AI Damage2009 Mercedes-Benz ML550: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML550 filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 50% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 25% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 25% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (50% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Tires: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 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 contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floorboard and seized. Additionally, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact continuously depressed the brake pedal until the brake pedal raised off the floorboard.
In mid February/early March the brakes failed while the vehicle was moving in a parking lot. After exiting the vehicle with the emergency brake on, I found a pool of brake fluid under the car.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 mercedes-benz ml550. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v081000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair was unavailable. The manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue.
Normal driving at 40 mph loud noise coming from tire and blew out. The steel belt was faulty. Two days later loud noise coming from another new tire tire out of round due to steel belt failure. No road hazard so tire dealer said even though they are new it will be another 880.00.
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 15,524 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the ML550 has 6 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML550?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, air bags, tires. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (50%), rust, corrosion (25%), tires: bulges, blowouts (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML550?
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 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML550 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 2009 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.