Discovered brittle, broken and missing wiring insulation on the headlight wiring inside the headlamp assembly. This was a dangerous situation that allowed the positive and negative wires to come in contact with each other creating a short.
While driving various speeds, the power steering malfunctioned. The steering wheel was difficult to turn and the steering fluid had to be replaced several times. The contact stated that the steering wheel made a loud grinding noise when it was turned and power steering fluid leaked from the column.
During a routine change of a headlight lamp, the maintenance technician discover that the insulation on all four wires in the left front headlight assembly were cracked, disintegrating and missing leaving the bare wires exposed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercedes benz ml350. While driving 30 mph, the brake pedal was depressed and traveled all the way down to the floorboard without warning. The contact was able to stop the vehicle by slowing down on a curb. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired.
Aside from the nausea, this clearly posed a significant fire danger and was immediately transported to the dealer awaiting repair costs now. There have been no other incidents or external reasons that might have led to this (such as running over something or hitting something in the road).
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,335 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the ML350 has 68 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 35, below average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Mercedes-Benz ML350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 35. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (20%), steering or power steering problems (17%), warning lights, check engine (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz ML350?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2004 Mercedes-Benz ML350 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2004 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.