Brake Sensor Problems of Mercedes Benz ML320

Hard braking suddenly activated without driver input, smoke coming from front wheels. Yaw sensor malfunction indicated by obd scanner (checked after incident).

See all problems of the 2000 Mercedes Benz ML320 🔎.

The yaw rate sensor is causing the car to unintended breaking. It started the breaking since I purchased the car in June, however over a week ago the actual car will break while im drive and bring the car to a complete stop and will not go until I cut the car completely off and let it sit for about 10-15 min and turn it back on and then it will drive again.

See all problems of the 1999 Mercedes Benz ML320 🔎.

Tl the contact owns a 2001 mercedes-benz Ml320. On two occasions, while driving approximately 45 mph and 60 mph, the vehicle slowed down independently and came to an abrupt stop. There was no crash. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the yaw rate sensor was defective. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified via email. The dealer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 220,000.

See all problems of the 2001 Mercedes Benz ML320 🔎.

On multiple occasions and numerous different speeds, weather, both driving on a straightaway or turning, and other road conditions, the front brakes have locked up on the car causing it to veer right while engaging the brakes. Most often I have had to pull over, thankfully safely, or on one occasion, stop in the middle of the road to turn the car off to be able to continue driving which is incredibly dangerous and scary. I've taken it to the dealership and they had me replace the brake sensors which were obviously not the problem and then recommended other replacements, since the problem continued, that I declined until I found that this was a common problem with the stability sensors in this vehicle (specifically the yaw sensor). I'm amazed this is not a recall situation and that no one has been seriously injured or killed due to this problem.

See all problems of the 2002 Mercedes Benz ML320 🔎.

On numerous occasions occurring in different conditions regarding speed, weather, road conditions, etc. , I have had the vehicle pull hard to the right while engaging the front brakes, both while turning the vehicle and on straightaways. When this occurs, the triangle hazard light and esp lights start flashing. Most often I have been able to pull off to the side of the road, thankfully safely, or on one occasion stop in the middle of the road as the car wouldn¿t allow me to continue driving which was incredibly dangerous and scary. I have taken it to the dealership who replaced the front brake sensors, which didn¿t fix the problem, and returned to have them again diagnose the issue and declined their recommendations such as replacing the back brake sensors, until I came upon the repeated issues of the stability sensors failing (specifically the yaw sensor). I can¿t believe that, to date, this has not been a recall issue and no one has been seriously injured or killed due to this problem (I filed a previous claim, but the website went under maintenance and closed my complaint as I was filing and was given id #10923983, but there is no information filed in association that I could find hence the re-filing).

Brakes applied on their own without pedal pressure while car was moving at highway speed. Front brakes were smoking by the time I found a safe place to stop off the 4-lane road on a side road. Rear brakes seemed hot, but not smoking. No warning lights came on. Immediately before this highway event, car had just been traveling around 35 mph on hilly side roads with steep ascents and descents. This is the fourth time brakes have self-applied in a similar manner. After second event, dealer examined car but could not reproduce the problem or find any faults on computer diagnostics. When brakes cool, car restarts without brakes coming on. Brake pads and sensors were replaced 6,000 miles earlier; significant brake drag was present for around two hundred miles after that repair; dealer said brakes were self-adjusting and declined to examine car at that time. It was about 4,000 miles after brake pad/sensor replacement that the self-braking problem started.

The contact owns a 2002 Mercedes Benz Ml320. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brakes would erroneously activate and abruptly stop the vehicle. The contact indicated that when the failure occurs the bas/esp sensor light would illuminate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 210,000.

I was driving approximately 25 mph getting onto the highway when all of a sudden my brakes seemed to lock up. My vehicle jerked violently and I heard this awful grinding noise. I was narrowly missed by the vehicle behind me as the jerk slammed my vehicle to a halt and turned my wheels causing my steering wheel to jerk as well. I was able to pull off to the side of the road and sat there for a while and once again tried to proceed ahead and almost immediately the same incident happened. I called a tow truck and had the vehicle towed to a mercedes dealer who kept the vehicle for three days and could not recreate the issue however they stated that the yaw sensor came up as faulty during the diagnostic. I went to pick up the vehicle and as the tech drove it up it again started jerking. $1000 later the yaw sensor has been replaced but I feel like this issue is definitely a safety hazard. I am just thankful that my 18 month old son wasn't in the car with me at the time as had he been and someone hit us from behind because of the abrupt stop, he surely would have been injured. This needs to be looked into immediately and recalled as it is a safety issue. I believe that mercedes should deem this a recall, fixing the issue for those out there who have not yet experienced it and reimbursing those of us who have had to spend $1000 replacing what is supposed to be a system put in place for safety.

I was driving straight on an interstate highway at 70mph with my foot on the gas pedal . All of a sudden the vehicle started to totally apply the brakes all by itself and lunged to a stop . The car behind me barely missed hitting the rear of my vehicle . I turned off the engine and restarted and and was able to drive to the side of the highway . Fearful to continue driving , I then called a tow service to take my vehicle to the nearest dealership . A few days later , they called me and said one of the sensors for the abs/esp system had failed (yaw rate sensor - dtc c1120) and caused the problem . The repair cost would be about $900. 00 . I could not believe that a component of a so called safety system could fail rendering the system so that it can in itself cause an extremely dangerous situation . Fortunately in my case there were no injuries but different circumstances could have been just the opposite . The ase master certified technition who takes care of my car stated that this was a known type of failure (defect) of my model mercedes . Mercedes benz refused to cover this repair for me and does not have a solution to prevent this from happenning again on my vehicle or any of the other thousands that they have sold . We all put faith in these safety system that mercedes manufactures but once the warranty expires we all are forced to live with the concequences of defective designs . I was told that when a component in a safety system fails the system is supposed to turn on a warning light and turn it self off . Not like in my case the failed sensor caused the abs/esp system to randomly turn on the brakes . With all of the crazy computerized systems in the modern cars I am now nervous about blindly trusting them with my life .

While driving in heavy traffic at 45mph, the brakes automatically engaged and the electronic stability program and yaw rate sensor failed. I was narrowly able to avoid a serious accident. After searching many online mercedes forums, this seems to be a recurring problem for 2000-2001 ml models and is related to NHTSA campaign pe07007 that was closed in 2007. However, the problem seems to be occuring more and more frequently now and grounds for a recall. The car is not safe to drive until fixed.

Front passenger side wheel brake on it's own, pulling me off to the left of the road vehicle brake (right side) stayed engaged until vehicle speed was down to about 20 mph. Dealer said a bad yaw rate sensor was the problem.

While driving on freeway in moderate traffic the car suddenly without any warning violently applied uneven power to different wheels, brake and sped up. Originally I thought we were having an earthquake as I was trying to regain control over car. After about 15 seconds as I slowed car resumed normal operation. About 10 miles later the action repeated making me fear a crash or roll over as I was fighting to regain control and exit freeway. Luckily I was able to exit and gain control. Ended up having car towed 175 miles home. Mechanic at dealership now says it was a defective yaw sensor designed to work in conjunction with the esp to prevent a roll over. However the defective sensor easily could have caused a roll over or a crash with a less experienced and physically strong driver. Indeed, had my wife been driving I do not know whether she could have controlled the vehicle. Had there been one of the many 18 wheelers immediately next to me I do not know whether I could have avoided a collision. After the fact in review on google I noted many very similar complaints for the same 2001 mbz Ml320. I believe there should be a recall before there is death or serious injury.

First incident in August 2012 driving 20-30 mph just got on hwy and car suddenly slammed on brakes. Could not go over 1000rpm without brakes engaging but fortunately a policeman who witnessed this escorted us to safety on single lane hwy very dangerous. Replaced yaw rate sensor for $1000. Now it is doing the same thing again 2/27/13 and is undrivable. Most likely facing another replacement of yaw rate sensor for another $1000 that only lasted 6 months last time. There are hundreds of these same stories online and ridiculous that Mercedes Benz with its classy reputation would not recall such a potentially dangerous issue. How many people have to be injured to justify a recall?! I do not feel safe driving my 2 year old daughter anymore and still owe on this hunk of junk so I am stuck.

While driving around 50mph on the bqe road (NY), suddenly the bas/esp light came on, all the brakes engaged and car was coming to a stop. Warning light on a dashboard was flashing and at first I thought the engine died. Not realizing what is happening, I tried to add power/gas to the car, but the engine didn't want to go past 1000 rpm. Being in a fast lane and having hard time controlling the movement of the car, iâ??ve noticed overpowering smell of the brakes. I was absolutely shocked by the event as the traffic was heavy and I was just hoping no one will rear me. Stepping on the gas pedal had almost no result even though the motor was running. It then started to accelerate very slowly when my foot was pressing the gas pedal all the way to the floor of the car. Some 5-10 minutes later, the car started to accelerate and behaving as nothing has happened. However, 15 minutes into the ride, the same thing happened and this time, I was driving in a slow lane - some 30-35 mph. I pulled over and let the car rest for about 5 minutes and it stared fine and drove fine for the rest of the evening. Once I parked the car, the bas esp light was still on and stayed on. I took the car very next day to a car mechanic, but the computer reading didnâ??t give any errors, faults nor notifications. By that time, the esp light was off once again. The incident recurred 3 days later while coming to a stop due to a traffic lights - some 15-20 mph. My mechanic (and my internet search) advised me to change the yaw sensor. I fully understand the sensor can become faulty, but fully engaging the brakes while traveling is extremely dangerous. I'm now waiting for the yaw sensor to be replaced.

The contact owns a 2000 Mercedes Benz Ml320. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the caution and esp lights illuminated on the instrument panel and the brakes locked up without warning. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and shut off for a few moments. Upon restart, the vehicle operated as normal and was taken to an authorized dealer where the yaw rate sensor was relaced. The contact was also informed that another sensor needed to be replaced, but the repair was not performed. The vehicle was still in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was 215,000.

While driving on a highway at about 55-58 mph for no reason brakes engaged and locked wheels. Smoke was coming out of the tires and esp light came on. My wife (she was driving) and two small kids as well as I were scared to death. We were lucky, nobody was right behind us and we avoided accident. After the esp light come on everything went to normal. We finished our trip with no more brake incidents. Next day after restarting the car light was off but brakes locked in the moment rpm went over 1000. Speed at that time was only 5-10 mph. After complete stop esp light came on again and I was able to continue my trip. None of the Mercedes Benz mechanics wanted to tell me what this was caused by. I continued to drive like that for the next year. Every time I would drive without the esp light on the brakes will lock in and bring the car to complete stop. I also learn that if I start the car and wait five minutes light will come on and I can ride without brakes locking in. This worked for a while but then esp light stopped coming on before driving and I had to wait for the brakes to engage and cause the light to come on. At that time on April 2011 I had the car tested at the mercedes dealership and was told that has faulty yaw rate sensor and the part cost is about $550. 00 not counting labor. I didn't have this replaced because the cost of it and because I believe this is a safety issue and Mercedes Benz should have a recall on this as soon as possible to avoid tragedy one day. Someday somebody will die in the car accident caused by this faulty yaw rate sensor and nobody will even know what led to this crush. Please have this checked quickly before somebody will get hurt and who knows maybe somebody already did die already and we don't know about it. There were a lot of identical incidents reported. It is dangerous behavior on Mercedes Benz part. Regards, Ml320 user.

I own a 2000 Ml320 Mercedes Benz. In 4 different events the car applies brakes on tires randomly and the car comes to a stop and pulls and jerks to that side the esp light blink on instrument cluster and bas/esp light comes on. My wife taking the kids to school from stockton to lathrop on I-5 had this problem too and it really scared them luckily the right lane was empty and they managed to somehow pull over. This is a major safety issue that can cause death or serious injury. The brakes and electronic stability applies on by itself randomly causing the car to jerk or stop and pushing on the accelerator does not make the car move due to the lack of power and car won't pass 1000rpm restarting the engine resets the problem until it occurs again. Took to the dealership and they say this is most likely due to a bad "yaw rate sensor" I have had this problem on 3 other occasions driving around 30-40 miles per hour and the car came to a stop in traffic and the driving conditions was clean on a straightaway road. Mercedes benz refuses to fix this dangerous problem as a major safety recall they want $300 to look at the car $500 for yaw sensor and $600 for labor and they will not guarantee if it will solve the problem. Please help I do not want my wife and kids get in to a car accident but this is our only car.

I purchase a my 2000 Mercedes Benz Ml320 used with approx. 78k miles. The vehicle now has 105k miles, while driving the vehicle normal, and no off road activity the front brakes would activate causing the vehicle to pull suddenly to the left or right depending on which side had been activated with no input from the driver. The incident would last anywhere from three to five seconds in duration and loss of brake control to the rest of the vehicle. This has happened several different times 5 to be exact all at different speeds. The last episode I was traveling at 50 mph when the front left wheel slammed on brakes and jerked the vehicle to the left, thank god, no on was coming at me at that time. The vehicle has been taken to a repair shop and a yaw sensor ordered. I have read previously that a similar complaint had been filed and closed back in 2007. All I can say is that this could have been a very serious issue, because it happens unexpectedly and at any speed!.

The anti-lock braking system would engage without driver activation. The bas/esp light would come on without any reason either. One day I was on the freeway when it happened and suddenly the breaks were engaged at 73 mph when I was on the fast lane and other vehicles following at about the same speed. My leg was on the accelerator gassing to continue, but the anti-lock braking system forced the car to almost a stop - about 10mph, before the breaks disengaged and the car continued to move (that is accelerate again). I almost got rammed by the vehicle behind me. I took it to mecerdes benz dealership in george town TX. They said it was unequal size tires that was the problem. I changed the tires to all new and the same size tries and the problem persisted. I took it back to the georgetown dealership again. This time their diagnosis was that the lateral acceleration and yaw sensors were faulty and needed to be replaced for $1250. 00. What I described above was just an episode. It happen first when my wife was driving the car. It has happened several other times before I finally took it for repairs. I have packed the car for now because I have other cars to use and the problem has not still been fixed. Nhtsa should issue a recall.

We bought a used mercedes ml which had the bas/esp lights illuminated and immediately paid $1,268 to get this fixed before driving it anywhere. We told the dealer we would be going on a 600 mile trip. It seemed to be fixed, but after several hundred miles of driving on the way back for hours the bas/esp light came on again. It was in the middle of the night and there was no one to call to check on this, and the dealer never told us it could be dangerous. All of the sudden a few hours later one of the wheels locked up and sent us out of control winding up on the side of the highway. My wife and our two kids were nearly killed. This is an extremely dangerous safety issue that has been reported previously years ago. If this had happened while going the speed limit of 70mph down the hill next to the deep ravine I am sure we would have all been killed or seriously injured. This is a serious safety issue. Please protect consumers by issuing a recall on any mercedes with the bas/esp feature. This is very likely to cause serious injuries or fatalities at any point in the future. We had no idea. Please warn consumers. What if my wife was driving the car? she does not know how to handle this situation like I did. We bought this as my daughters first vehicle. Now what am I going to do? I don't feel right selling this car to anyone else or letting my family drive it. The system does not properly warn consumers. After parking the car overnight the bas/esp system is no longer lit up. This is an accident waiting to happen again as my dealer will probably find "nothing wrong with it". They could have at least warned us or replaced all of the sensors as a precaution.

2002 ml 320 front brakes locked up by themselves nearly causing an accident. Burning smell detected from front wheels. Vehicle taken to dealer who claimed sensors had failed and that this was a rare problem; consumer charged to replace sensors. Less than one month later the same thing occurred, dealer now states it is a pressure issue but wants to keep vehicle overnight to duplicate stated problem. Owner initially noticed this problem over 1 year ago, taking it to the dealer thinking the emergency brake was sticking, causing the burning smell and sluggishness. During that visit the dealer stated it found no problem with the emergency brake. Owner paid to have rotors and brake pads replaced due to pitting and groving caused by the front brakes self-engaging; this did not fix the problem and the dealer is currently investigating a pressure issue. Vehicle has less than 24k miles on it and was purchased from the dealer brand new.

The contact owns a 2002 Mercedes Benz Ml320. While driving less than 70 mph, the front passenger side brake locked up and caused the vehicle to swerve into a median. The abs warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel at the same time the brakes locked. The contact never depressed the brake pedal nor the accelerator pedal for the brakes to lock. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the yaw rate sensor failed. The repairs were scheduled under warranty. The failure and current mileages were 63,000. Updated 02/05/09 the bas/esp light illuminated. The catalytic converter was cracked and the transmission electrical connector was leaking. . Updated 02/06/09.

The contact owns a 2000 Mercedes Benz Ml320. While driving approximately 30 mph with the accelerator pedal depressed, the abs engaged and the vehicle skidded approximately 5 feet. The abs then released on its own. The vehicle was driven to a mechanic and the failure was diagnosed as the esp yaw rate sensor. The sensor was replaced. The current mileage was 124,000 and failure mileage was 123,080. Updated 09/10/08 the power steering hose lwaked. Updated 09/10/08.

2000 Mercedes Benz Ml320 while driving 45mph the brakes came on suddenly without depressing the brake pedal. The brakes locked and then released itself. The bas esp light came on. Then the vehicle was able to drive fine. The dealer could not find the failure. This stated only a few sensor has gone bad once again. This failure occurred four to six times.