Traction Control complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (electronic stability control and traction control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
On numerous occasions occurring in different conditions regarding speed, weather, road conditions, etc., I have had the vehicle pull hard to the right while engaging the front brakes, both while turning the vehicle and on straightaways. When this occurs, the triangle hazard light and ESP lights start flashing. Most often I have been able to pull off to the side of the road, thankfully safely, or on one occasion stop in the middle of the road as the car wouldn't allow me to continue driving which was incredibly dangerous and scary. I have taken it to the dealership who replaced the front brake sensors, which didn't fix the problem, and returned to have them again diagnose the issue and declined their recommendations such as replacing the back brake sensors, until I came upon the repeated issues of the stability sensors failing (specifically the yaw sensor). …
On multiple occasions and numerous different speeds, weather, both driving on a straightaway or turning, and other road conditions, the front brakes have locked up on the car causing it to veer right while engaging the brakes. Most often I have had to pull over, thankfully safely, or on one occasion, stop in the middle of the road to turn the car off to be able to continue driving which is incredibly dangerous and scary. I've taken it to the dealership and they had me replace the brake sensors which were obviously not the problem and then recommended other replacements, since the problem continued, that I declined until I found that this was a common problem with the stability sensors in this vehicle (specifically the yaw sensor). I'm amazed this is not a recall situation and that no one has been seriously injured or killed due to this problem.
My name is [redacted] and I just had a small accident on June 08th, 2010 in phoenix az. It involved my 2001 Mercedes Benz ML320. Facts: on June 8th, 2010 I was traveling at approximately 50 MPH on the freeway (hov lane) when the front right wheel locked. The brakes just engaged without warning and or me activating them. Luckily I the person behind me was able to swerve to avoid me but still clipped the left side of my rear bumper. I believe I'm lucky I did not caused or sustained any serious injury. I took the car to a local Mercedes Benz dealer for service and they told me it could be many things wrong. Mb knows about the problem with the mb ML320's year 1998-2001. The gentlemen @ mb told me that but they will not take any responsibility. He instructed me not to drive the vehicle in the current condition. …
Same story as I've seen thousands of times on the internet and you claim not enough occurrences! I'm on the interstate, going 70 MPH. Weather is good, traffic is light (thank god!) and my breaks slam on. The ABS system kicks in, so I'm able to get over to the shoulder before being rear ended. The triangle warning lamp is lit and the bas / ESP lamp is lit. I try turning the car off and back on, lights go out, I move forward, get up to about 20 MPH and the breaks slam on again. I shut the car off for about 15 minutes while I got out and was investigating the tires and breaks. Get back in, start the vehicle and drive another 45 minutes. Get into town, driving about 25 MPH and they slam on again. I'm able to limp home with the ABS going on and off. I park it for the night. Next day I do some research and see there are thousands of similar complaints. …
As I noticed in other complaints they all focus in the power steering issues, fuel / oil leaks and loss, ESP option , electrical mail functions that relate with the ECU, problem with the shifter. All these are safety concerns since all the above problems can cause an accident . I have the same problems in my car and it is really difficult to operate the vehicle. The power steering is not working as the car is not in speed motion unless you use strength to turn the wheel , the ESP is not working at all , the shifter is not changing to drive unless you override it and that's the only way to start it and the fuel along with the oil is leaking and all the fluids are disappearing in no time . All these are safety hazards and not just a simple problem . …
Was driving truck at highway, when brakes activated by itself, ABS, traction light, brake lamp and hazards flashed. Had to immediately move to side of road, while brakes where activating. Felt as if ABS was activating as if I was sliding on and icy road. Had to have vehicle towed as I was not able to move more that 5 feet
The yaw rate sensor is causing the car to unintended breaking. It started the breaking since I purchased the car in June, however over a week ago the actual car will break while im drive and bring the car to a complete stop and will not go until I cut the car completely off and let it sit for about 10-15 min and turn it back on and then it will drive again.
Driving at highway speed 65mph, the ML320 slammed on the front right side break causing truck to swerve right nearly out of control. When stopping and checking the front right tire, hub and brake pad were smoking and very hot
NHTSA investigations
Electronic stability control malfunction
Odi opened pe07-007 after receiving 4 complaints within a 6 week period alleging incidents of uncommanded brake application in model year (my) 2000 through 2001 Mercedes m class sport utility vehicles.information contained in the reports or gathered in subsequent consumer interviews indicated that the incidents were caused by faults in the electronic stability program (ESP) system which were repaired by replacing…
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercedes-Benz ML320 years have traction control problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2001 (35), 2000 (16) and 2002 (10) model years. Traction Control complaints make up 26% of all complaints for the 2001.
Is there a recall for Mercedes-Benz ML320 traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for any Mercedes-Benz ML320 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz ML320 traction control problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 119,000 miles; 10% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic (asc) (2 mentions).
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.