AI Damage2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350: common problems
Owners of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350 filed 52 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 52
- involving a crash
- 10
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 21% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 8% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 8% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 8% of all complaints
- Engine: 11 complaints (21% of all).
- Powertrain: 7 complaints (13% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 6 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (8% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 4 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 52 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 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 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.
The air bags did not deploy. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The contact sustained injuries to his shoulder and medical attention was provided. The passenger occupant sustained injuries to the vertebrae and medical attention was provided. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire.
While at a stop light vehicle suddenly surged forward plowing into vehicle in front causing four car collision. Vehicle on two prior occasions, had surged without incident. This occurred on a city street in vohess, nj. The cause is unknown.
I was driving on the freeway and all of sudden my car started steering horizontally on the right. Car was auto controlled and out of my control. The steering wheel failed to respond and steer. I got into a major life threatening car crash.
The vehicle crashed into a wall and the rear window broke. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated up to 19 mph in reverse. The contact stated that the vehicle then switched gears into drive independently, lunged forward, and crashed into the garage.
Felt the engine surge moved shifter to neutral then drive . Engine surged, could not stop the car with the brakes it proceeded through a gate and was stopped by our stone fence. Air bags did not deploy.
Rear tailgate was left open. Started car and no warning that tailgate was open was given. Started to move car into garage and open tailgate struck garage opening. Damage in excess of $1000. No warning is given until car exceeds 6-7mph!!!
I recently purchased a new ml350 from mercedes benz of burlington, ma and I have a 'safety' related issue with the lift gate. I went to move the vehicle, not knowing that the lift gate was open.there was no warning or any indication that the lift gate was open!!
The contact stated that the gears were slipping intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that the software command system needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired but within five days, the failure recurred.
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 5,243 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the ML350 has 68 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 52, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, powertrain, service brakes. Total complaints: 52. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (12%), warning lights, check engine (10%), windows, sunroof (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 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 2015 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 2015 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 2026-11-06.