FaultScore

Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen vs Mercedes Benz ML350

Both cars' complete complaint records, side by side.

Read the totals carefully. NHTSA publishes no sales figures, so the car that sold more collects more complaints regardless of quality. The rows worth weighing are the proportions — the share of complaints that involved harm, and which part dominates.

Measure Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen Mercedes Benz ML350
Complaints on file 246 603
Model years covered 2013–2019 2010–2015
Worst model year 2015 2015
Best model year 2019 2010
Crashes reported 18 60
Fires reported 2 13
Injuries reported 16 34
Deaths reported 0 0
Most complained-about part Electrical System Airbags
Share of complaints involving harm 14.6% 17.7%

Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen by year

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks

Airbags 37 15.0%
Engine & Cooling 27 11.0%
Suspension 27 11.0%
Fuel & Propulsion 23 9.3%
Transmission & Drivetrain 14 5.7%
Body & Structure 14 5.7%

Mercedes Benz ML350 by year

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks

Airbags 139 23.1%
Engine & Cooling 76 12.6%
Brakes 40 6.6%
Steering 23 3.8%