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2002 Mercedes Benz Ml500 Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

33 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.18 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious01V290000

Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Upper Arm

THE CONTROL ARM COULD FAIL, raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT FRONT UPPER CONTROL ARM. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 29, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE LEFT FRONT UPPER CONTROL ARM MAY NOT MEET THE SPECIFIED STRENGTH REQUIREMENTS.

Complaint volume

33 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

1Crashes
0Fires
1Injuries
0Deaths

Across 33 complaints. Severity Index 0.18.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Steering6 · 18%Service Brakes, Hydraulic3 · 9%Vehicle Speed Control3 · 9%Engine And Engine Cooling2 · 6%Electrical System2 · 6%Power Train · Automatic T…1 · 3%Power Train · Automatic T…1 · 3%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…1 · 3%
  1. Steering — 6 reports
  2. Service Brakes, Hydraulic — 3 reports
  3. Vehicle Speed Control — 3 reports
  4. Engine And Engine Cooling — 2 reports
  5. Electrical System — 2 reports
  6. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 1 reports
  7. Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) — 1 reports
  8. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Pads — 1 reports
  9. Electrical System:Starter Assembly — 1 reports
  10. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Abs Warning Light — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 (2) · 2007 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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