Seven problems related to front seat heater/cooler have been reported for the 2006 Mercedes Benz ML350. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
On Jan. 6, 2017 northbound on hwy 52. Drivers seat heater had been on approximately 10 minutes when I felt a very hot spot on my upper left side. Then I smelled something burning. The seat heater had burned through the upholstery on the outboard bolster of the drivers seat and started burning through my coat.
I was driving with the driver's side electric seat heater turned on. I noticed a burning smell and felt a burning pain on my back. After exiting the vehicle I saw that the seat heater had burned a hole through the leather driver's seat and through my jacket.
I was driving and I turned on my seat heater, and I saw smoke. I burned my clothing and have a little burn on my back. The seat was burning and had a little fire.
Contact was driving, approx. 15 min. After engine start and seat heater turn-on. Contact felt a burning sensation on posterior/hip. Contact stopped car and got out. There was a burn hole in the driver's seat back at lower left. There were two burn holes through contact's pants. Later examination showed a second degree (blister) burn on contact's hip. This is not a warranty claim as the dealer suggests, but, rather a serious manufacturer defect that causes burn injury (check the history of documented complaints on the internet). . .
The contact owns a 2006 Mercedes Benz Ml350. The contact stated that the seat warmer overheated and caused the coils to burn through. The contact mentioned that she sustained second degree burns. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the seat heater had malfunctioned and the seat needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 86,000.
I started the vehicle and as it was a cold morning I put my drivers seat heater on. Shortly after putting it on I felt a burning on the left side of my back, I pulled the car over and noticed a fire on the lower portion of the drivers seat(back wing). The fire burned through my jacket and burned my lower back.
About 2 minutes after turning on the driver's seat heater, the driver's seat caught on fire. A hole burned through the driver's seat and burned my back. Luckily, I recognized the problem quickly enough that I was only slightly burned. My husband and my 1 year old daughter were in the car with me. I was driving at the time, so my clothes could have caught fire. If we had turned on the seat warmer while warming up the car, the entire car could have gone up in flames.
| Seats problems | |
| Front Seat Heater/cooler problems |