2002 Mercedes Benz 320

Routine

Owners filed 11 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Tires2
000
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor1
000
Visibility › Windshield1
000
Structure1
000
Steering1
000
Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust1
000
Seats1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Electrical System1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed May 5, 201461,526 milesCA

WITHOUT NOTICABLE WARNING, THE SENSOR PANEL FLASH FOR A SECOND, THEN THE CAR CAME TO A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE STOP, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY FREEWAY. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF ROAD. AFTER TOWING TO AN EXPERIENCED MERCEDES REPAIR SHOP, THEY CONCLUDED THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE POWER SHUTDOWN BY DESIGN TO PROTECT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BECAUSE THE ALTERNATOR WAS OVERCHARGIJNG. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO MERCEDES -BENZ AT MONTVALE, NJ, THEY DID NOT WANT TO DO ANY INVESTIGATION OR FOLLOW-UP. SIMILAR INCIDENT ON 12/31/2012 ON THE SAME MODEL, SAME YEAR WAS REPORTED ON YOUR WEBSITE DATED MARCH 17, 2013 BY ANOTHER DRIVER . *TR

Seats
Filed May 19, 2013124,796 milesWA

THE PASSENGER SEAT POWER ADJUSTMENT MODULE SHORTED, DRAINING THE BATTERY AND CAUSING A NO-START CONDITION. WHILE THIS DID NOT OCCUR WHILE STUCK IN TRAFFIC, IT EASILY COULD HAVE, CAUSING A SERIOUS HAZARD FOR MYSELF, ANY PASSENGER OR ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE SEAT MODULE HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED SO THERE IS NO LONGER THE ABILITY TO ADJUST THE SEAT AND OBTAIN PROPER CLEARANCE FROM THE AIRBAG OR TO PROPERLY ADJUST THE SEAT AND ALLOW A CHILD SEAT TO FIT AS DESIGNED IN THE REAR SEAT. *TR

Steering
Filed Mar 24, 200947,631 milesAL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ 320. IN NOVEMBER OF 2008, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V121000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS) AND TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INSTALLED A NEW HOSE CLAMP ON THE POWER STEERING HOSE TO THE POWER STEERING COOLER. ONE MONTH LATER, SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE. SHE WENT TO THE NEAREST MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS COMPLETELY DRY AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS DAMAGED. ONE WEEK LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A SECOND RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V465000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS), WHICH REQUESTED THAT SHE BRING HER VEHICLE BACK FOR REPAIR. THE FIRST REPAIR MAY NOT HAVE SUFFICIENTLY PREVENTED A FUTURE LEAKAGE OR FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING HOSE CONNECTION. WHEN THE CONTACT RETURNED TO THE DEALER, SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE PUMP WAS LEAKING AND THAT A NEW PUMP WAS NEEDED. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE PUMP UNLESS IT WAS AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. SHE STATED THAT THE DEALER CREATED THE ISSUE IN THE FIRST PLACE; THEREFORE, THEY SHOULD PAY FOR THE NEW PUMP. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE PUMP WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, SO THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE PUMP REPLACEMENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,631.

Structure
Filed Oct 15, 200879,000 milesGA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML 320. WHILE PARKED IN THE CONTACT'S DRIVEWAY, AFTER SEVERE RAIN, WATER LEAKED APPROXIMATELY FOUR INCHES ABOVE THE OPENINGS OF THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE REAR INTERIOR DOORS. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING HOSE. THE TECHNICIAN ADDED ADDITIONAL POWER STEERING FLUID INTO THE RESERVOIR, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY LOW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWERING STEERING FLUID LEVEL WAS BEING MONITORED IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 79,000.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed May 3, 200530,000 milesNY

THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE BURNED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OIL. *JB

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Dec 22, 20041,088 milesNY

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT ON RAINY DAYS THE VISIBILITY WOULD BECOME DIFFICULT. *AK THERE WAS A FAILURE IN COMPUTER CHIPS, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED WITH THE POOR VISIBILITY OF THE WINDSHIELD, HORN FAILURE, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHT FAILURE, STALLING, CATALYTIC CONVERTER RATTLING, INOPERATIVE WASHER JETS, BROKEN GLOVE BOX, NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, FAULTY FUEL PUMP, LOUD WHINING NOISE FORM UNDER THE SEAT, AND A WHIRRING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE CENTER VENTS. *SC

Tires
Filed Jun 30, 20047,500 milesCA

I WAS DRIVING CAR WITH CONTINENTAL CONTI TOURING TIRES (SIZE 205/65R16) AT SPEED OF ABOUT 60 MILES AN HOUR. SUDDENLY RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW UP. ON INSPECTION THERE WAS NO PUNCTURE AND SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE HAD BLOWN UP. CONTINENTAL INDICATED THAT CAUSE OF THE BLOW OUT WAS UNDETERMINED AND THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE.*AK

Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust
Filed Dec 19, 2003CA

SEAT DOES NOT RETURN TO THE PRESET POSITION WITH KEY ACTIVATION. *AK

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor
Filed Jul 15, 2003PA

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S WIPER BLADES, SEAT SETTINGS, STEERING PUMP. *MR DEALER NOTIFIED. *CB

Tires
Filed Feb 28, 2003AR

SPONTANEOUS RUPTURE OF CONTINENTAL RADIAL TIRE.*JB

Electrical System
Filed Oct 14, 2002CA

2ND CAR, SAME COMPLAINTS. FIRST CAR WAS ADDMITTED TO BE A LEMON BY DEALER. THEY GAVE ME A NEW VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE OK BUT, NEW CAR HAS SAME PROBLEMS. WINDOWS DO NOT STAY UP WHEN YOU PRESS BUTTON FOR THEM TO CLOSE. ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ON BOTH CARS HAVE COMPLETELY FAILED AND TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING CAR ON FREEWAY. LIGHTS, GAUGES, SIGNALS, EVERYTHING WENT OUT. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!! REPAETED PROBLEMS WITH WINDOWS. HAS BEEN WITNESSED BY TECHNICIANS AND THEY HAVE TRIED TO REPAIR. THE PROBLEMS ARE GETTING WORSE. I TOOK THE FIRST CAR IN 14 TIMES BEFORE THEY DID ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE TAKEN THIS CAR IN 5 TIMES, HAD ATTORNEY WRITE LETTERS, AND HAVE TOLD MANAGER DWANE SANDERS OF MY PROBLEMS. THEY HAVE YET TO RESPOND TO ANYONE ON MY END OF THINGS. PLEASE HELP ASAP!!! MR

11 of 11 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1994
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2002 — this page11000Routine
200117000Routine
200017020Routine
199930010Routine
199839010Routine
199719010Routine
199614010Routine
199529023Fatalities reported
199449120Routine

Compare every 320 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.