AI Damage2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350: common problems
Owners of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 filed 65 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 65
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 32% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 18% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 14% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- 8 Lane departure 6% of all complaints
- Engine: 21 complaints (32% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 12 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 9 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 7 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 65 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 21 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane departure | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 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 airbags failed to deploy and resulted in serious neck and back injuries. The car was stationary on the highway as traffic slowed. A fast oncoming vehicle (70-80 mph) failed to see my stationary vehicle and rear ended my vehicle without breaking causing it to crash in the car in front.
She said the vehicle started to shake in an unusual way so she decided to get off at the nearest exit and when she applied the brakes on the off ramp the car's engine stopped. Engine light came on, dash read inoperable yet all the electrical was still on.
Engine stalled driving on interstate highway at 70mph. Mechanic diagnostic indicated to be faulty fuel pump and/or fuel pump control unit. This issue has been recognized by mercedes benz as a faulty issue and subject to recall.
Vehicle stalled without warning, and I was advised by a mechanic that the fuel pump control unit was reporting a fault through the onboard diagnostics port and the check engine light on the dashboard.
The driver's seat belt is locked and the retractor is not working without any reason. The front adaptive cruise control radar is also not working, along with the crucial blind spot sensor. Because of this, the vehicle cruise control (even without adaptive mode) is not working at all.
In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the abnormal shaking occurred at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with timing chain failure. The contact was informed that the timing chain needed to be replaced.
The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound and then stalled. Additionally, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly while driving. The contact's husband coasted the vehicle to the side of the road.
The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and lost forward propulsion. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle for a short distance and the failure reoccurred. The vehicle lost motive power and failed to restart.
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 4,606 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the ML350 has 68 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 65, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- 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 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, fuel/propulsion system, electrical system. Total complaints: 65. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (18%), stalls while driving (18%), warning lights, check engine (12%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2012 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 2012 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 2012 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.