What are the common problems with the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320?
Owners of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine (6) and the diesel fuel system (5). In NHTSA's complaints file of November 11, 2026, 20 of them list a mileage; a complaint is an owner's report, not a proven defect.
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See what the paid report includes →NHTSA's file holds 28 owner complaints on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320. Owners named the engine most often: 6 complaints. A complaint can name more than one component. Of the 28 complaints, none reports a crash, 1 reports a fire and none reports an injury. These are owners' reports to NHTSA, not findings.
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Common problems with the 2009 ML320
NHTSA's file holds 28 owner complaints on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320. Owners named the engine most often: 6 complaints. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component (NHTSA category) | Complaints | Listing mileage | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 6 | 4 | Under 5 mileages |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 5 | 2 | Under 5 mileages |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 4 | 3 | Under 5 mileages |
| Power Train | 4 | 2 | Under 5 mileages |
| Air Bags | 3 | 1 | Under 5 mileages |
Of the 28 complaints, none reports a crash, 1 reports a fire and none reports an injury. These are owners' reports to NHTSA, not findings.
Mileage when owners reported a problem with the 2009 ML320
The 20 mileages owners gave run from 8,000 to 100,000 miles. A quarter are at or under 30,000 miles, half at or under 50,000, three quarters at or under 84,251 and nine in ten at or under 99,000; none came after 100,000 miles, none after 150,000 and none after 200,000.
These mileages say when owners reported a problem, not when a 2009 ML320 wears out. NHTSA's file holds only vehicles whose owners complained; one that ran without a problem never appears in it, so it gives no lifespan and no cutoff, and how a vehicle was maintained matters more than any one odometer reading.
Most of these reports came early in the vehicle's life: all 20 came at or under 100,000 miles, so they say nothing about how many miles a 2009 ML320 can cover.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Lowest mileage listed | 8,000 miles |
| 25th percentile | 30,000 miles |
| Median (50th percentile) | 50,000 miles |
| 75th percentile | 84,251 miles |
| 90th percentile | 99,000 miles |
| Highest mileage listed | 100,000 miles |
| Complaints after 100,000 miles | none |
| Complaints after 150,000 miles | none |
| Complaints after 200,000 miles | none |
Is the 2009 ML320 a good year?
Complaint counts cannot say whether the 2009 is a good or a bad ML320: they rise with how many were sold and how long they have been on the road. They show how the 2009 compares with the other model years in NHTSA's file.
With 28 complaints, the 2009 ranks 6th of the 9 Mercedes-Benz ML320 model years from 1998 to 2009 with 10 or more complaints, counting from the most. The most: the 2000 (166). The fewest: the 2007 (16).
Recent model years have had less time to collect complaints, so their counts are still growing. No year is ranked by mileage here, because a year's median mileage mostly follows its age.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Listing mileage | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 ML320 | 133 | 43 | 79,279 |
| 1999 ML320 | 125 | 72 | 71,000 |
| 2000 ML320 | 166 | 106 | 77,000 |
| 2001 ML320 | 136 | 108 | 85,000 |
| 2002 ML320 | 88 | 65 | 89,670 |
| 2003 ML320 | 22 | 15 | 51,723 |
| 2007 ML320 | 16 | 10 | 36,000 |
| 2008 ML320 | 21 | 16 | 89,000 |
| 2009 (this page) | 28 | 20 | 50,000 |
2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 recalls
NHTSA's recall files of November 11, 2026 list 3 recall campaigns that name the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320. A campaign covers a production range, not every vehicle of the model year: check the VIN with NHTSA's free recall lookup.
| Campaign | Report received | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 24V298000 | Apr 26, 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM |
| 22V315000 | May 9, 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM |
| 16V081000 | Feb 11, 2016 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE |
What these figures can and cannot tell you
- Complaints are owners’ reports to NHTSA. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them: a complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- The mileage is what the owner wrote on the complaint; NHTSA does not check it against the odometer.
- The make, model and model year are the ones on the complaint. NHTSA records them as filed, so a few complaints sit under a model year the name was not sold in.
- They are not a lifespan study. The file holds only vehicles whose owners reported a problem, so these figures do not say how long a typical 2009 ML320 lasts.
- A complaint count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road, so it is not a rating of the 2009 ML320.
- Nothing here describes one vehicle: its title brands, odometer readings, accidents and open recalls are in the records for its own VIN.
- 8 of the 28 complaints on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 give no usable mileage (blank, zero, a filler such as 999999, or over 500,000) and are left out of every mileage figure.
- NHTSA name counted: ML320. NHTSA files some vehicles under several names (a series name and a trim name, for example); this page counts only this one.
- Recall-file name matched: ML320.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded November 11, 2026National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Complaints file field layout (CMPL.txt)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls flat file (FLAT_RCL_PRE_2010.zip), downloaded November 11, 2026National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.zip), downloaded November 11, 2026National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls file field layout (RCL.txt)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recall and complaint datasets: scope and documentationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls Lookup by VINNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NHTSA’s complaints file was downloaded on November 11, 2026 (FLAT_CMPL.txt, dated 2026-11-11 10:15, 2,265,416 rows), with its recall files (FLAT_RCL_PRE_2010.txt and FLAT_RCL_POST_2010.txt, dated 2026-11-11 08:02). Each complaint is counted once, by its NHTSA number, with the model year and mileage of its first row; a model year has a page only with 10 or more complaints. The collection script and its rules are in scripts/collect-nhtsa-model-year-longtail.mjs.
2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 questions
What are the most common 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 problems?
NHTSA's file holds 28 owner complaints on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320. Owners named the engine most often: 6 complaints. A complaint can name more than one component. Of the 28 complaints, none reports a crash, 1 reports a fire and none reports an injury. These are owners' reports to NHTSA, not findings.
At what mileage do owners report problems with the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320?
Of the 20 complaints on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 that list mileage, the middle half came between 30,000 and 85,000 miles; none came after 100,000 miles, none after 150,000 and none after 200,000. These are mileages at a reported problem; they do not say how many miles a 2009 ML320 can cover.
Is the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 a good year?
Complaint counts cannot say whether the 2009 is a good or a bad ML320: they rise with how many were sold and how long they have been on the road. They show how the 2009 compares with the other model years in NHTSA's file. With 28 complaints, the 2009 ranks 6th of the 9 Mercedes-Benz ML320 model years from 1998 to 2009 with 10 or more complaints, counting from the most. The most: the 2000 (166). The fewest: the 2007 (16).
How many recalls does the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 have?
NHTSA's recall files of November 11, 2026 list 3 recall campaigns that name the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320. A campaign covers a production range, not every vehicle of the model year: check the VIN with NHTSA's free recall lookup.
How do I check a used 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320 before buying?
Take the 17-character VIN from the vehicle and compare the odometer with the readings on file for it: title transfers, inspections and auction sales record the mileage on the day. VIN Lookup (free-vin-lookup.com) sells the original ClearVIN PDF for $14.99 (3 reports for $29.99, 5 for $44.99): odometer readings, title brands and auction records on file for the VIN. Check the VIN before buying a used 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320.