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 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML350 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
i encountered a major issue with the Mercedes ML350, while doing a 3 point turn in a busy suburban Toronto street.The electronic shift module left me stuck in Road way. Causing traffic back up and could not move vehicle.neither forward or reverse.tried pushing and different tactics to move vehicle off road. Had to call CAA-AAA. It was a caos situation,first tow truck could not load vehicle,all wheels were locked in drive and would not shift. Had to wait for special tow Have all four wheels lifted off onto dolly. Tow truck driver said it is a common problem.with MB,BMW and Audi.Vehicles towed to dealer sat at dealer. parts on back order and Not available for repair.Since was in Toronto away from Home. …
After starting the car, two messages appeared on the dash board. Center Gauge read: SRS Restraint System Malfunction Service Required Fuel Gauge read: SRS (in red) Took the car to our certified mechanic. After his diagnostic check- He said it was the Air Bag Module is out. Needs to be replaced at Mercedes Dealership.
Driver Side Low beam headlight turns off and on randomly whether the vehicle is off or on. I lose view of the road because lights turn off randomly and others cannot see me at night as well. I've tried taking my vehicle to the shop, but no one can trace down this problem. No warning was shown until recently.
Since my significant others and I purchased this 2006 Mercedes Benz SUV - ML-350, over three months ago, we were wondering why the "Engine check light was always on" so we purchased (4) sensors and replaced the sensors of where OBD tests pointed out for the engine, deleted the Engine Check Light several times but it will go back on after we driven it for another 50 to 100 miles away to normal highways and freeways driving to relearn the computer system and the Check Engine Light On again and again but not blinking? We called our friendly mechanics and he said it maybe faults recalled that part of the electronics or maybe the computer is giving that "engine check" light on because it has some safety components is malfunctioning, the braking is also hard and sometimes it is too soft when I push it with my right foot to stop the car and also the car is using too much gas. …
I was driving with the driver's side electric seat heater turned on. I noticed a burning smell and felt a burning pain on my back. After exiting the vehicle I saw that the seat heater had burned a hole through the leather driver's seat and through my jacket.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mercedes Benz ML350. While the contact was driving approximately 45 MPH the engine shut off without warning. The contact coasted the vehicle across three lanes of traffic to the side of the road. The engine restarted for a period of two seconds and the automated windows began to operate without assistance. The horn sounded and the front and rear windshield wipers intermittentlyt activated . The "brake fluid low" warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact smelled a burning odor and noticed white smoke coming from the rear door area. The driver and occupants exited the vehicle. The contact stated that the recommened level of brake fluid was in the reservoir. …
Owner had arrived home at 7:00 p.m. From work and was inside his residence. At 10:00 p.m. Police and fire personnel came to his door to inform him that his car was on fire. One resident said that, as he was walking in the parking lot, he noticed there was fire in the passenger side rear tail light (around 10:00 pm) and when he looked inside, there was fire in the vehicle directly behind the rear tail light. He ran for a fire extinguisher and also yelled for help and for someone to call 911 for the fire department. Both fire and police arrived. Car had not been driven for 3 hours and was parked, was driven only 7 miles three hours earlier with no stops. Car has been considered totaled by insurance due to the amount of damage incurred and had been owned for only one year, serviced regularly by Mercedes Benz, and all recalls had been up-to-date! …
I had a 2006 ML350. It spontaneously caught fire as it was parked for two hours after I had driven it. The firemen state in the report it was an electrical fire and started from a short in the rear taillight harness.I brought this to Mercedes Benz USA's attention and they were careless about the safety dangers that this caused/posed. They said it wasnt a manufacturers defect after the 2 month long investigation was stamped inconclusive.they were of more concern about this being leaked or exposed and tried to sweep my case under the rug. They only gave me one case manager and limited me only to speak with her after begging to speak with another manager. After being trapped in this corporate cover up I had no where else to turn. Susan m( my west coast regional case manager) how many other vehicle cases did they sweep under the rug like mine? …
When I was driving my Mercedes Benz ML350, the malfunction light came on regarding the rear lift gate. Shortly thereafter, I smelled smoke and took the car to the dealer. The dealer informed me that there was some kind of liquid spill in the cargo area. The liquid that spilled got into the central processing unit, causing an electrical short in the system and the rear lift gate would not open. The vehicle cpu caught fire due to the spill. There are no warning messages posted in the cargo area, cautioning the owner that the car could catch on fire if there is a liquid spill in this area. Additionally, there is no information in the owners manual notifying of this potential disastrous event. …
Night before incident the automatic rear lift gate opened when front driver door would be opened or closed. While vehicle was parked and shut off, tail hazard light were activated along with warning alarm for tailgate malfunction or open. During the morning of the incident, vehicle continued to show same issues. When vehicle was later entered, issue with tailgate opening seemed to have stopped, after driving an approximate 5-7 miles, odder of smoke emerged, tailgate warning alarm sounded along with normal traffic horn, in addition cabin lights turned on and warn messages appeared on dash for flat tire,blown bulbs, etc, driver pulled to side of road and turned off vehicle to investigate. Soon after turning off vehicle smoke began to fill cabin, driver immediately exited vehicle, flames over took vehicle within minutes. …
Electrical complaints in other ML350 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML350?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML350, 17% of the model year's 172 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML350 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML350, though it has 2 recalls for other components. 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 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML350 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 10 fires and 1 injury 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.