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Mercedes-Benz ML320Model year report

2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 Problems

Complaints
88filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
89,670miles, 65 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
15 mpgcombined, 3.2L 6-cyl 4WD/AWD · 14 city / 17 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this ML320 most often describe the front brakes applying on their own, usually accompanied by the ESP, BAS or ABS warning lights, and power steering fluid leaking away until the wheel becomes hard to turn. A second cluster of complaints describes the cruise control not releasing when the brake pedal is pressed, or the engine speeding up without input. These reports are spread across a wide mileage range, from near-new vehicles to well past 150,000 miles, and many owners say the dealer replaced sensors or a switch without ending the recurrence.

  1. Brakes

    Front brakes apply by themselves (ESP/ABS lights)

    • 25 complaints (28%)
    • median 96,500 mi at 11.9 yrs old (20 state mileage)
    • filed 2003–2024

    Complaints describe a front wheel braking on its own, sometimes pulling the vehicle toward one side, with the ESP, BAS or ABS warning light coming on at the same time. Owners report the brake pedal sometimes goes to the floor or that braking has no effect while the system is engaged, and several say the vehicle had to be shut off and restarted before it would drive normally again. Dealers are said to have replaced brake sensors, the brake light switch or diagnosed a failed yaw rate sensor, and in several cases owners say the symptom returned afterward. Reported from roughly 20,000 miles up past 200,000, at both low and highway speeds and in varied weather.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the yaw rate sensor, brake light switch or brake sensors have been replaced and whether the ESP or BAS lamp has come on during a test drive. Confirm that no warning light stays lit after the ignition check sequence.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving on the highway at 60mph the vehicle started shaking violently. The brakes started engaging on their own pulling the car to the left and right and nearly bringing the car to a sudden stop. It took a lot of effort to keep the vehicle from pulling into the other lanes and causing an accident. The bas/esp light came on the dash and has stayed on now. This all lasted for about 10 seconds. I was in the 3rd lane of a 4 lane highway during moderate traffic. I was almost rear ended by two different vehicles. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10587996, filed 2014-05, 149,000 miles

    “The anti-lock braking system would engage without driver activation. The bas/esp light would come on without any reason either. One day I was on the freeway when it happened and suddenly the breaks were engaged at 73 MPH when I was on the fast lane and other vehicles following at about the same speed. My leg was on the accelerator gassing to continue, but the anti-lock braking system forced the car to almost a stop - about 10mph, before the breaks disengaged and the car continued to move (that is accelerate again). …”

    NHTSA complaint #10502267, filed 2013-03, 69,000 miles
  2. Steering

    Power steering fluid leaks and assist is lost

    • 21 complaints (24%)
    • median 79,000 mi at 8.4 yrs old (15 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2003–2017

    Owners describe the steering suddenly becoming very heavy, often at low speed during a turn, and finding power steering fluid on the ground or sprayed around the engine bay. The leaks are traced in the complaints to the hose and clamp at the cooler connection and to the pump-to-reservoir area. Several owners mention a prior recall or extended warranty repair on the hose, and some say the dealer told them a related seal was not covered. Spread from very low mileage up to about 154,000 miles, with most reports between roughly 60,000 and 155,000 miles.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the power steering fluid level and look for wetness or residue at the hose clamp near the cooler and around the pump and reservoir. Ask whether the hose and clamp update described in the service bulletin has been applied.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My power steering went out after making a slow, 180 degree turn when exiting a car wash--I was turning into the street when I noticed it. I was told the vehicle had been recalled to replace the power steering part. I never received a recall notice (that I can remember) and I have had the car in for service and this was not pointed out. The situation could have cause an accident if there had been traffic coming in either lane. I had three kids in the car with me.”

    NHTSA complaint #10016473, filed 2003-04, 19,475 miles

    “Lower power steering hose clamp had released and allowed the power steering fluid to discharge to the ground. This loss of fluid disabled the power steering rendering the car almost impossible to control without strong steering input. My wife had to call for me to drive the car home. The hose failed upon startup, thus preventing an accident. The unit was repaired at no cost under bulletin #t-b.46.30/13a. This bulletin extended the warranty to 100,000 miles for this part. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10216023, filed 2008-01, 64,141 miles
  3. Vehicle speed control

    Cruise control will not release; engine speeds up on its own

    • 14 complaints (16%)
    • median 88,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (13 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2003–2018

    Complaints describe the vehicle accelerating beyond the set speed or speeding up with no pedal input, and the brake pedal failing to cancel the cruise control. Owners say they had to shift into neutral, use the parking brake or shut the engine off to regain control. Some report the dealer replaced the accelerator pedal or cruise control components, and others describe the opposite symptom, a sudden loss of power when the pedal is pressed. Mostly reported between about 35,000 and 120,000 miles, often during steady highway driving with cruise engaged.

    What to check: On a test drive, set the cruise control briefly and confirm that tapping the brake cancels it immediately. Ask whether the accelerator pedal sensor or cruise control components have been replaced and whether a warning light has ever appeared with the symptom.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “To whom it may concern, I had a near death experience while driving one of your vehicles. I am the owner of a mercedes 2002 ML320, which was purchased at a phillips mercedes dealership in virginia beach va. I need to address a very serious incident that occurred over the weekend (december 18, 2010). …”

    NHTSA complaint #10375310, filed 2011-01, 112,000 miles

    “My 2002 ML320 cluster display lights on my dash all light up, the check engine light comes on, the speedometer stops working actually goes to zero. Once the car comes to a complete stop it accelerates very slowly and will not shift out of first gear. This is very frightening for someone in traffic and this happens without warning. Please investigate this issue before someone is rear ended and dies.”

    NHTSA complaint #10503370, filed 2013-03, 120,000 miles
  4. Electrical system

    Dashboard lights, fuse and no-start electrical faults

    • 12 complaints (14%)
    • median 65,000 mi at 6.2 yrs old (10 state mileage)
    • filed 2003–2016

    Owners describe the instrument panel lighting up with multiple warning lamps, the speedometer dropping to zero, and the vehicle sometimes stalling or refusing to shift. Repeated blown fuses are reported, with dealers replacing a fuse and the fault coming back days later. Other complaints describe a start error message when the drive authorization system will not recognize the key, and odometer or radio failures. Reported from about 20,000 to 200,000 miles, appearing without warning at ordinary driving speeds.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Cycle the ignition and watch that all warning lamps go out, and check that the odometer and speedometer read correctly. Ask whether the control unit or fuse faults have been investigated and whether the vehicle has had repeated battery or starting problems.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Odometer failure. Called expecting warranty was 8 years 80000 miles to be told was not covered at dealership. Wondered why some cars were covered with unlimited mileage which makes sense because odometer is vial information for the life of the car. Should be required to maintain during the life of the car.”

    NHTSA complaint #10178453, filed 2007-01, 67,000 miles

    “Vehicle's drive authorization system fails to recognize key resulting in a 'start error' displaying on dash and vehicle will not start. This item can only be replaced by the dealer and is a known defect by mercedes benz. The dash control unit is part # a163 545 28 32 and is replaced by a modified version a163 545 07 06. Mercedes requires owners to bear full financial responsibility for this repair, even though it is a known defect which can result in stalls and no start situation, potentially putting the driver and passengers in danger. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10250462, filed 2008-12, 95,000 miles
  5. Electrical system

    Fire from the engine bay or electrical parts

    • 5 complaints (6%)
    • median 76,000 mi at 7.7 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2009–2011

    A small number of complaints describe smoke and flames from the engine bay or from electrical components, including one report of fire at the side mirror and another of flames appearing near the glovebox area. Owners describe pulling over after a burning smell, and in two cases the vehicle was a total loss. No dealer diagnosis or remedy is described in these reports. Reported between roughly 74,000 and 128,000 miles, in one case shortly after a service visit.

    What to check: Look for scorched wiring, melted connectors or a burnt smell in the engine bay and around the fuse box, and ask whether any electrical repairs or fire damage have been recorded for the vehicle.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving at 40-45 MPH when I noticed an orange glow under the passenger side mirror. Within a few seconds the light turned yellow, and suddenly I noticed flames are shooting out of the side mirror along with thick black smoke. I immediately turned into a gas station and put off the fire with water hose. I was afraid of the fire to get inside the car.”

    NHTSA complaint #10267033, filed 2009-04, 74,500 miles

    “Ml 320 got in fire itself suddenly start at the left front side of the engine,I was driving my car for 5 min on fwy, when a car next line honk on me and yelled me my car has fire under the engine after that try to stop and the brake pedal did not work I have to stop the car with the parking brake and run away from the vehicle.”

    NHTSA complaint #10359922, filed 2010-10, 128,000 miles

Buying note. This model year draws repeated complaints about brakes that engage on their own and power steering that loses fluid, so a careful test drive and a look for warning lamps matter more than cosmetics. Ask for service records covering the brake sensors, brake light switch and power steering hose, and budget for diagnosis if any of those symptoms appear.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 88 consumer complaints for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320. 65 of the complaints include a mileage, and 23% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 89,670 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 8 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 53 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (4), Engine (3), Wheels (3), Air bags (2), Fuel system (2), Latches, locks and linkages (2), Body and structure (2), Transmission and drivetrain (2), Forward collision avoidance (1), Interior lighting (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “I was driving on a busy intersection in my 2002 mercedes benz ML320 when driving the yellow triangle in the speedometer starts to flash and all the breaks lock up, this is followed by a stall, thankfully I was able to pull off to the side of the road without being hit. After doing some research I discovered that many mercedes ML320 owners were having this same problem. Specifically the yaw rate sensor. This is a serious life threatening issue that can injure or worse yet kill someone. You guys need to do a recall before someone dies!”

NHTSA complaint #11057753, filed 2017-12, 106,500 miles

Steering: “I was pulling away from the curb, steering wheel started making whining noises and harder to turn. I continued on city streets then to a freeway where my car began to overheat. I pulled over at a gas station opened the hood and could see fluid all over right lower driver side. It seemed to be coming from a hose by the power steering cap and the right side of the radiator. Under the car same spot right passenger side I could see power steering and radiator coolant leaking from that area.”

NHTSA complaint #10966233, filed 2017-03, 200,000 miles

Electrical system: “Fuse box some has power some not. Front left wheel making this noise and stops after 25 miles per hour radio volume low when ignition key is on position 3 when key it's in the position 2 laud volume when key is not in I can turn on the stereo”

NHTSA complaint #11298583, filed 2020-01, 203,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “[mercedes benz ml 320 2002] while driving east on route 80 at 65 MPH and approaching the toll booths of the george washington bridge, I tapped my brakes to disengage my speed control. The speed control did not shut down. I hit the brake pedal several more times harder and harder, but the speed control stayed in control. I pushed down very hard on the brake pedal with both feet and although the car slowed a little, the speed control dramatically speeded up the engine with the tachometer going almost full scale. …”

NHTSA complaint #10330616, filed 2010-05, 118,206 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

23% of the 65 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 63,000 and 120,000 miles.

8%0–108%10–258%25–5017%50–7517%75–10031%100–15012%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (65 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 89,670 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’04’071010’10’13’16’19’24
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
ML320 4WD/AWD3.2L 6-cyl5-speed automatic141715$5,500

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 53 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 53 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercedes-Benz ML320

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20092854,0003——Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Falling
20082194,5002—21—Falling
20071643,0002—21—Falling
200555,0000———Not enough data
20032251,7230—15—Stable
20028889,6701—15Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200113687,8000—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200016677,0000—16Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199912571,5000—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199813379,2790—17Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Mercedes-Benz ML320 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320?

Owners of this ML320 most often describe the front brakes applying on their own, usually accompanied by the ESP, BAS or ABS warning lights, and power steering fluid leaking away until the wheel becomes hard to turn. The issues reported most often: Front brakes apply by themselves (ESP/ABS lights); Power steering fluid leaks and assist is lost; Cruise control will not release; engine speeds up on its own.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 have?

NHTSA recorded 88 consumer complaints for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 25 complaints (28% of the total), followed by steering with 24.

Has the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 get?

The EPA rates the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 (ML320, 3.2L 6-cyl) at 15 mpg combined, 14 city and 17 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $5,500 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 reported?

Among the 65 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 89,670 miles and the middle half falls between 63,000 and 120,000 miles; 23% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.