NHTSA Complaint #10294683 — 2000 MERCEDES BENZ ML320

I PARKED MY CAR IN A STRIP MALL FOR DINNER. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AFTER DINNER, IT WOULDN'T CRANK, NOR WOULD IT START. CALLED IN AAA AND BY THE TIME THEY SHOWED UP HALF AN HOUR LATER, THE CAR STARTED FINE. TWO DAYS LATER, WHEN I WAS DRIVING TAKING MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL AROUND 7:45AM ON A SURFACE STREET, MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER AND THE ENGINE STALLED. I HAD TO QUICKLY TURN INTO A DRIVE WAY TO AVOID OTHER CARS AND THE CAR STOPPED AT THE ENTRANCE. AGAIN CALLED AAA AND A TOW TRUCK SHOWED UP 5 MINUTES AND THE DRIVERS HELPED PUSH AND PARK MY CAR, BUT WAS TOLD TO WAIT AT LEAST 45 MINUTES FOR THE RIGHT TOW TRUCK. TRIED TO START MY CAR EVERY 5 MINUTES, AND IT FINALLY STARTED AFTER 15 MINUTES. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A FLETCHER JONES DEALER AND PAID $600 TO HAVE A SENSOR REPLACED TO FIX THE STALLING PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE THIS PROBLEM AND MY FRIENDS WHO OWNED 98, 99 ML320 ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS STALLING PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE (EVEN THE SERVICE MANAGER AT FLETCHER JONES AGREED WITH ME ON THIS). I THANKED GOD THAT MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE NOT HURT IN THIS INCIDENT, BUT AN ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY HAPPENED. SINCE THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED IN DIFFERENT ML320 MODEL YEARS, AND IT COST THE DRIVER A BUNDLE TO HAVE IT FIXED, MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR