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CarsLore / Mercedes-Benz / M-Class / 2006

2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class

14 owner complaints — #3 of 10 M-Class model years, 2.8× the typical year. 2 recalls, 3 service bulletins.

14complaints · 1 crashes, 0 fires
2recalls
3manufacturer bulletins
4,481 mimedian mileage at failure

Problems owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.

  • Engine and engine cooling4
  • Power train4
  • Steering3
  • Electrical system2
  • Suspension1
  • Visibility1
  • Vehicle speed control1
  • Seats1

NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported

Compared with other years

’98’00’02’04’06’07’0914’98’01’04’06’0814
19981999200020012002200320042006200720082009

NHTSA ODI complaints by model year

Fatal crashes in the US

From 2020 to 2023, 5 2006 M-Class vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 0 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.

NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)

New York safety inspections

At its first New York inspection the 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class failed the safety check 1.83% of the time — 22% less often than the average 2006 passenger car (2.34%). Median odometer at inspection: 125,070 miles.

3,326first inspections
1.83%failed on safety
125,070 mimedian odometer
0.0%0.9%1.8%’98’00’02’04’06’08’10’12’14’151.8%0.0%0.9%1.8%’98’01’04’06’07’10’13’151.8%

NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count

Engines

The most common engines in 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class cars on Dutch roads are the 3.5 petrol (200 kW, 268 hp), 3.0 diesel (165 kW, 221 hp) and 3.0 diesel (140 kW, 188 hp), out of 5 versions with at least 20 cars.

EnginePowerCarsShare
3.5 petrol200 kW 268 hp36641%
3.0 diesel165 kW 221 hp20523%
3.0 diesel140 kW 188 hp13615%
5.0 petrol225 kW 302 hp10412%
6.2 petrol375 kW 503 hp758%

RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars

In the Netherlands

908 first registered in 2006 are on Dutch roads; 53% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €88,592.

79.1%had an APK defect recorded since June 2022
89.3%logical odometer history
51.5%with a recall still open

Most common APK defects

Colours

Black 51%Grey 37%Blue 8%White 1%Green 1%Brown 1%

RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording

In the United Kingdom

1,126 cars built in 2006 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1,116 more were declared off the road (SORN).

1,126licensed, end of 2025
50%of those still registered are on the road

Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0

In Finland

12 of these cars first registered in 2006 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 324,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.

Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0

In New Zealand

107 2006 cars are on the New Zealand register; 88% arrived as used imports, 10% were sold new in New Zealand.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0

Recalls

08V303000 · Electrical system7 Jul 2008 · 404 vehicles

MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING MY 2006-2008 M-CLASS, R-CLASS, MY 2005-2009 SLK-CLASS, MY 2005-2008 C-CLASS, MY 2003-2004 AND 2006-2008 CLK-CLASS, MY 2003-2008 E-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2008 CL-CLASS, MY 2008 CLS-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2007-2008 S-CLASS, MY 2003 G-CLASS, AND MY 2003-2004, 2006 AND 2009 SL-CLASS VEHICLES. A SOFTWARE CALIBRATION NUMBER (SCN) CODING RECEIVED ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES DURING A RECENT WORKSHOP VISIT WAS INCORRECT. DEPENDING ON THE MODEL YEAR AND MODEL AFFECTED, THE RESULTS OF AN INCORRECT SCN CODING CAN AFFECT A NUMBER OF VEHICLE SAFETY AND EMISSION FUNCTIONS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF FUNCTIONS: (1) THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS MAY BE INCORRECT; (2) A STUCK FUEL-LEVEL SENSOR MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; (3) THE OBD SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INCORRECTLY; AND, (4) THE SPEEDOMETER MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE.

05V224000 · Steering16 May 2005 · 7,191 vehicles

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A HOSE CLAMP THAT SECURES THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLING HOSE TO THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLER MAY NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CLAMPING FORCE FOR THIS CONNECTION.

Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words

Service bulletins

What Mercedes-Benz told its dealers about the 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class: known faults, fixes and updates.

BulletinSummary
10037408MERCEDES-BENZ: SHOCK ABSORBER PROCEDURE. *RM
10016685ESP LAMP ILLUMINATED. *TT
10016639ABS/BAS/ESP, TIRE PRESSURE, AND/OR BRAKE WEAR VISIT WORKSHOP DISPLAYED IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. MERCEDES-BENZ MODEL 164 AND 186 MODEL YEAR 2006. *TT

NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)