Total Complaints
3 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ ML550 · model year
2012 MERCEDES-BENZ ML550
3 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2012MERCEDES-BENZML550 carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2012 ML550 is electrical system with 1 filings, followed by engine (1) and lane departure: blind spot detection (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2012 ML550. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20230315ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
In the last year, randomly, when starting the vehicle, the yellow check engine light comes on. Turn the vehicle off, it is gone. The side view mirrors have the yellow lights lit up on them when driving down any road, the red warning lights that tell you there's something behind or in front of you start going off for no reason while driving down any road, all the "safety" and lane assist features seem to have a ghost controlling them. The radio will also glitch out from time to time. It will swap through the channels or pull up list of channels when there is Nobody in the vehicle messing with it at all. Yesterday, I received the message that the backup assist was not working and another about lane assist not working. This morning, both messages are gone and things seem to be normal. This is very distracting! I've been on the highway, in the high speed lane and my alert is flashing and loudly sounding. It startled me, caused me to abruptly slow down and start looking all around
20230315ENGINE
In the last year, randomly, when starting the vehicle, the yellow check engine light comes on. Turn the vehicle off, it is gone. The side view mirrors have the yellow lights lit up on them when driving down any road, the red warning lights that tell you there's something behind or in front of you start going off for no reason while driving down any road, all the "safety" and lane assist features seem to have a ghost controlling them. The radio will also glitch out from time to time. It will swap through the channels or pull up list of channels when there is Nobody in the vehicle messing with it at all. Yesterday, I received the message that the backup assist was not working and another about lane assist not working. This morning, both messages are gone and things seem to be normal. This is very distracting! I've been on the highway, in the high speed lane and my alert is flashing and loudly sounding. It startled me, caused me to abruptly slow down and start looking all around
20230315LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
In the last year, randomly, when starting the vehicle, the yellow check engine light comes on. Turn the vehicle off, it is gone. The side view mirrors have the yellow lights lit up on them when driving down any road, the red warning lights that tell you there's something behind or in front of you start going off for no reason while driving down any road, all the "safety" and lane assist features seem to have a ghost controlling them. The radio will also glitch out from time to time. It will swap through the channels or pull up list of channels when there is Nobody in the vehicle messing with it at all. Yesterday, I received the message that the backup assist was not working and another about lane assist not working. This morning, both messages are gone and things seem to be normal. This is very distracting! I've been on the highway, in the high speed lane and my alert is flashing and loudly sounding. It startled me, caused me to abruptly slow down and start looking all around
Compare 2012MERCEDES-BENZML550 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ ML550 have?▼
The 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ ML550 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ ML550?▼
The most-complained component for the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ ML550 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION.
Is the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ ML550 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ ML550; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.