1999 Mercedes Benz ML320 complaints

I HEARD A SNAP SOUND WHILE DRIVING AND A BURNING RUBBER SMELL AFTERWARDS. WE WERE GOING TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT TO INVESTIGATE,BUT HALF WAY TO MAKING A LEFT TURN, WE LOST ALL STEERING CAPABILITIES AND COASTED TO THE SIDE OF A INTERSECTION. I NORMALLY DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY, AND IF THIS HAPPENED THEN, I AM SURE I WOULD HAVE HAD A MAJOR ACCIDENT.

CONSUMER STATES FUEL PUMP FAILED THREE TIMES.*YH

BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND ONCE ROTORS. BRAKES WERE MAKING A SQUEAKING SOUND. FRONT AND BACK BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALER NEVER GOT PERMISSION TO DO REPAIRS, BUT CHARGED CONSUMER FOR SERVICE. *AK

VEHICLE WAS SHUTTING OFF AND BURNING A LOT OF GAS. CONSUMER WAS GOING ON A TRIP, AND DEALER CHECKED VEHICLE THE DAY BEFORE THE ROAD TRIP. CONSUMER WAS 100 MILES AWAY, AND VEHICLE CUT OFF. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO NEAREST DEALER. CAUSE STILL CANNOT BE FOUND.*AK

WHILE ROTATING MY TIRES, THE MERCEDES BENZ MECHANIC REPORTED THAT MY FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE WORN DOWN. I HAVE DRIVEN FOR 44 YEARS IN MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEHICLES. I HAVE DRIVEN IN 10 FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND ACROSS THE US SEVERAL TIMES. I DO NOT ABUSE MY CAR. MY BENZ HAS NEVER BEEN OFF THE ROAD. IT HAS NEVER BEEN IN FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE.IT IS 18 MILES TO MY OFFICE OF WHICH 15 MILES ARE FREEWAY DRIVING. I CANNOT BELIEVE BRAKE PADS SHOULD WEAR OUT AFTER ONE YEAR AND 15,500 MILES. $250 PER YEAR TO REPLACE BRAKE PADS IS CRAZY. MERCEDES SHOULD ADVISE PROSPECTIVE OWNERS OF THIS ANNUAL COST. HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS?*AK

WHEN ON A HILL OR INCLINE VEHICLE WILL ROLL BACK, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. HE SAID IT WAS NORMAL. *AK

WIRES ON THE FUEL SENDING UNITS CORRODE IN GASOLINE AND SEND FALSE ELECTRICAL SIGNALS TO THE FUEL GAUGE. *SLC

VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED A NO START CONDITION. DEALER HAS REPLACED FUEL PUMP TWICE, BUT DEFECT STILL OCCURS. *AK

VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE UPON TAKING OFF. DEALER IS NOT RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. *AK

CONSUMER HEARS A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR SUSPENSION UPON RIGHT TURNS, DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM. NLM

THE CAR'S ENGINE DIES WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES. HOWEVER, THEY SEEM TO NEVER FIX IT. MY WIFE WILL NOT DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE SHE IS WORRIED THAT IT WILL CRASH. *AK

ENGINE HAS DIED FOUR TIMES WHILE DRIVING. DEALER HAS TRIED TO REPAIR THE ENGINE TWICE BUT HAS FAILED. DOOR LOCKS DO NOT LOCK WHEN USING KEY FOB OR THE LOCK BUTTON. RATHER, THEY POP UP AND DOWN. *AK

THE ENGINE RUNS FOR ABOUT 10,000 MILES BEFORE IT BEGINS TO STALL OUT AT UNEXPECTED TIMES.THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS A PROBLEM WITH THE MAF SENSOR . THIS SENSOR(MASS AIR FLOW) HAS FAILED 3 TIMES IN LESS THAN A YEAR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. THE VEHICLE SIMPLY SHUTS DOWN AND IS HARD TO RESTART . THIS OCCURENCE HAS HAPPENED AT ALL SPEEDS AND SO FAR I HAVE AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT . I FEEL THAT IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE FAILURE OF THE MAF WILL CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, TRAVELLING ABOUT 50MPH, ALL OF A SUDDEN DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. HASN'T CONTACTED DEALER OR MANUFACTURER. *AK

NOISE COMES FROM REAR SUSPENSION WHILE MAKING SHARP RIGHT TURN. YH

RECALL 99V328006 CONCERNING SEAT BELT BUCKLES. DEALER HAS NO PARTS. *AK

THE VEHICLE STALLS ON HIGHWAY AND DOES NOT RESTART DUE TO UNKNOWN CAUSE. YH

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT ANY SPEED TRANSMISSION WILL LOSE POWER, USUALLY WHEN SHIFTING SPEED. *AK

I WAS HURT IN A SANDWICH TYPE WRECK AT HIGH SPEED AND NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED! *AK

NOTICED POOR GAS MILEAGE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND REPLACED FUEL SENDING UNIT. SECOND TIME REPLACED A FUEL PUMP . ALSO, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON.

VEHICLE HAS BEEN OUT OF ALIGNMENT/BALANCE SINCE PURCHASE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN REPAIR FOUR TIMES SINCE PURCHASE IN JANUARY 1999 FOR A TOTAL OUT-OF-SERVICE OF ABOUT A MONTH. VEHICLE HAS ALTERNATELY BEEN ALIGNED, TIRES BALANCE OR ROTATED TO CORRECT VIBRATION OF VEHICLE AT ALL SPEEDS. ORIGINAL GENERAL TIRES WERE EXCHANGED FOR A SET OF DUNLOPS IN MAY OF 1999, DUE TO DEPRESSIONS/BULGES IN SIDEWALLS. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO REPAIR IN NOVEMBER 1999 FOR OUT OF BALANCE/ALIGNMENT CONDITION. REPAIR SHOP SAID VEHICLE WAS RE-BALANCED USING LOAD-BEARING TECHNIQUE. VEHICLE VIBRATES AT ALL SPEEDS NOW, BUT PARTICULARLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY AT SPEEDS OVER 40 MPH. SEVERITY OF VIBRATION IS SUCH THAT ONE CANNOT HOLD A NORMAL CONVERSATION IN THE VEHICLE. VIBRATION ADVERSLY AFFECTS SAFETY AND HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER REPORTS VEHICLE BALANCED/ALIGNED TO MERCEDES-BENZ SPECS AND NOTHING FURTHER CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT IT, AND THAT THIS IS THE ONLY VEHICLE THEY HAVE ENCOUNTERED WITH THIS PROBLEM. AN ALTERNATE MERCEDES SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS ENCOUNTERING SEVERAL PROBLEMS IN KEEPING ALIGNMENT/BALANCE CORRECT ON ML320S. UNTIL REMEDIED, VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE AT SPEEDS OVER 40 MPH.( DOT NUMBER: )

TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AFTER STOPPING, TOWED TO DEALER IN VA. FOR REPAIR. LOCKS POPPING UP AND DOWN LIKE A MACHINE GUN, DEALER HAS "FIXED" 3 TIMES, CD PLAYER FAILURE AFTER A MONTH, DEALER REPLACED COMPLETE UNIT, DASH WARNING LIGHTS WERE EITHER OFF AT STARTING OR SOME ON OR ALL OFF, DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM, SEEMS TO HAVE HEALED. WE DO NOT TRUST THE VEHICLE WHICH WE PURCHASED NEW ANYMORE. WE ARE CONSTANTLY AWAITING SOMETHING ELSE TO GO WRONG.

THE VEHICLES ENGINE CUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES WITH OWNER, AND 3 TIMES WITH DEALER. DEALER CANT FIND A SOLUTION. *AK

CRUISE CONTROL STALK IS TOO LONG, MAKING ACCIDENTAL ACTIVATION OF CRUISE CONTROL LIKELY WHEN ACTIVATING THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL. HITTING THE CC STALK WHEN MAKING A RIGHR TURN ACTIVATES THE "ACCEL" PORTION OF THE CRUISE CONTROL. THERE IS NO VISUAL INDICATION (DASH LAMP, ETC.) THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS BEEN ACTIVATED.

OWNER'S MANUAL STATES ON PAGE 59 'PRESS DOWN ROCKER SWITCH SYMBOLS: AUXILIARY FRONT FOG LAMPS ON (IF SO EQUIPPED). GREEN INDICATOR LAMP IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER COMES ON. GREEN INDICATOR LAMP IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DOES NOT COME ON! DEALER SERVICE MANAGER TELLS ME HE HAS NOT SEEN THIS LIGHT IN ANY ML 320 OR ML 430 EQUIPPED WITH FRONT FOG LIGHTS. I CALLED CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER MERCEDES-BENZ OF NORTH AMERICA INC. AND WAS TOLD I WOULD NEVER SEE THIS LIGHT, THE OWNER'S MANUAL IS IN ERROR. I FEEL THIS INDICATOR LIGHT IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE BLUE HEADLAMP HIGH BEAM INDICATOR LIGHT TO REMIND THE DRIVER HIGH BEAMS ARE ON, SO AS NOT TO ANNOY ONCOMING DRIVERS. THE MERCEDES-BENZ AUXILIARY FRONT FOG LAMPS ARE BRIGHT! THEY ARE WONDERFUL FOR DRIVING ON THE NARROW RURAL ROADS WHERE I LIVE IN PENNSYLVANIA, BUT THEY WILL ANNOY ONCOMING DRIVERS IF LEFT ON.