2001 Mercedes Benz ML430 Recalls & Complaints

Incident: August 24, 2022 · Filed: January 20, 2025

Was driving 50 miles per hour when the car slammed on the brakes, nearly getting me rear ended. The throttle would not respond until the car was doing maybe5 miles per hour - on an interstate! The BAS/ESP light was on solid. I got onto an off ramp, called the dealer, was told it could be several causes, drove home carefully, and took it to the dealer. The dealer found nothing. Several times since, the car was being driven at speeds in the 20-30 miles per hour range, and the system would slam on the brakes and pull hard to the left. I could smell the brake dust in the car. Other times, it will ALMOST engage (ESP light flashes as well) then backs off.

Incident: October 14, 2017 · Filed: October 23, 2017

RE: 2001 MB ML430 ELECTRONIC BRAKING SENSOR THE FRONT PASSENGER BRAKE INITIALLY LOCKED UP AT LOW SPEED UPON ACCELERATION. AFTER STOPPING AND TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON THE SYSTEM WAS BACK TO NORMAL. THEN ONE DAY I WAS TRAVELING AT NEAR 70 MPH IN THE PASSING LANE OF AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THE FRONT DRIVER BRAKE LOCKED UP AND BRAKE TIRE SMOKE BILLOWED FROM MY VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED TRAFFIC BEHIND ME TO SWERVE AND BRAKE BEHIND AND ON THE SIDE OF ME. I PROCEEDED TO PULL OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED MY VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON, AFTER WHICH MY VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. I PROCEEDED TO DO AN ONLINE SEARCH AND LEARNED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON SORT OF PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL.. PARTICULARLY AT LOW SPEEDS. IN MY CASE IT HAPPENED AT LOW SPEEDS AND THEN THE ONE TIME AT 70 MPH. I LEARNED THAT THE YAW SENSOR WHICH IS PART OF THE ABS SYSTEM WAS COMMONLY REPORTED AS THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.. I PROCEEDED TO DISCONNECT THE YAW SENSOR AND HAVE HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. I AM FORTUNATE THAT IT WAS NOT A RAINY DAY, OTHERWISE THE RESULTS MAY HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC WITH SO MANY VEHICLES BEHIND ME AND TRAVELING AT SUCH A HIGH SPEED. THEYAW SENSOR MB PART # IS A 002 542 94 18 Q01 SYSTRON DONNER INERTIA DIVISION USA

Incident: September 10, 2017 · Filed: September 12, 2017

TWICE NOW WHILE DRIVING AND GOING OVER MINOR BUMPS (DOTS ON THE ROAD TO WARN OF CROSSWALKS AND A DRIVEWAY ENTRANCE CURB) THE BAS/ESP AND HAZARD LIGHTS HAVE COME ON AND THE CAR HAS AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED VIOLENT BREAKING THAT TOOK CONTROL OF THE DIRECTION THE CAR WAS HEADING. THIS BREAKING CONTINUED UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. BOTH TIMES THE CAR WAS GOING LESS THAN 20 MPH, BUT CONTROL OF THE CAR WAS LIMITED DURING THE EVENT. AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, IT WOULD BE VERY LIKELY TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. BAS/ESP LIGHT TURNS OFF AFTER THE CAR IS TURNED OFF.

Incident: May 7, 2017 · Filed: July 16, 2017

VEHICLE'S FRONT WHEEL BRAKES BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING AND THE EPS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AFTERWARDS. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN HIGHWAY DRIVING. HAD THE BRAKES CHECKED, BUT NOTHING WRONG. ONLINE COMPLAINTS SUGGESTS A FAILURE IN YAW RATE SENSOR.

Incident: May 17, 2017 · Filed: May 28, 2017

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, GOING ABOUT 60 MPH, AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STARTED APPLYING THE BRAKES ON ITS OWN. NEARLY GOT ME INTO AN ACCIDENT. I WAS ABLE TO GET OVER TO THE SHOULDER LUCKILY. I HAD MY TODDLER IN THE CAR AND IT WAS A VERY SCARY THING. WHEN THE BRAKES STARTED ENGAGING BY ITSELF, A YELLOW TRIANGLE WARNING LIGHT DISPLAYED ON THE DASH FOLLOWED BY THE BAS/ESP LIGHT AFTER THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I HAVE SEEN OTHERS THAT HAVE HAD THIS VERY SAME ISSUE AND SEEMS TO BE THE YAW RATE SENSOR. I AM SHOCKED THIS HASN'T BEEN RECALLED WITH ALL THE ISSUES I'VE READ ON THIS. I BARELY JUST BOUGHT THE CAR AND IT'S ALREADY NOT DRIVABLE. VERY HUGE SAFETY ISSUE.

Incident: December 6, 2016 · Filed: December 9, 2016

THE ALL ACTIVITY MODULE (AAM) DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY TO WHICH NEITHER SIDE MIRRORS CAN BE ADJUSTED BECAUSE THE WINDOWS NO GO UP AND DOWN OR LONGER OPERATE. THEN THE DOOR LOCKS NO LONGER FUNCTIONS AND VARIOUS OTHER COMPONENTS RELY SOLELY OFF OF THIS MIDDLE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID THERE IS A MALFUNCTION IN THE AAM CONTROLS WHICH ARE THE CAUSING AFFECT OF THIS ISSUE.

Incident: May 1, 2013 · Filed: September 28, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FOBIK UTILIZED AND THE LOCKS BEGAN TO LOCK AND UNLOCK SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL IT EVENTUALLY STOPPED AND UNLOCKED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE DOOR LOCK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, LOCKED AND UNLOCK SEVERAL TIMES WHEN THE FOBIK WAS UTILIZED TO LOCK THE DOOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE LOCKED MANUALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME THE FOBIK OR DOOR LOCK WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALL ACTIVITY MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 01V061000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000.

Incident: February 5, 2015 · Filed: September 10, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE AND THE BAS ESP WARNING LIGHTS FLICKERED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, THE BRAKES ENGAGED AND THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE. IN ADDITION, THE ELECTRIC POWER DOOR LOCK FUNCTION WAS MAKING AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE A/C LINE FRACTURED AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS PLASTIC PIECE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V208000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 186,675. UPDATED 11/23/15*LJ THE CONSUMER FIXED THE VEHICLE AT HIS/HER EXPENSE. UPDATED 01/29/16.*JB

Incident: August 3, 2015 · Filed: August 5, 2015

2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML 430. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE BRAKE PEDAL ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE PEDAL LOST PRESSURE DUE TO THE FUEL TUBE COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE BRAKE LINE. THE BRAKE LINE WAS LEAKING FLUID.*JB

Incident: May 10, 2015 · Filed: May 11, 2015

I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 285 EAST AT A SPEED OF 70MPH SUDDENLY THE THE BAS/ESP WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED BRAKES AND THE CAR COULDN'T RUN. SO I TURNED OF THE ENGINE AND STARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND EVERYTHING WENT BACK TO NORMAL EXCEPT THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING AND BAS/ESP WARING LIGHTS ARE STILL ON BUT THE CAR IS RUNNING. HOW DO I FIX THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE BAS/ESP WARNING LIGHTS?