2005 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML 500 review from North America
"Biggest Mercedes lemon generation of 1998-2009 vehicles..."
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Engine head rebuild before 10,000 miles (warranty).
Crankshaft position sensors (twice) ($512.00).
Various types of oil leaks ($700.00 each).
Fuel sender/pump.
EGR valve.
DAS - Drive Authorization System failure.
Transmission plate ($700.00).
Power steering pump.
Power steering rack.
MB Dealer installed used spare tire (unusable). Took 6 months to replace spare tire.
MB dealer installed used wheel/tire package (lost $5000.00).
Ignition coils.
Power steering hoses popping out (lost power steering).
Dealers rip off their customers with overpriced labor/parts and excessive labor hours.
Mercedes has doubled/tripled prices of all parts that fail often..
Price of the vehicle failed from $50,000.00+ to $9,000.00 in 3.5 years due to unreliable/troubled repair records
Etc.. Etc.. Etc..
General comments?
After 10 years of owning Mercedes Benz models, after owning a ML 320 and a Ml 500 latest model, and after 10 years of belonging to various Mercedes ML forums, I beg you not to buy these vehicles.
It will be the nightmare of your life unless you are a high end automotive mechanic with lots of high end computer electronic training.. I have seen so many people that have invested $10,000.00 to $20,000.00 dollars in repairs and had to sell their vehicles, at a loss, because they are money pits..
Do your homework and research the forums and industry reviews for these lemon models.. All models from 1998-2005+ have problems because Mercedes never fixed all the problems. They profit from the problems and the Mercedes dealers see MB owners as cash cows... Don't get a nightmare!!!!
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| 2004 - M-Class ML500 5.0L V8 288hp A bank vault on wheels. The Benz ML500 is purely a tank! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2005 |
| Year of manufacture | 2005 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 4 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 0 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 17 miles |
| Most recent distance | 82000 miles |
| Previous car | Mercedes-Benz M-Class |
| Date of Entry | 3rd August, 2009 |