2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML320 Electrical System Problems

ECM IS MALFUNCTIONING AND NOT CONTROLLING FUEL INJECTION AND GIVING RANDOM MISFIRE ON CYLINDERS 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. CAUSING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON . CODES 0300, 0302,0303,0304,0305,0306.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE WARNING INDICATORS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT AND HEAT BECAME INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT'S BROTHER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS ELECTRICAL RELATED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 210.

ON OR ABOUT MAY 14, 2012, WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT FULL FREEWAY SPEED, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SELF-INITIATED A CONTINUOUS BRAKE ACTIVATION WITHOUT ME PRESSING ON THE BRAKES OR TAKING ANY OTHER ACTION. THE VEHICLE'S SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED AND SUSTAINED BRAKING ACTION RESULTED IN A NEAR-COLLISION WITH A SEMI-TRUCK TRAVELING BEHIND ME WHICH THE TRUCK-DRIVER WAS FORTUNATELY JUST ABLE TO PREVENT. I STEERED THE VEHICLE TO THE FREEWAY SHOULDER AS THE UN-COMMANDED BRAKING ACTION BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE INCIDENT WAS EXTREMELY FRIGHTENING FOR ME, AND IT WAS ONLY SHEER LUCK THAT I WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. AFTER I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MERCEDES BENZ OF LAGUNA NIGUEL, THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM (?ESP?) CONTROL MODULE AND YAW RATE SENSOR HAD FAILED AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY IN AN INOPERABLE CONDITION. REVIEWING THE NHTSA WEBSITE,...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE STARTED FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT APPEARED ON THE SCENE AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND TOWED TO A DEALER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND AN INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

MY 2001 MERCEDES ML320 SUV DEVELOPED A DEFECT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, WHEREBY THE KEY CAME OUT WHILE THE CAR WAS NOT IN THE PARK POSITION. IN JUNE 2009, THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND IGNITION TURNED OFF. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE KEY CAME OUT WHEN THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL INSTEAD OF PARK. AFTER A WHILE THE CAR ROLLED BACKWARDS AND HIT A NEIGHBORS CAR AND THE GARAGE DOOR OPPOSITE MY DRIVEWAY. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO MERCEDES AND THE DEALER SAID THAT THE DEFECT CANNOT BE COVERED FREE BY THE MANUFACTURER AS THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I PAID ALMOST $1000 TO GET THE IGNITION SWITCH DEFECT FIXED. *TR

SAFETY SYSTEM FAILURE, INCLUDING BRAKING ASSIST, SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS AND TEL-AIDE DUE TO COMPUTER CHIP FAILURE. CAUSED TWO ACCIDENTS AFTER WHICH CUSTOMER PAID TO HAVE VEHICLE REVIEWED BUMPER TO BUMPER AND THE FAILING CHIP WAS REPLACED. DURING THIS TIME, THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE TO WARN OF THE FAILURE WHICH THE VEHICLE COMPUTER DOCUMENTED 15 TIMES IN A SIX-MONTH PERIOD (BETWEEN THE TWO ACCIDENTS). APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MONTHS LATER, THE WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH ILLUMINATED AGAIN. DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY TIMES SYSTEM HAD FAILED SINCE IT WAS 'FIXED.' TRADED IN VEHICLE FOR SAFETY PURPOSES. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, SMOKE AND FLAMES CAME FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE DEALER REPLACED ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *AK THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BURNED OUT WHILE DRIVING. THE LIGHTS CAME ON CONSTANTLY, THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD STATE THE AIR BAG WAS OFF, THE ALARM WOULD GO OFF CONSTANTLY IN THE DRIVEWAY, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE OFF, THE VEHICLE BEEPED. THE DEALER CLAIMED THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *SCC *JB

THE DEFECT STATED IN RECALL 03 V 121 000 FOR THE POWER STEERING HOSE CLAMP HAPPENED WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS WAITING TO BE NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING: THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIT UP AND FLASHED AND BEEPED, LOST THE SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, GAS/GAS TEMPERATURE GAUGE, AND THE VEHICLE HAD GONE INTO SECOND GEAR AND DID COME OUT FOR SOME TIME(DISCOVERED IT WAS IN LIMP-HOME MODE). THE SERVICE DEALER ADVISED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE GEAR SELECTOR. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS HAD GONE OFF, EXCEPT FOR THE BAS/BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM LIGHT, THE GAUGES, SPEEDOMETER, AND TACHOMETER HAD RESUMED. THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WHERE HALF OF INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAY ON THE LEFT LIT UP, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN. THE SERVICE DEALER THOUGHT THE PROBLEM MAY HAVE BEEN THE BATTERY. DURING A RAINSTORM, THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIT UP, THE TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, AND THE GAS GAUGE STOPPED...

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON, THEN ALL THE GAUGES STOP WORKING. DEALERSHIP REPLACED GEAR SELECTOR, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK PLEASE REFER TO ODI# 10022912(THE EXACT INFO) THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ALSO FLASHED AND BEEPED. THE SPEEDOMETER/TACHOMETER ACTIVATED AND THEN SHUT DOWN, THEN RESTORED THEMSELVES AFTER 20 MINUTES. IN ADDITION TO THE INITIAL GEAR SELECTOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. TWENTY FAILURES OCCURRED WITHIN 500 MILES. THE BAS/ESP CONTROL MODULE AS WELL AS A NEW BATTERY AT NO COST. THE CONSUMER HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AFTER THE 3RD FAILURE DUE TO THEM NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP ON THE HIGHWAY. *SCC *JB