Car Model Guide/ Mercedes-Benz/ M-Class/ W164/ ML 350

ML 350 M272

The pre-facelift E350's 3.5 V6, spray-guided direct injection. The balance-shaft gear fault that dogged the earlier V6s was fixed before W212 production began, so these engines are outside the affected serial range. The remaining items are intake carbon and the plastic intake-manifold flaps.

Overview

The ML 350 is the M272 petrol version of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV (W164), sold 2005–2011 with 272 PS and auto_7g. High risk at level 4. Engines inside the early balance-shaft range need the gear replaced, and that's an engine-out job. 4 failure modes are recorded against its engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, one of which is a walk-away item without documented proof. Prices on this page are illustrative placeholders rather than a sourced market sample. See the methodology for how the bands are derived.

Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV (W164) · photo Mercedes-Benz W164 black by Thomas doerfer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Power272 PS

Torque350 Nm

Years2005–2011

Fuelpetrol

Drive4MATIC

EnginesM272

Biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 4 recorded in total.

30High risk

M272 balance shaft gear wear (early petrol V6)€3,000–€6,000partly checkablewalk away
Airmatic strut and compressor failure€600–€3,000checkable
Carbon buildup on intake valves€400–€700not checkable

Risk level −33 · Walk-away failures −12 · Likely spend vs price −25 · all issues →

System by system9 systems reviewed · 5 with no recurring fault reported

Engine⚠ attentionM272 balance shaft gear wear (early petrol V6), €3,000–€6,000. Walk away without proof.

Fuel system✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Intake & airwatchCarbon buildup on intake valves, €400–€700.

Cooling✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Emissions✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Transmissionwatch7G-Tronic conductor plate and 13-pin connector leak (722.9), €400–€900.

Electrics✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Suspension & brakes⚠ attentionAirmatic strut and compressor failure, €600–€3,000.

Body & interior✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Pre-facelift or facelift, this engine spans both

The same badge either side of the changeover. Bands are split at the facelift year from the generation record.

Phase	Years	Low	Average	High	Good buy	What differs
pre Pre-facelift	2005–2007	€5,000	€8,200	€13,000	€6,600	The specification the car launched with.
LCI Facelift (LCI)	2008–2011	€5,450	€8,950	€14,150	€7,200	New nose, lights and interior; 7G-Tronic across the range; Revised suspension tune

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Faults recorded against this engine, its components and its chassis, ranked by likelihood × repair cost. Costs are indicative ranges with a stated labour basis.

M272 balance shaft gear wear (early petrol V6)W164 body€3,000–€6,000

A camshaft position fault code, a rough or lumpy idle, and a check engine light that returns after clearing. Balance shaft gears on M272 engines built inside the early range wore prematurely against the crankshaft gear. Later engines used a revised gear, so the engine number decides the risk rather than the mileage or the service book.

Check: Take the engine number and check it against the affected range before you look at anything else, because no amount of service history answers this. A stored camshaft correlation code is the other warning.

Later parts: Revised balance shaft gear on later production engines

EngineoccasionalPartly detectablewalk away without proofevidence: manufacturer80–200k km

Airmatic strut and compressor failureW164 body€600–€3,000

The car sitting low after standing, a message on the dashboard, or a compressor that runs far longer than it should. The struts perish and leak, and the compressor then runs continuously until it burns out. Cars used for short trips and left standing suffer first, because the bags crack where they fold.

Check: View the car cold and before it's been started, then cycle every ride height and watch all four corners respond. A compressor that runs on after levelling is the early warning.

SuspensioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented90–180k km

Carbon buildup on intake valvesdirect injection€400–€700

Rough cold idle, slow throttle response, misfires, gradual loss of low-end response. Direct injection puts no fuel over the intake valves, so crankcase vapour deposits bake on undisturbed.

Check: Not visible without a borescope. Treat it as a service item that's due unless there's a receipt. It's not a fault, it's an unbudgeted maintenance cost.

Turbo & intakeuniversalNot detectable at viewingevidence: documented80–120k km

7G-Tronic conductor plate and 13-pin connector leak (722.9)Mercedes 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic (722.9)€400–€900

Harsh, delayed or jerky shifts, holding a gear then banging the next in, and limp mode, often with speed-sensor or gear-ratio fault codes. The speed sensors in the conductor plate (mechatronic) fail, and/or the external 13-pin connector leaks fluid that wicks up the wiring into the control unit. Early units are the most affected.

Check: Test-drive through every gear cold and warm. Scan the transmission, and pull the external 13-pin plug to check for fluid on the pins.

TransmissioncommonPartly detectableevidence: documented120–220k km

Ranked by probability × repair cost, not by how loudly a failure is discussed. Inherited from the engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, each written once.

Pre-purchase inspection

The same issue records, reordered into the sequence you can actually check them in: cold start, static, drive, paperwork.

4 checks · saved in this browser ·

1Static checksEngine off, ideally on a lift.

Airmatic strut and compressor failureView the car cold and before it's been started, then cycle every ride height and watch all four corners respond. A compressor that runs on after levelling is the early warning.

2On the driveInclude low-speed manoeuvring, not just an open road.

7G-Tronic conductor plate and 13-pin connector leak (722.9)Test-drive through every gear cold and warm. Scan the transmission, and pull the external 13-pin plug to check for fluid on the pins.

3PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.

M272 balance shaft gear wear (early petrol V6)walk away without proofTake the engine number and check it against the affected range before you look at anything else, because no amount of service history answers this. A stored camshaft correlation code is the other warning.Carbon buildup on intake valvesNot visible without a borescope. Treat it as a service item that's due unless there's a receipt. It's not a fault, it's an unbudgeted maintenance cost.

Mileage and servicing

What the odometer does and doesn't tell you here, plus the service items whose neglect causes the expensive failures above.

The balance-shaft wear on early M272 engines has nothing to do with mileage and everything to do with which gear was fitted. Get the engine number and check it against the affected range before anything else.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Engine number check It tells you whether the balance-shaft gear is a risk, and no service record will.	before purchase	€0
Engine oil and filter Chain and balance-shaft wear both track oil condition.	15,000 km or annually	€140–210

What to pay

What this engine sells for, against the median of every engine in the chassis. All figures are illustrative placeholders. See the basis chips.

median €8.6k

€5k€6.6k€14.2k

Cheapfind the reasonGood buyif it checks outFairnormal moneyOverpricedneeds justifying

Asking price (€)Mileage (km)

Enter an asking price to get a verdict against this variant's band: cheap, fair, good buy or overpriced.

United States vs Europe

1 EUR = 1.08 USD · 2026-07

🇪🇺 Europe · EUR€6,600band €5,000–€14,150

🇺🇸 United StatesNot soldML 350 M272 was never a US-market car

What that meansNo US band exists to compare. Any car you find there's a private import, parts and specialist knowledge are thinner, and the price says more about import cost than about the market.

US figures are the EU band converted at a stated rate. No US market differential is modelled: we hold no sourced US asking prices, and inventing one would be worse than saying so. What the comparison does show for real is availability. Most of this range was never sold in the US.

ModelMercedes-Benz M-Class ML 350
ChassisW164
EngineM272
Years2005–2011
MarketCentral EU
Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07

Good buy at or under the marker · Median asking price · bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile · dashed line is the w164 median, all 2 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. Any car without documentation for m272 balance shaft gear wear (early petrol v6) should be priced as if the repair is still owed. Full breakdown by facelift phase →

Buyer notes

Our judgement, kept separate from the records it's built on.

Our read, not a record

A petrol ML is quieter and smoother than the diesel and it will drink accordingly, which is why so few were sold and why they're cheap now. The M272 balance-shaft gear wore on early engines, and the repair means removing the engine, so this is the one check that outranks everything. Confirm the engine number sits outside the affected range or that the work has been done. So budget for fuel honestly, because that's what ends most ownerships of these rather than any fault.

Everything above this line comes from the issue and specification records. This paragraph is our judgement on top of them. See how we reach it.

Full specification

Manufacturer figures for this engine and body, as recorded in the variant and engine data.

Engine code	M272 3.5 V6
Configuration	V6, naturally aspirated · 3498 cc
Fuel / injection	petrol · direct
Model years	2005–2011
Facelift phase	Sold either side of the 2008 facelift, 2005–2007 pre, 2008–2011 LCI
Power / torque	272 PS · 350 Nm
Transmissions	7-speed automatic (7G-Tronic)
Gearbox families	Mercedes 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic (722.9)
Drivetrain	4MATIC
Economy (real-world)	12–14.5 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU