Two problems related to alternator/generator/regulator have been reported for the 1998 Mercedes Benz ML320. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The serpentine belt had broken while driving at 45mph and caused the engine to overheat. Manufacturer was notified. The consumer stated that after the investigation per garrett engineering, the vehicle was determined to have a crank shaft pulley failure which caused the other systems to fail. The belts, altenator, and the cooling systems failed as a result of the pulley failure. This part was supposed to be covered under the 80k warranty, but has not been honored.
Vehicle was in garage and it caught on fire. There was damage to garage. Dealer said fire was due to defect in battery. The cause of the fire was due to an electrical short circuit in the voltage regulator/alternator, the fire destroyed the vehicle and damaged the driveway and garage.