Your vehicle report
2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 88
- Received Feb 2003 to May 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Unintended acceleration despite braking10 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Power steering cuts out while driving7 complaints · 8.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Vehicle catches fire from wiring5 complaints · 5.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #01V290000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The left front upper control arm may not meet the specified strength requirements.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 4 crashes, 8 fires, 6 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 8 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 9 |
| 2004 | 3 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 10 |
| 2009 | 10 |
| 2010 | 8 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 7 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 88 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 10 | 11% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 7 | 8.0% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 5.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 4 | 4.5% | – | |
| Heated seat overheats and burns occupants | 4 | 4.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 4 | 4.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 3.4% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 3 | 3.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #01V290000September 10, 2001870 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: upper arm
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The left front upper control arm may not meet the specified strength requirements.
The control arm could fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the left front upper control arm. Owner notification began september 29, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact mercedes-benz at 1-800-367-6372.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN