NHTSA lists 10 complaints for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz M Class, 1 of them mention a crash and 1 mention a fire. 2 complaints mention an injury, with 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported.
Data build 2026-10-09.
NHTSA lists this vehicle as MERCEDES BENZ M CLASS.
At a glance
Complaints
10
With crash
1
With fire
1
With injury (complaints)
2
Injuries
3
Deaths
0
Recalls
3
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
211,000
Investigations
1
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
3
Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. No sales source is available for this record.
Where the complaints are
Top systems
System
Complaints
Share of this vehicle's complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4
40.0%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
2
20.0%
SEATS
2
20.0%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
1
10.0%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
1
10.0%
POWER TRAIN
1
10.0%
STEERING
1
10.0%
Top subsystems
System
Subsystem
Complaints
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
ENGINE
1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
HEADLIGHTS
1
POWER TRAIN
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
1
SEATS
FRONT ASSEMBLY
1
STEERING
HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST
1
One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.
Model-generated complaint tags: This model year has not been tagged.
Defect: MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1999-2002 M-CLASS AND MODEL YEAR 2000-2003 M-CLASS AMG VEHICLES. THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES ALLOWS THE DRIVER TO DISENGAGE THE SYSTEM IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, INCLUDING TAPPING THE BRAKE PEDAL, USING THE CRUISE CONTROL STALK, OR BRAKING THE VEHICLE ENOUGH TO REACH A CERTAIN RATE OF DECELERATION. MERCEDES-BENZ HAS DETERMINED THAT (excerpt)
Consequence: DIFFICULTY OR DELAY IN DISENGAGING CRUISE CONTROL CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH. (excerpt)
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN DURING OCTOBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372. (excerpt)
Defect: MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING 125,228 MY 1998-2004 M-CLASS VEHICLES. THE HOSE CLAMP USED TO SECURE THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLING HOSE TO THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLER MAY NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CLAMPING FORCE FOR THIS CONNECTION. (excerpt)
Consequence: THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID MAY RESULT IN DIMINISHED POWER STEERING OVER TIME AND ULTIMATELY CAN DAMAGE THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING. (excerpt)
Remedy: AN EARLIER RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED ON THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT A FUTURE LEAKAGE OR FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING HOSE CONNECTION (PLEASE SEE 03V121). SINCE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE THROUGH INSPECTION TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC VEHICLES THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY REPAIRED, ALL VEHICLES REPAIRED PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 15, 2003, WILL BE REPAIRED AGAIN. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DUR (excerpt)
Defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE HOSE CLAMP USED TO SECURE THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLING HOSE TO THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLER MAY NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CLAMPING FORCE FOR THIS CONNECTION. (excerpt)
Consequence: THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID MAY RESULT IN DIMINISHED POWER STEERING OVER TIME AND ULTIMATELY CAN DAMAGE THE POWER STEERING PUMP. (excerpt)
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW HOSE CLAMP ON THE POWER STEERING HOSE TO THE POWER STEERING COOLER. DURING CLAMP REPLACEMENT, THE POWER STEERING COOLING HOSE WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED AS NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 16, 2003. 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 CONTA (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Investigations
1 investigations; 0 open.
RQ08002
Opened: 2008-03-11. Closed: 2008-09-17.
POWER STEERING HOSE LEAK
MERCEDES-BENZ USA (MBUSA) WILL NOTIFY CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1998 THROUGH 2003 M-CLASS OWNERS OF THE NEED TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES INTO DEALERS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE PREVIOUSLY CAMPAIGNED UNDER MBUSA RECALL 2003-040005 (NHTSA RECALL 03V-121).THE MBUSA CAMPAIGN, WHICH ODI IS DESIGNATING RECALL 08V-465, WILL REPLACE THE POWER STEERING COOLER HOSE AND CLAMP IN ALL VEHICLES THAT RECEIVED THE ORIGINAL R
Date: 2013-02-15. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STEERING.
MERCEDES: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. THE LOWER POWER STEERING HOSE AND CLAMP SHOULD BE REPLACE, UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY, DUE TO POWER STEERING LEAKAGE FROM CONNECTION TO POWER STEERING COOLER. MODELS 1998-2003 163.154, (ML320, 430, 55, 500, 350). *PE
10016685
Date: 2005-05-16. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
ESP LAMP ILLUMINATED. *TT
10012829
Date: 2005-02-07. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
ENGINE WILL NOT START AND FAULT MESSAGE START ERROR APPEARS IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. *TT
Notes on this record
Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.