Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Mercedes-Benz ML320 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Takata recall I just bought a 2000 Mercedes ml 320. My ac stopped working and took it to a Mercedes certified mechanic. Told me it was a pressure sensor. He then called me back and told me that the wiring harness had fallen apart and all wires were touching each other making shorts thru out the car. He told me that the shorts had fried my computer and the only way to fix all this was to replace the wiring harness. At almost $2000.00 for the repair it seems that Mercedes intentionally did this to make money. They should be held accountable to repair this issue as they did it so the wiring harness would bio degrade when the car was junked. Not a good practice to sell cars in the united states.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Mercedes-Benz ML320. When the contact attempted to roll down both passenger side windows, they failed to roll down. The headlights and instrument panel lights failed to illuminate. The ABS, brake failure switch, and ESP warning lights illuminated. When using the power steering to attempt to turn the vehicle, the warning light illuminated, indicating a malfunction of the power steering. The vehicle hesitated before completing the turn. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Mercedes Benz ML320. While parked, the contact noticed flames coming from under the hood. The fire department was called and arrived at the scene to assist. The fire department advised that the fire originated from under the hood on the front driver side of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and deemed as having been destroyed. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000. Updated 04/19/12 updated 04/25/12
I bought this vehicle from the auction in algona named whitey's public auto auction and that very day I had to put power steering fluid in because there was a leak and it was difficult to turn. I've had the power steering pump replaced and it continues to leak. I got on the internet and started to research and found out about the recall.
Vehicle was always being serviced and the air bags failed to deploy in a severe accident. The consumer was struck by another driver and caused damage on both sides of the vehicle. Both sides of the doors were smashed and there was extensive damage in the passenger's cabin. Other problems are as followed: the engine light was on, engine low level oil light had come on, when the right front and left rear windows were erratic when going down, the cigarette lighter was inoperative, the rear cargo accessory plug was inoperative, the trim on the left side of the left front seat cracked, there was a buldge on the right rear tire, lug bolts were missing on the right rear wheel and the rear pads needed to be replaced, there was a noise heard in the rear when going over bumps, the power supply plug in the rear cargo area was inoperative, the light behind the climate control panel was inoperative, …
First incident in August 2012 driving 20-30 MPH just got on hwy and car suddenly slammed on brakes. Could not go over 1000rpm without brakes engaging but fortunately a policeman who witnessed this escorted us to safety on single lane hwy very dangerous. Replaced yaw rate sensor for $1000. Now it is doing the same thing again 2/27/13 and is undrivable. Most likely facing another replacement of yaw rate sensor for another $1000 that only lasted 6 months last time. There are hundreds of these same stories online and ridiculous that Mercedes Benz with its classy reputation would not recall such a potentially dangerous issue. How many people have to be injured to justify a recall?! I do not feel safe driving my 2 year old daughter anymore and still owe on this hunk of junk so I am stuck.
My 2000 ml with 47K miles suddenly locked on the brakes. The ESP light had been showing on very rare occasions for 2 months. I had three instances of sudden lock-up of one or more tires before the dealer found that the "yaw sensor" had failed. All instances were at low cruise 30-40 MPH with perfect conditions without the ESP light showing. Some how I avoided accidents but this is very dangerous. The ESP took control of the brakes and applied braking to one or more wheels in an attempt to bring the truck under control. The car was in perfect control traveling in a straight line but the erroneous sensor information caused it to apply the brakes without warning.
Dt: caller has had vehicle in 6 times for check engine light/spark plugs being corroded/loose wheel bearing/control module went out/for shaking and sputtering at idle, and the electric function check. Manufacturer has not been contacted yet.
While driving the vehicle consumer experience engine . The dealer has been notified. It was determined that the weight of the keys caused the ignition to fail which resulted in the vehicle stalling.
My 2000 ML320 with 53000 miles had suddenly showed check engine light while I was driving it on the highway at ~65 MPH. I exit and as I slowed I could sense the engine was running very rough with shake and strong vibration. Then as I stopped the car at the red light at the exit, the car idled very rough and lots of vibration and then the engine stalled (and shut off). I immediately turned the key to the off position and turned the key back on and the car re-started no problems. The engine idle now only feels slightly rough but idle sound is noticeably slightly louder than before. I took the car to the Mercedes Benz dealer (san diego) that same day and described to them exactly what occurred. The next day they diagnosed it as spark plug failure and spark plug wire failure of cylinder #2 and possibly #4. They recommend replacing all 12 spark plugs and their module and wires. …
Electrical complaints in other ML320 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2000 Mercedes-Benz ML320?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the electrical system of the 2000 Mercedes-Benz ML320, 12% of the model year's 166 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Mercedes-Benz ML320 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz ML320. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Mercedes-Benz ML320 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 2 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.