2001 Mercedes-Benz ML430 Electronic stability control Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 16%of 44 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 125,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the electronic stability control of the 2001 Mercedes-Benz ML430, 16% of the 44 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 125,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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?”
NHTSA complaint #10715649, filed 2015-05, 153,100 miles“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #11035778, filed 2017-10, 125,000 miles“Safety concern - yesterday while traveling at 65mph locked on cruise control, the cruise control failed to disengage when the brake pedal was pressed. Instead, upon releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle began accelerating back to 65mph and almost caused me to ran into the truck in front of me. I slammed on the brakes to bring the car to a stop to avoid rear ending the car in front of me, at which time the bas/esp light came on. Again, the cruise failed to disengage since I could feel the car dragging while the brake pedal was pushed down. …”
NHTSA complaint #10332201, filed 2010-05, 86,000 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11022910, filed 2017-09, 170,000 miles“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #10991966, filed 2017-05Electronic stability control: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 7 | 16% |
| 2000 | 6 | 13% |
Other parts of the 2001 Mercedes-Benz ML430
23 complaintsElectrical system
6 complaintsVehicle speed control
6 complaintsSteering
5 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsFuel system
2 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
2 complaintsEngine
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz ML430
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology