2008 Mercedes Benz R320: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
2 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
44,856 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2008 model year. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 2 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 1 | 50.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 |
Engine: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
2015: 1; 2022: 1
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10714698 · 2015-05-05 (May 5, 2015)
I THANKFULLY TOOK MY CAR TO HAVE REGULAR MAINTENANCE (SERVICE B) COMPLETED AND UNFORTUNATELY DURING THAT INSPECTION, THEY FOUND THAT THE RUBBER CYLINDER ON THE HARMONIC BALANCER WAS HANGING OUT. THEY AND I LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL (SURLY, THIS WOULD WARRANT A RECALL). THE CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED AND ONLY 44,856 MILES ON IT. FAULTY PART? CAN'T FIND ANY ANSWERS... I HAD TO PAY $900 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN THAT CONDITION WITH MY BABY INSIDE IS BEYOND IRRESPONSIBLE. HAD IT FAILED BY BLOWING APART WHILE ON THE…
Owner-reported narrative. 44,856 miles reported. Look up ODI 10714698 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11490951 · 2022-10-26 (October 26, 2022)
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz R320. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11490951 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
22V315000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum
Reported: 2022-05-09 (May 9, 2022)
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML-Class, GL-Class, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Consequence: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2022050014, 2022050015 2022090006, & 2022090007.
NHTSA campaign record ↗24V298000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum
Reported: 2024-04-26 (April 26, 2024)
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML, GL, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Consequence: Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MMUSA's number for this recall is 2024050001/2. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-315.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
2 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 321.4%ODI 10469682 · 75,200 miENGINE 'DIED' (VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER) WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I HAD TO PULL VEHICLE OVER ON SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER ASSISTANCE STEERING OR BRAKING. BROUGH IT TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE 8/8/12, STALLED TWO MORE TIMES WHILE ENROUTE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS A FAILED CAMSHAFT SENSOR. I LOOKED UP ALL SAFETY RECALLS ON VEHICLE, AND FOUND ONE FOR THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR IN 2008. I WAS TOLD THAT MY FAILED CAMSHAFT SENSOR IS DIFFERENT AND IS NOT COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER, EVEN THOUGH IT PRODUCES THE SAME SYMPTOM/RESULT AS A FAILED CR… | 150.0%ODI 10714698 · 44,856 miI THANKFULLY TOOK MY CAR TO HAVE REGULAR MAINTENANCE (SERVICE B) COMPLETED AND UNFORTUNATELY DURING THAT INSPECTION, THEY FOUND THAT THE RUBBER CYLINDER ON THE HARMONIC BALANCER WAS HANGING OUT. THEY AND I LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL (SURLY, THIS WOULD WARRANT A RECALL). THE CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED AND ONLY 44,856 MILES ON IT. FAULTY PART? CAN'T FIND ANY ANSWERS... I HAD TO PAY $900 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN THAT CONDITION WITH MY BABY INSIDE IS BEYOND IRRESPONSIBLE. HAD IT FAILED BY BLOWING APART WHILE ON THE… | 150.0%ODI 10597528 · 95,000 miI WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD WHEN I HIT A POTHOLE. VEHICLE THEN STARTED SHUTTING DOWN. IT EVENTUALLY STOPPED AND I COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN. TOWED VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TOOK A LOOK AT IT. THEY SAID IT LOOKED LIKE A PART OF THE CAMSHAFT BROKE OFF, GOT CAUGHT IN THE TIMING CHAIN, BROKE BOTH CHAINS, AND CAUSED COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WHICH WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. *TR |
| Electrical System | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 321.4%ODI 10469682 · 75,200 miENGINE 'DIED' (VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER) WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I HAD TO PULL VEHICLE OVER ON SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER ASSISTANCE STEERING OR BRAKING. BROUGH IT TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE 8/8/12, STALLED TWO MORE TIMES WHILE ENROUTE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS A FAILED CAMSHAFT SENSOR. I LOOKED UP ALL SAFETY RECALLS ON VEHICLE, AND FOUND ONE FOR THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR IN 2008. I WAS TOLD THAT MY FAILED CAMSHAFT SENSOR IS DIFFERENT AND IS NOT COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER, EVEN THOUGH IT PRODUCES THE SAME SYMPTOM/RESULT AS A FAILED CR… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.1%ODI 11700284The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz R320. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed a diagnostic test prior to the recall repair. The contact declined to pay for the diagnostic test and advised the dealer to complete the recall repair. The dealer declined to honor the recall repair. The contact later discovered that the dealer had marked the recall repair as completed even though… | 150.0%ODI 11490951The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz R320. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Structure:Body | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 214.3% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 214.3%ODI 10630863 · 51,818 miPREFACE: I OWN AN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SHOP IN CARROLLTON TEXAS. I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON CARS SINCE 1968. I AM A THREE-TIME CERTIFIED MERCEDES-BENZ MASTER TECHNICIAN. IN DECEMBER, 2012 I REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT AIR SPRING ON A 2007 MERCEDES R-320. THE MANUFACTURER IS AREN'T INDUSTRIES. THEIR PART NUMBER IS A-2587. LESS THAN TWO MONTHS LATER, THE AIR SPRING SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE SPRING MATERIAL, WHICH IS SIMILAR IN CONSTRUCTION TO A TIRE, RUPTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE OWNER'S GARAGE WHEN THE "BLOW-OUT" OCCURRED. T… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Air Bags | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11045698TAKATA RECALL / NHTSA RECALL # 16V-081 - MERCEDES SENT A LETTER ABOUT THIS RECALL BACK IN MAY OF 2016 AND THEY STILL DO NOT HAVE A SOLUTION OR TIMEFRAME FOR WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE OUR AIRBAG. NOW THAT TAKATA HAS FILLED FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY I AM CONCERNED THAT THEY EVER WILL AND GIVEN THE NATURE OF THIS RECALL ALONG WITH THE AGE OF OUR VEHICLE THIS IS VERY TROUBLING. MERCEDES NEEDS TO MAKE REPLACING THESE AIRBAGS A PRIORITY |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.1%ODI 10638821 · 103,000 miESP INOPERATIVE MESSAGE APPEARS. WIPERS WENT ON (ALTHOUGH THEY WERE OFF AT THE TIME) TURN SIGNALS WERE INOPERATIVE AND INTERIOR LIGHTS NOT WORKING.. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS UNABLE TO ENGAGE PARK OR REVERSE. I SHUT THE IGNITION OFF AND NEUTRAL WAS AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGED BUT PARK STILL NOT WORKING. REMOVING THE KEY ENGAGED PARK. RESTARTING THE CAR THE ESP INOPERATIVE MESSAGE WAS STILL DISPLAYED AND DRIVE COULD NOT BE ENGAGED. AFTER LEAVING THE KEY REMOVED FOR 2-3 MINUTES ALL WAS CLEAR. NO RECURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM FOR 6 MONTHS THE… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Exterior Lighting | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.1%ODI 11506547 · 75,000 miThe contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz R320. The contact stated the vehicle failed to start in very cold weather. The contact stated that after changing the battery several times, the failure continued to occur. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the front and rear exterior lights failed to illuminate as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failu… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | Too few reports for a range | 44,856 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10714698 · 44,856 miI THANKFULLY TOOK MY CAR TO HAVE REGULAR MAINTENANCE (SERVICE B) COMPLETED AND UNFORTUNATELY DURING THAT INSPECTION, THEY FOUND THAT THE RUBBER CYLINDER ON THE HARMONIC BALANCER WAS HANGING OUT. THEY AND I LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL (SURLY, THIS WOULD WARRANT A RECALL). THE CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED AND ONLY 44,856 MILES ON IT. FAULTY PART? CAN'T FIND ANY ANSWERS... I HAD TO PAY $900 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN THAT CONDITION WITH MY BABY INSIDE IS BEYOND IRRESPONSIBLE. HAD IT FAILED BY BLOWING APART WHILE ON THE… |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2008: 0 complaints · 2009: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Engine | Service Brakes, Hydraulic |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | — | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.