Seat warmer malfunction, I was driving and had to pull over as my seat warmer created a fire inside my seat and burned 3 holes thru my seat and singed my clothing. Drivers side seat on left side of seat. Mercedes ml 350 2006

- North Dighton, MA, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Mercedes Benz ML350. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when it ignited in small flames underneath the hood area; a bypasser extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and they informed that the fire originated from the fuse box which completely destroyed the wiring harness and caused other damages. The insurance company continued to investigate the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 37,000. Updated 03/24/11 updated 1/4/11

- Staten Island, NY, USA

I was driving my 2006 Mercedes ml 350, with the seat warmer turned on. I noticed a smell of smoke coming from inside the vehicle, so I turned off the seat warmer and the smell went away. The next day I discovered that the seat warmer had burned a small hole in the seat covering on the left side of the driver's seat just above the driver's waist. When I took it to the dealer, they told me that the vehicle was out of warranty, and that it would cost $800-$1000 to correct the problem. The mechanic that I talked with 1-on-1 told me that they get this problem frequently. Since the day of the burn through, I have not used the seat warmer. I feel very fortunate that I noticed the smoke and shut the seat warmer down before the situation resulted in a fire or personal injury. Systems with these types of risks should have some kind of "extended" warranty coverage when they fail, to help cover the risk of fire or injury.

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Mercedes Benz ML350. While the contact was driving approximately 45 mph the engine shut off without warning. The contact coasted the vehicle across three lanes of traffic to the side of the road. The engine restarted for a period of two seconds and the automated windows began to operate without assistance. The horn sounded and the front and rear windshield wipers intermittentlyt activated. The "brake fluid low" warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact smelled a burning odor and noticed white smoke coming from the rear door area. The driver and occupants exited the vehicle. The contact stated that the recommened level of brake fluid was in the reservoir. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnosis where the technician stated the failure was contributed to a build up of moisture from an excessive amount of liquid spilled underneath the front passenger seat or possibly the driver seat. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The contact stated the failure was life threatening and that the interior carpet should be designed with a waterproof protector. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

- Winter Park, FL, USA

When I was driving my Mercedes Benz ML350, the malfunction light came on regarding the rear lift gate. Shortly thereafter, I smelled smoke and took the car to the dealer. The dealer informed me that there was some kind of liquid spill in the cargo area. The liquid that spilled got into the central processing unit, causing an electrical short in the system and the rear lift gate would not open. The vehicle cpu caught fire due to the spill. There are no warning messages posted in the cargo area, cautioning the owner that the car could catch on fire if there is a liquid spill in this area. Additionally, there is no information in the owners manual notifying of this potential disastrous event. Seeing that the cargo trunk is the most common place where liquids would be transported from the grocery store, Mercedes should properly protect that part of the vehicle from liquids if it contains computer circuitry and a spill can cause a fire. This should have been considered a safety hazard. As a result of this incident, the computer system, rear lift gate latch and body component will need to be replaced.

- Covina, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Mercedes Benz ML350. While driving approximately 40 mph, the contact's daughter accidentally spilled a smoothie on the electrical component cover located on the passenger row floor. The liquid penetrated the electrical system and the instrumental panel. As a result, the steering and the ABS involuntary engage. The contact lost control of the vehicle, but was able to pull over to the side of the road. The dealer replaced the window motor and the computer at the cost of $1,384. The manufacturer filed a report and stated that the cover was designed in that manner. They would not assist. The current and failure mileages were 34,695. Updated 11/07/08. Updated 11/07/08.

- Moreland Hills, OH, USA

: the contact stated there was one cup of water in a bag in the cargo area. The water spilled onto the central processing unit, causing an electrical short in the system and the rear lift gate would not open. The vehicle was repaired at the dealership.

- Millstone, NJ, USA

While driving a brand new 2006 ml-350, the car suddenly shut down in the middle of the road. All the warning lights came on. It displayed the following message: Esp malfunction, headlight malfunction, speedtronic inoperative. Tried to restart the car, with no luck. Had to wait for 20 - 25 minutes before the car can be restarted. This happened 3 times to me. The car is currently sitting at a mb dealership for 2 days, and they are trying to figure oiut the problem. It seems that esp malfunction causes the new ml-350 to stop while driving, which is extremely dangerous. This is brand new car with only 500 miles.

- South Riding, VA, USA

2006 Mercedes ml 350 - water got spilled on floor in passenger rear seat area; unknown to us, there is electrical circuitry - referred to as the frt sam in the invoice. This caused the entire car to shut down, and at one point the car stalled in traffic while being driven. Also caused a short in a power window that created a lot of smoke. There is a cup holder in the back seat, and that is where kids sit, but we did not know that a liquid spill in the rear seat could cause the entire electrical system and thus the car to shut down (even the transmission is electronic, and was inoperable). If the electrical circuits are on the floor, where almost all spills land, then it should be water tight, or in the alternative, the owners should know because if you are on a major highway and a child spills their drink in the back seat, you car could shut down completely.

- Cape Coral, FL, USA