Airbag complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owned a 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40-45 mph in the rain, he drove over a puddle of water and hydroplaned on the highway and hit the jersey wall, went across the highway, and crashed into the guard rail. The air bags did not deploy. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The contact sustained injuries to his shoulder and medical attention was provided. The passenger occupant sustained injuries to the vertebrae and medical attention was provided. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company.
I was driving on the freeway and all of sudden my car started steering horizontally on the right. Car was auto controlled and out of my control. The steering wheel failed to respond and steer. I got into a major life threatening car crash.
I was in a collision in which I rear ended another SUV. The speed control did not enable and I hit the other vehicle hard enough to cause $20,000 worth of damage to my car. I believe the car braking response was slow and the airbag should have deployed in a crash that significant, but it did not.
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated that for the past year, the front passenger side air bag warning indicator illuminated, which was a safety concern. Also, the 'pull over and read service manual' and 'front air bag requires service' messages appeared. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (Mercedes-Benz of littleton, 8070 s broadway, littleton, co 80122) where the technician informed the contact to "ignore the messages" and "that it happens to all Mercedes-Benz vehicles'. The dealer did not diagnose or repair the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was awaiting a call back. The failure mileage was 29,000.
The contact owned a 2013 Mercedes Benz ML350. The contact stated that the vehicle was stopped waiting for traffic to pass when a second vehicle suddenly crashed into the front end of the vehicle. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged and the vehicle was destroyed but no airbags were deployed. No injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the incident. The failure mileage was 96,000.
While traveling on the interstate my ml 350 Mercedes Benz was struck by another vehicle. I was traveling the speed limit of 70 miles per hour when a car passing me lost control of his vehicle and struck me. The impact was on the drivers side of the car on the rear wheel. The impact pushed my SUV to the right. Upon impact, the rear wheel on the passenger side broke, snapped in half and the flew away causing my ML350 to roll five or six times before coming to rest just inches from on coming traffic traveling east bound on the other side of the median. The officer investigating the accident said his major concern was that upon impact the rear wheel on the passenger side snapped causing the car to roll five or six times. I contacted Mercedes Benz and requested they investigate the crash. …
I was in a car accident in March 2016 and it was a front end collision. I almost went through the windshield however my seat belt didn't stop me or lock in place at all. I also contacted Mercedes in April 2016 about my driver airbag that was recalled due to safety concerns and I still haven't been contacted for a resolution as I have reached out to them multiple times for options because it's unsafe to drive my vehicle
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V081000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Mercedes-Benz of sarasota (4754 clark road, sarasota, florida 34233, [phone]) was made aware of the recall and stated that the parts were unavailable. In addition, the dealer stated that the parts would become available in December of 2018. The contact stated that the air bag indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Related recalls (1)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 ML320 BlueTec 4Matic, GL320 BlueTec 4Matic and R320 CDI 4Matic, 2011 E350 Cabriolet and E550 Cabriolet, 2009-2011 ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML550 4Matic, ML63 AMG, and C63 AMG, 2010-2011 ML450 4Matic Hybrid, E350 Coupe, E350 4Matic, E550 Coupe, E550 4Matic,…
Remedy: MBUSA will their notify owners, and Fiat Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge.
NHTSA investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercedes-Benz ML350 years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (67), 2011 (59), 2009 (40), 2006 (9) and 2004 (5) model years. Airbag complaints make up 66% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Mercedes-Benz ML350 airbag problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 16V-081 (inflator module, Feb 11, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz ML350 airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles; 31% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (2 mentions), followed by the frontal › sensor/control module (1).
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.