AI Damage2008 Mercedes-Benz ML350: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML350 filed 67 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 67
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 36% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 19% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 10% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 10% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 4% of all complaints
- Steering: 24 complaints (36% of all).
- Electrical system: 13 complaints (19% of all).
- Service brakes: 8 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 7 complaints (10% of all).
- Structure: 7 complaints (10% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 67 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 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 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.
Mercedes ml350 was forced off the road on a rural highway, front end drove straight into wooded area striking a tree just right of drivers side headlamp with serious damage to bumper and hood pushing into radiator...drivers side front airbag never deployed...both side curtain bags deployed...luckily with low speed and…
Atm at bank was not operating and was going inside bank, at regions bank in hendersonville tn. When car was shifted from park into drive the car took off at a high rate of speed, that could not be stopped by braking.
This was an unintended acceleration by the vehicle that automatically occurred. I suffered bruises in the forehead and right hand, and laceration of the left knee.
I kept pumping on the brake only to have the car make a grinding sound as it continued to accelerate (as if it were resisting my attempts to stop it). Eventually, and thankfully before it hit the building, the car stalled to a stop.
The contact later received the recall notification. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and advised the contact that parts were not available. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
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.
Rear left and right passenger seatbelt mechanisms (retracting function) are defective; belts don't want to retract back in after they have been pulled out/used
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 4,533 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the ML350 has 68 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 67, about average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, electrical system, service brakes. Total complaints: 67. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (13%), steering or power steering problems (13%), headlights and tail lights (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 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.