Total of 26 warranty claims for broken equipment, major ones as follows.
Fuel pump failed
Alternator failed
Battery failed
O2 sensor failed
Front power seat motor failed
Drivers window switches failed
MCS unit failed
Rear gas struts failed
Remote entry system failed (twice)
Entry keys failed
Rear seat came loose
Front passenger seat came loose
Auxiliary cooling fans failed
Leaky water reservoir
Rear brakes wore out at 16,000 miles, but no warning light
Plus all manner of rattles and squeaks too numerous to mention.
The ML is a good design, but poorly put together and let down by the poor quality of the components used.
The inadequacies of the assembled vehicle are compounded by patchy service coverage at some dealers and the 'couldn't care less' attitude of MB USA.
For a $50,000 SUV this is not good.
The ML is seriously damaging the MB brand name and doubtless losing MB many customers - myself included.
On the plus side the ML is doubtless a very safe truck - when it's running OK.
But ours has left us at the roadside or inconvenienced too many times to be considered 'truly safe'.
Sorry to hear about your problems - sounds like you got a lemon. I have a 2001 ML320 and it's not much better than yours, but I only have 23,000 miles on it so far. I would have thought that MB would have ironed out these wrinkles by now. I can't see myself buying another ML or for that matter another MB product - they're making them too cheap and it's showing in the quality & reliability. Probably Lexus for me next time...
It didn't get better : I've got a 2002 ML-500 and its had all the 'usual suspects' : Batteries, tire wear, nav system failures, heated seat failures that burned through the leather seat and roasted my butt, rattles, CD player errors, power steering fluid squirting everywhere : you name it : over 30 individual warranty repairs and over 6 weeks (totaled) in the repair shop in less than 2 years.
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