Friday, August 7, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350 problems & reliability

52 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.

Owner complaints
52
Recall campaigns
5
Fire reports
0 (0%)
Crash reports
10 (19%)

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.

NCAP overall rating
Not rated
NHTSA 5-star program
EPA fuel economy
20 MPG combined
City 18 · highway 23 (typical trim)
Service bulletins (TSBs)
116
Manufacturer communications on file
Defect investigations
0
NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).

Most reported problems

ComponentComplaints
Engine11
Unknown OR Other9
Power Train7
Service Brakes6
Electrical System4
Fuel/propulsion System4
Fuel System, Diesel4
Fuel System, Gasoline4
Steering4
Structure4

Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

Common symptoms owners describe

Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.

Mileage when problems occurred

Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 19,550 miles (middle 50% between 8,425 and 73,068 miles), based on 26 complaints that included mileage.

under 20k
14
20–40k
2
40–60k
1
60–80k
4
80–100k
1
100–150k
4
150k+
0

Complaints by incident year

14
15
16
17
18
19
21
22
23
24
25
26

What owners report

  • The failed/malfunctioning component appears to be the fuel pump controller / fuel pump control unit, and possibly the fuel pump system. The Mercedes-Benz dealer identified water/moisture-related damage and corrosion at the fuel pump controller area. The failed component should be available for inspection if the dealer…

    Fuel/propulsion System · filed May 22, 2026

  • In July 2025, the sunroof panel had lifes and was flapping at highway speeds. I immediately contacted a Mercedes-Benz dealer to report the hazard. I was told they were unaware of such an issue and that I would have to pay for the repair out-of-pocket. Due to financial hardship, I could not afford the repair at that…

    Unknown OR Other · filed Feb 20, 2026

  • In mid-trip as we were going down the highway went to change lanes and the turn signals were no longer functioning. No errors, no alerts, no warnings they just stopped working. After pulling over and turning off the vehicle and turning back on they work for a time then stop working again. After researching with other…

    Lane Departure · filed Jan 19, 2026

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Technical service bulletins

116 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350. 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 Creaking noise, in irregular sequence when driving slowly in combination with slight steering movements and/or Creaking/crackling noises from the area of the wheel bearing on the front axle when cornering/…

    LI33.20-P-078406 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 7, 2026

  • Complaint After successful commissioning of the HERMES control unit (N112/9) with XENTRY Diagnosis DVD 03/2026, the message "SOS - service not activated" appears on the instrument cluster. In addition, the following two…

    LI82.85-P-080507 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2026

  • Dear Mercedes-Benz USA Dealers, The part numbers listed in the chart below should no longer be installed, and any existing stock must be returned to your facing PDC. The deadline for all dealer returns is no later than…

    PSL-NCU Return Parts 5/22 · Other · issued May 22, 2026

  • The part numbers listed in the chart below should no longer be installed, and any existing stock must be returned to your facing PDC. The deadline for all dealer returns is no later than Thursday, June 4, 2026. After…

    PSL-NCU Return Parts 5/15 · Other · issued May 15, 2026

  • Complaint Creaking noise, in irregular sequence when driving slowly in combination with slight steering movements and/or Creaking/crackling noises from the area of the wheel bearing on the front axle when cornering/…

    LI33.20-P-078406 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 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 Mar 9, 2026

  • 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-078307 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 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

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 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350 has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350?

  • · 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 19,550 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.
About this data. Complaint figures come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database and count unique complaints (one per NHTSA case number). Complaints are submitted by vehicle owners and are not independently verified; complaint volume also reflects how many of these vehicles are on the road. Recall data comes from the official NHTSA recall database. This page is not affiliated with Mercedes-Benz or NHTSA.