AI Damage2010 Mercedes-Benz ML350: common problems
Owners of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML350 filed 101 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 101
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 66% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 4% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 1% of all complaints
- Air bags: 67 complaints (66% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 10 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seat belts: 10 complaints (10% of all).
- Service brakes: 6 complaints (6% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 5 complaints (5% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 101 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 67 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 1 | 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 result of the incident totaled my vehicle, took out two transformers and a light pole, and costed me a careless operation ticket, the storage and towing of the vehicle from the incident, to the tow yard, then back home, as well as paying the ticket and having to pay the dmv.
On February 18, 2022 at approximately 2240 hours I was in a wreck which totalled my 2010 Mercedes ML-350. I was approaching a curb and tried to brake but they didn't work and my vehicle pulled to the right and I totaled it out on an electricity pole. I was not aware of the recall 16V081 until September 04, 2022.
2) failed brakes - I was driving into a parking spot slowly using brakes and when I was about to come to a full stop, the brakes failed and wouldn't stop the car completely resulting in me driving over a parking meter.
Steering became increasingly sluggish and difficult to navigate; i took the vehicle into the shop and they said there is metal shards or shavings being worn into the power steering fluid and destroying the pump, clogging up the filter and the rack and pinion steering system is also being compromised making the vehicle…
Vehicle will not crank/start intermittently key turns in the ignition but nothing happens. Front door on the right and left will not operate and have to push down locks in order for vehicle to lock and prevent vehicle/ property theft.
There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving.
In one recall, the problem is noted to potentially cause a fire. Although dealer is aware of this problem, the boerne, tx service rep has no interest in investigating the matter further unless, knowing others have similar issues, unless I pay for the service. Hope we don't earn a ticket or cause an accident.
Vehicle has a very unstable ride that continues to worsen. The problem arose about 4 years ago and continues to worsen -- more so over the last year. I've owned the vehicle for almost 10 years and take meticulous care of it. I've kept up with all maintenance and always purchase the best quality replacement tires.
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 3,538 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).
On average one model year of the ML350 has 68 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 101, above average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, seat belts. Total complaints: 101. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (11%), smoke, burning smell, fire (4%), headlights and tail lights (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 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 2010 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 2010 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.