Was driving 50 miles per hour when the car slammed on the brakes, nearly getting me rear ended. The throttle would not respond until the car was doing maybe5 miles per hour - on an interstate! The BAS/ESP light was on solid. I got onto an off ramp, called the dealer, was told it could be several causes, drove home carefully, and took it to the dealer. The dealer found nothing. Several times since, the car was being driven at speeds in the 20-30 miles per hour range, and the system would slam on the brakes and pull hard to the left. I could smell the brake dust in the car. Other times, it will ALMOST engage (ESP light flashes as well) then backs off.
2001 Mercedes Benz ML430 brakes problems
23 complaints (52% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 99,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 23
- of this car's complaints
- 52%
- typical mileage
- 99,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Power assist: hydraulic: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings1
- Foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings1
- Foundation components1
- Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Mercedes Benz ML430 brakes problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2001 Mercedes Benz ML430 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Re: 2001 mb ml430 electronic braking sensor the front passenger brake initially locked up at low speed upon acceleration. After stopping and turning the vehicle off and back on the system was back to normal. Then one day I was traveling at near 70 MPH in the passing lane of an interstate highway when the front driver brake locked up and brake tire smoke billowed from my vehicle which caused traffic behind me to swerve and brake behind and on the side of me. I proceeded to pull off onto the shoulder of the highway and turned my vehicle off and back on, after which my vehicle operated normally. I proceeded to do an online search and learned that this was a common sort of problem for this model.. Particularly at low speeds. In my case it happened at low speeds and then the one time at 70 MPH. I learned that the yaw sensor which is part of the ABS system was commonly reported as the likely cause of the problem.. I proceeded to disconnect the yaw sensor and have had no further problems. I am fortunate that it was not a rainy day, otherwise the results may have been catastrophic with so many vehicles behind me and traveling at such a high speed. Theyaw sensor mb part # is a 002 542 94 18 q01 systron donner inertia division USA
Twice now while driving and going over minor bumps (dots on the road to warn of crosswalks and a driveway entrance curb) the bas/esp and hazard lights have come on and the car has automatically applied violent breaking that took control of the direction the car was heading. This breaking continued until the vehicle came to a complete stop. Both times the car was going less than 20 MPH, but control of the car was limited during the event. At freeway speeds, it would be very likely to cause an accident. Bas/esp light turns off after the car is turned off.
Vehicle's front wheel brakes by itself while driving and the eps warning light comes on afterwards. Extremely dangerous in highway driving. Had the brakes checked, but nothing wrong. Online complaints suggests a failure in yaw rate sensor.
I was driving on the highway, going about 60 MPH, and the car suddenly started applying the brakes on its own. Nearly got me into an accident. I was able to get over to the shoulder luckily. I had my toddler in the car and it was a very scary thing. When the brakes started engaging by itself, a yellow triangle warning light displayed on the dash followed by the bas/esp light after the vehicle came to a complete stop. I have seen others that have had this very same issue and seems to be the yaw rate sensor. I am shocked this hasn't been recalled with all the issues I've read on this. I barely just bought the car and it's already not drivable. Very huge safety issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercedes benz ml430. The contact stated that the service engine and the bas esp warning lights flickered. The contact mentioned that when the warning lights illuminated, the brakes engaged and there was an abnormal noise. In addition, the electric power door lock function was making an abnormal noise. The contact discovered that the A/C line fractured and the windshield wipers plastic piece fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v208000 (vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 186,675. Updated 11/23/15*lj the consumer fixed the vehicle at his/her expense. Updated 01/29/16.
2001 mercedes benz ml 430. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle brake pedal issues. *smd the consumer stated the brake pedal lost pressure due to the fuel tube coming in contact with the brake line. The brake line was leaking fluid.
I was driving on interstate 285 east at a speed of 70mph suddenly the the bas/esp warning light came on and my car automatically applied brakes and the car couldn't run. So I turned of the engine and started the car again and everything went back to normal except the cruise control stopped working and bas/esp waring lights are still on but the car is running. How do I fix the cruise control and the bas/esp warning lights?
I was driving at about 35 MPH and all of a sudden I heard screeching sound from my tires and the orange triangle warning light in my dash light up. I pulled over and shut off the engine. I notices tire skid marks from on the passenger side. After a few minutes I started and drove and the car drove normal. This same thing happened to my wife also. Basically it is like applying the brakes hard while driving but with out even touching the brake.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercedes-benz ml430. The contact stated the ABS hydraulic unit system malfunctioned. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the ABS warning light illuminated as the braking system independently actived. The contact had to pull over to the side of the road and shut the vehicle off. The contact restarted the vehicle and the braking system was working normal. The contact called the dealer regarding the ABS system. The dealer stated the ABS hydraulic unit needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 175,000. The VIN was not available.
Questions about the 2001 Mercedes Benz ML430 brakes
Does the 2001 Mercedes Benz ML430 have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 23 complaints about the brakes of the 2001 Mercedes Benz ML430, 52% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2001 Mercedes Benz ML430 brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 99,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Mercedes Benz ML430 brakes?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Mercedes Benz ML430 have bad brakes?
The Mercedes Benz ML430 model years with the most brakes complaints are 2001 (23 complaints) and 2000 (12 complaints).
Other 2001 Mercedes Benz ML430 problems
Driver assistance 7Acceleration 6Electrical 6Steering 5Visibility 3Engine 2Fuel system 2Transmission 2Lights 1Seat belts 1Suspension 1
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