2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 problems & reliability
88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 24 | 27% |
| Electrical System | 19 | 22% |
| Service Brakes | 15 | 17% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 13% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 10 | 11% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 6% |
| Seats | 5 | 6% |
| Suspension | 5 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 90,000 miles (middle 50% between 64,571 and 124,000 miles), based on 63 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the driver’s side front wheel independently braked. The contact stated he had not depressed the brake pedal but heard an abnormal sound from the tire screeching as the wheel had stopped rolling. The contact stated…”
Wheels · filed May 3, 2024
“The car brakes suddenly by itself just after the ESB/ABS lights come on along with an exclamation point (!). This has happened randomly at least 4 times since we purchased the car. Once at high speeds on the highway. It appears this problem is common with other owners of Mercedes 2001-2002 ML's. According to the…”
Forward Collision Avoidance · filed Apr 30, 2022
“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”
Service Brakes · filed Jan 11, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Brake lamp switch failure.
Preliminary Evaluation PE10050 · opened Dec 21, 2010 · closed May 4, 2011 · led to recall 11V208000
Technical service bulletins
52 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320. The 10 most recent:
Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The noise is heard once in each instance when changing direction of travel. Note: Sound file in attachment Cause…
LI35.30-P-058566 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2026
Complaint Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged. Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 16, 2026
Complaint Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the headlamp…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
Complaint Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The clunk is heard once when changing from forward to reverse (and vice versa). Note: Sound file in…
LI33.30-P-056665 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 15, 2025
Complaint Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The clunk is heard once when changing from forward to reverse (and vice versa). Note: Sound file in…
LI33.30-P-056665 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2025
Complaint Headlamps leaking or fogged Cause The fogging of the headlamp is a natural phenomenon which can occur under certain climatic conditions. In contrast to a leaky headlamp, physical fogging does not result in a…
LI82.10-P-078896 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 28, 2025
Complaint Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the headlamp…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 28, 2025
Complaint Vehicle with atypical reduced heat output. Cause Silicate granulate may have escaped from a damaged bag in the expansion reservoir (not visible), reducing the coolant flow in the heater heat exchanger (see…
LI83.20-P-051802 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2025
Complaint During a phone call, the called party has difficulty understanding/cannot understand the driver, or interference/background noises are audible to the called party during a call. It becomes increasingly…
LI82.70-P-077433 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 5, 2025
Complaint Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The clunk is heard once when changing from forward to reverse (and vice versa). Cause If the complaint…
LI33.30-P-056665 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 90,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.