1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML320 review from North America
"A high priced mistake"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The weather stripping on one door kept falling down.
The door locks went into ghost mode frequently requiring 3 visits to the dealership to correct.
The drivers side power window failed in the lowered position. Good thing I had a garage.
I had a mysterious ear-splitting grinding noise from one of the wheels/brakes. It appeared to be something came loose and it would start when I made a left hand turn. I could make it go away with a right hand turn. So I travelled home making right turns only for 25 miles. I took it to the dealer immediately, who found no problem, but it mysteriously went away.
General comments?
I purchased this car as a replacement for a mini-van (which my wife felt quite frumpy driving). I thought I was doing a good thing by buying her a "quality" Mercedes Benz. I've owned mostly Toyota vehicles. Very good quality, but sometimes missing in the personality aspect.
I also purchased the 3rd row seat. This was one of the reasons for purchasing the ML320. The dealer was not help in telling me that the 3rd row seat was a permanent fixture that could not be removed. I discovered after having it installed that the seats were removable.
I must comment on the dealership. Here in Phoenix, Arizona there were only two, now three. I hated the place, I spent the extra money to purchase an ML320 and felt like a leper waiting in the service line watching the Service Managers fawn over customers in 80K+ cars and leaving the "many" M-class customers waiting.
I happened to also own a Lexus RX300 at the same time. Which I can't say enough good things about, including the dealership/services.
The kicker is that when I finally got tired of the ML320 and I tried to sell it, I almost had to give it away. Comparing the Mercedes resell and Lexus, ML320 vs. RX300. Two years after purchase at similar prices, the ML320 was worth $10K less.
The only upside to the ML320, was the engine and transmission felt smooth and powerful. The ML320 also had a much better turning radius that the R300.
Recommended reviews
| Think twice about the M-class |
|
| An expensive piece of junk |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.2 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 30000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota Sienna |
| Date of Entry | 31st May, 2003 |