Most common 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML350 problems
Share of the 23 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercedes-Benz ML350 complaints by model year
Best ML350 years: 2003, 2005, 2004. Years to avoid: 2006, 2010, 2011. Compare all years →
What 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML350 owners say
Engine & cooling
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML350. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the odor of smoke was present inside the vehicle and dark smoke was observed coming from the dashboard. After stopping the vehicle, the fire department was called to the scene to extinguish flames that came from the hood. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries and a fire report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 95,000.
All of a sudden the car would not start. I was at 61K miles and warranty expired about 10K miles ago. Now I am experiencing this problem. An mb tech came and said the battery was not the problem but most likely a sensor issue and that this model has had many complaints of this and that it will happen again. Well it kept happening all this week until the 11th where it really went down hard in traffic, luckily this time my kids were not in the car. Normally the car would start immediately after or within 15 minutes this time an hour and would then die right after, start and die again within a minute. This is a freaking Mercedes Benz with reasonable mileage, this should not be happening and is very unsafe. I started to loose control of the car when it began to die and was thankful I was not on a freeway with my 3 kids.
Steering
I had went to a car wash & when I was leaving & turned right at the light my door flew open & few days later my steering wheel started to get hard to turn & it had started leaking bad .i had my kids in the car when both incident happened. Didn't notify my insurance or police .
Tl contact owns a 2005 Mercedes Benz ML350. While attempting to change lanes at approximately 57 MPH, the contact noticed that the steering column became difficult to turn. When the brake pedal was depressed, the steering column completely locked. She attempted to pull the vehicle over to the emergency lane, but was headed towards a cement barrier because the steering column was inoperable. She applied the emergency brake and the vehicle stopped abruptly. There was no crash. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the hose clamp detached and all of the power steering fluid drained out of the vehicle. The mechanic also stated that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified. The current and failure mileages were 100,000.
Transmission & drivetrain
Occassionally while driving the vehicle, it stalls in gear,that is the gear shift doesn't work and the vehiclestays in one gear even while moving.usually the driver has to stop briefly shifts the gear to another gear and then starts again.in a few seconds wwe can drive again.until the same thing happens again perhaps in a few months or so.this always happen when the vehicle is in motion more generally on city street.this began to happen from the very moment I purchased the car and within two hours of driving and has continued to happen since
Bought the 2005 ML350 used last summer (2010). In the first few weeks of owning the vehicle while slowing down or stopped, the acceleration seemed to drop low enough to make the vehicle stall. No check engine light on, but took it back to the dealership and they couldn't figure out what was wrong. Since then, it has happened multiple times over the year. Also, while starting the vehicle it will stall and I will have to keep retrying to start it and press the acceleration pedal to get it to finally start. (only use the recommended octane suggestions from the Mercedes booklet, and follow all directions during fueling) finally, seems to possibly have a steering fluid leak. (only use Mercedes power steering fluid from dealership).
2005 Mercedes-Benz ML350 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 17 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML350 a good car?
Based on 23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 ML350 rates better than average: 64% fewer complaints than a typical year of the ML350 at the same age. It is one of the best ML350 years by this measure. 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 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML350?
The engine & cooling — 6 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the steering (6) and transmission & drivetrain (5).
How many recalls does the 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML350 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML350. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mercedes-Benz ML350?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 2005 and 2004. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2006, 2010 and 2011. See the full Mercedes-Benz ML350 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Mercedes-Benz ML350 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 68,000 miles; 35% 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.