2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML 430 review from North America
"ML 430-Made new friends at MB service"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
This car has been in for repair at least once per month since I have had it. (16 months)
When I got it, the remote door locks did not work.
The CD changer skipped. It took several attempts to fix it. The radio/stereo power amplifier made noise and had to be replaced. The radio/GPS system died and had to be replaced.
Several pieces of interior trim fell off, the glove box door fell off. Can you believe it on a $55K vehicle.
Both headlight bulbs have been replaced twice.
The electronics module which controls the alarm, internal lights and trip computer died three times. The dealer gave up trying to get a couple of trip computer functions to operate.
The brakes wore out at 20K miles. The wear indicator light did not indicate a problem and the disks were scored. They had to be replaced at my expense.
The plastic trim elements between the side windows and the rear hatch cracked.
The rear hatch lock jammed and does not lock. I only discovered this by accident recently.
I like to drive with the rear seats down and the rear windows open. The dogs like this configuration. Unfortunately, over 30 miles/hr, the ML's interior resonates and sounds like a base organ pipe. I am sure the volume will cause ear damage.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 430 V8 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 2 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 35000 miles |
| Previous car | Honda CR-V |
| Date of Entry | 31st May, 2002 |