Most common 2006 Mercedes-Benz M Class problems
Share of the 14 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercedes-Benz M Class complaints by model year
Best M Class years: 2008, 2007, 1998. Years to avoid: 2000, 2006. Compare all years →
2006 Mercedes-Benz M Class recalls (2)
Electrical system
Mercedes-Benz is recalling my 2006-2008 m-class, r-class, my 2005-2009 slk-class, my 2005-2008 c-class, my 2003-2004 and 2006-2008 clk-class, my 2003-2008 e-class, my 2004 and 2008 cl-class, my 2008 cls-class, my 2004 and 2007-2008 s-class, my 2003 g-class, and my 2003-2004, 2006 and 2009 sl-class vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will recode the scn free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2008. Owners May contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.
Steering › Hydraulic power assist system
On certain passenger vehicles, a hose clamp that secures the power steering fluid cooling hose to the power steering fluid cooler May not provide sufficient clamping force for this connection.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the power steering hose clamp free of charge. The recall began on May 17, 2005. Owners May contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.
What 2006 Mercedes-Benz M Class owners say
Engine & cooling
After driven the new 2006 ml350 for 3500 miles, the low engine oil indicator come up. Took the car to service, and found the car is leaking engine oil in multiple places. It took 1 week to fix the leak between transmission and engine. Then they need to order parts to fix second leak in oil pan. After the part arrived, I took the car to be fixed. After 3 days without any call, I called to find out the status. Now, they said one of the engine cylinder is leaking engine oil and need several more days to fix. It is unknown to me if this engine will have other issues or not after fixing all those oil leaks. The second problem is the automatic transmission sometime suddenly down-shift at low speed. The service manager said this is fixed by reprogram the transmission computer/flash. However, I have not have chance/time to test it out to see if the problem is really fixed.
SUV engine stalled 7/3/2005 going 65 MPH without warning; SUV restarted after stall. SUV engine stalled again 7/22/2005 going 45 MPH without warning; SUV did not restart after stall. Towed to dealer. The dealer found nothing wrong with vehicle and said cause was water that spilled during the incident however water spilled because of incident not before. SUV had stalled 3 weeks prior and no water was involved. I am scared to drive this vehicle for fear it will stall and I will get hit from behind causing bodily injury or death. Please help if you can. Thank you.
Transmission & drivetrain
2006 ml350 transmission failure: while exiting from interstate, I notice that the car was jerking/knocking when I was slowing down. A couple of miles on the surface streets at 30-40 MPH I noticed that the jerking became worse and finally the car went into neutral gear without any power delivered to the engine. The car stopped on the middle of the road. Later that evening I got it towed to the dealership and was informed that the transmission was blown out and need to be rebuilt or replaced with an ~$8000 bill. The car has 58K miles with all service records and not missing a single service. I am told that this is out of the warranty zone. I found that there is a transmission issue in most of ml3500 for 2006 models. I think that I am being ripped off and the Mercedes should fix this via recall.
Two problems - first, transmission do not switch higher than second speed. Upon engine restart, vehicle drove properly. Second, on another occasion, I was sitting at a traffic light and when I attempted to pull off, the vehicle started driving very slow and rough. I pulled to the side of the road; turned off the engine and waited for a few seconds. When I started the vehicle again and attempted to drive away, the vehicle drove properly. Mercedes dealership is aware of these issues, and also many of people I know who have Mercedes with same transmission type - valve body/electric plate needs to be replaced in auto transmission.
Steering
I have same problem with my car and my model is not effected with this recall recall number: 05V224000 dates manufactured: jan 0001 to jan 0001 number of vehicles affected: 7191 date owners notified on: jan 0001 on certain passenger vehicles, a hose clamp that secures the power steering fluid cooling hose to the power steering fluid cooler May not provide sufficient clamping force for this connection. Consequence of defect: a loss of power steering fluid can damage the power steering pump and May result in diminished power assist for steering which could lead to a crash. Corrective action: dealers will replace the power steering hose clamp free of charge. The recall began on May 17, 2005. Owners May contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367.
The vehicle safety systems failures are detailed below: dot safety recall for power steering clamp repaired by mbm in July catastrophic failure of power steering system occurred ~ 2 weeks later while rounding a corner with 4 other family members, barely avoided a head-on collision. Vehicle towed to mbm for repairs. I indicated to the service rep that I was also experiencing abrupt shifting. A promise by national service center of clean up of garage and drive from ps fluid did not occur. Power washing and 4 hours and $50 in cleaners were needed to complete the clean up. Mbm indicted permanent repairs would be made at a later date, and I would be called when a new part arrived. No such call or contact for the third safety systems service was ever received. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Mercedes-Benz M Class a good car?
Based on 14 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 M Class rates use caution: 2.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the M Class at the same age. It is one of the M Class years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Mercedes-Benz M Class?
The engine & cooling — 4 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (4) and steering (3).
How many recalls does the 2006 Mercedes-Benz M Class have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz M Class, the most recent from July 7, 2008 (electrical system). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mercedes-Benz M Class?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2008, 2007 and 1998. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2000 and 2006. See the full Mercedes-Benz M Class years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Mercedes-Benz M Class problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 4,000 miles; 55% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.