2000 Mercedes-Benz M Class Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ ML. IN DECEMBER OF 2008, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V465000 (STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST: HOSE, PIPING). AFTER THE REPAIR, HE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL LEAKING FLUID. THE DEALER STATED THAT IF HE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK, HE WOULD BE CHARGED FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD CALL HIM BACK, BUT THEY NEVER DID. ON MARCH 26, 2009, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING ON THE BELTS AND CAUSED THE STEERING TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

THIS COMPLAINT ARISES OUT OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V465000 (MOST RECENT) INVOLVING A DEFECTIVE HOSE AND CLAMP ASSOCIATED WITH THE POWER STEERING. I AM WAITING TO HAVE THOSE ITEMS INSTALLED ON MY 2000 MERCEDES ML55 WHEN THE PARTS ARE OBTAINED BY MY DEALER, MBL OF TYSON'S CORNER, VA, WHICH SOLICITED ME TO HAVE THE REPAIRS MADE AND I TRIED TO DO SO BUT THE PARTS WERE NOT IN STOCK. MY COMPLAINT HAS TO DO WITH MERCEDES'S REFUSAL TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FACT THAT SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2000, IT HAS HAD THREE OR FOUR POWER STEERING PUMPS TO GO BAD AND HAVE TO BE REPLACED. IN YOUR RECALL NOTICE, YOU STATE THAT THE DEFECTIVE HOSE AND CLAMP "ULTIMATELY CAN DAMAGE THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING>" SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN 2000, IT WILL NOT HAVE HAD A NON-DEFECTIVE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. AS BEST I CAN DETERMINE FROM PAPER IN MY POSSESSION, THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST THREE TIMES. I SUPPOSE THAT MERCEDES COULD ARGUE THAT FOUR PUMPS REPRESENTS NORMAL WEAR-AND-TEAR, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS SOME CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DEFECTIVE HOSE AND CLAMP AND THE NEED TO REPLACE MULTIPLE PUMPS. THE PUMP IS A BIG-TICKET ITEM--MORE THAN $1,200 EACH TO BUY AND HAVE INSTALLED. IT STRIKES ME AS UNLIKELY IN THE EXTREME THAT THE DEFECTIVE HOSE AND CLAMP DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE FAILURE OF AT LEAST THREE POWER STEERING PUMPS OVER THE LAST 9 YEARS. *TR

AT HIGHWAY SPEED CAR JERKED VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT AS OFF THE FROM RIGHT BRAKE WAS BEING APPLIED ON ITS OWN. TURNED THE ESP (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) OFF AND PROCEEDED AND THE EVENT HAPPENED AGAIN, CAR JERKED TO LEFT AND HEADED TO DITCH BUT WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME WITH STEERING WHEEL. IT APPEARS A CAR SYSTEM FAILED CRASH RATHER THAN FAIL SAFE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2000 ML320 MERCEDES, THE CAR SUDDENLY APPLIES BRAKES WHILE TRAVELING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE BAS/ESP WARNING LIGHTS COME ON. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION AND SOMEONE SHOULD MAKE MERCEDES ADDRESS THIS DEFECT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED! IF YOU DO A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET, IT WILL AMAZE YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS HORRIFYING ORDEAL. PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE MY COMPLAINT. *TR

AT HIGHWAY SPEED CAR JERKED VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT AS OFF THE FROM RIGHT BRAKE WAS BEING APPLIED ON ITS OWN. TURNED THE ESP (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) OFF AND PROCEEDED AND THE EVENT HAPPENED AGAIN, CAR JERKED TO LEFT AND HEADED TO DITCH BUT WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME WITH STEERING WHEEL. IT APPEARS A CAR SYSTEM FAILED CRASH RATHER THAN FAIL SAFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL IN ACTIVATION. WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO DISENGAGE. SUDDENLY THE BRAKES LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN INTO PARK, WHICH BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE CONTACT RESUMED IN OPERATION WITH CAUTION. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V208000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: CRUISE CONTROL). THE RECALL PART WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE REMEDY REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000.

THIS IS EXPERIENCED BY MOST OF THE ML DRIVERS: WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE CAR JUST STOPS AND HERE IS WHAT MERCEDES SAID AND WHAT HAPPENS ACCORDING TO MB RESEARCH: THE GAS INSIDE SOME UNDERGROUND TANKS DISSOLVES THE PROTECTIVE LINER. THE LINER ENDS UP AS A GOOEY SUBSTANCE IN OUR TANKS. AS LONG AS THE PUMP IS RUNNING THERE IS NO PROBLEM. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN, THE SUBSTANCE HARDENS INSIDE THE PUMP AND FREEZES IT. HAVE SOMEONE HIT THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK WITH A BIG HAMMER WHILE SOMEONE ELSE IS STARTING UP AT THE SAME TIME AND MOST LIKELY YOU'LL GET THE VEHICLE RUNNING AGAIN - THEN DRIVE TO THE DEALER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO GET THE PUMP REPLACED. FROZEN PUMPS SENT FOR EVALUATION TO STUTTGART DID WORK WHEN THEY ARRIVED THERE WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF GAS THE "GLUE" HAD HARDENED TO A POINT THAT IT GOT BRITTLE AND THE PUMPS WORKED AGAIN.*AK

ELECTRICAL:MCS UNIT,RADIO/CASSETTE PLAYER DEFECT. MCS UNIT MALFUNCTIONED(SCREEN BLACK OUT AND ALL OPERATIONS CEASED)MB MAY EXCHANGE IF UNDER WARRANTY AND NO AFTER MARKET ELECTRICAL ITEMS INSTALLED..THEY WILL NOT TELL THE CONSUMER WHY? THE $1550 MCS UNIT MALFUNCTIONED...AN OFF DUTY MB TECH WAS ENLISTED TO PERFORM AN INTERNAL CHECK OF THE MCS UNIT AND FOUND A DEFECT THAT ATTRIBUTED TO THE MALFUNCTION OF THE MCS UNIT THAT SHOULD RESULT IN THE IMMEDIATE RECALL OF ALL MB MCS UNITS:I.T.CHECK RESULTS: THE CASSETTE PLAYER MOTOR HAS A LUBRICANT ENCLOSED IN A CLEAR HOUSING, WHEN THE MCS UNIT BECOMES OVERHEATED(VIA DIR SUNLIGHT,HI VOL-EVEN WHEN REGULATED BY THE BOSE SYSTEM AND CONTINUOUS STEREO OPERATION...MOST MB OWNERS WON'T DUPLICATE THESE CONDITIONS AS MBUSA HOPES),THE LUBRICANT(A GEL THAT BECAME LIQUEFIED BY THE HEAT) WILL LEAK FROM THE CLEAR HOUSING AND DRIP ONTO THE CIRCUIT BOARD DIRECTLY BELOW(THE CIRCUIT BOARD WILL HAVE APPROX 1/2" ROUND GREASY SPOT),THE EFFECTS OF THE LIQUID LUBRICANT LEAKING ONTO THE CIRCUIT BOARD WILL RESULT IN A 'SHORT CIRCUIT' OF THE MCS UNIT. THE MB DEALER SERVICE DEPT WAS VERY VAGUE IN THEIR DESCRIPTION OF THE MCS MALFUNCTION, SO I REQUESTED ,IN WRITING, A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE CAUSE OF THE MCS UNIT MALFUNCTION. I WAS DENIED... WHEN I NOTIFIED,IN WRITING, A MB DEALER SERVICE DEPT OF MY REQUEST TO MEET WITH THEIR REGIONAL REP AND THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER, MY LETTERS WERE NOT RETURNED AND UPON A PERSONAL VISIT,FOREWRITTEN, I WAS ADVISED,BY THE 'DISCOURTEOUS' ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS 'IN A MEETING', AFTER WRITTEN REQUESTS WERE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE MB SERVICE MANAGER AND THE OWNER, REGISTERED LETTERS AND FAXES WERE SENT(TO ME,WORK,MY EMPLOYER) FROM THE MB DEALER ATTORNEY TO CEASE AND DESIST FROM CONTACTING THE MB DEALER AND WAS ACCUSED OF CRIMINAL HARASSMENT(MY EMPLOYER WAS ALSO SENT COPIES OF MY PERSONAL LETTERS,INDICATING I WAS INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL HARASSMENT(WHEREBY THREATENING MY EMPLOYMENT AND SLANDERING MY NAME, BY THE MB DEALER ATTORNEY).

WHILE DRIVING, SOME TEA SPILLED ONTO MY SHIFTER. MOMENTS LATER WHILE MERGING INTO HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC, MY CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF LOW GEAR. I HAD TO SWERVE ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO AVOID BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. THIS MINOR SPILLAGE OF HERBAL TEA DISTORTED MY SHIFTER RESULTING IN $788.25 WORTH OF DAMAGE. I WANT TO PETITION NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE WHAT I CONSIDER A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN MY 2000 MERCEDES ML320. WHAT IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND THIS HAPPENED? *NM

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW FAILURE. *AK

THE VEHICLE IS A 2000 ML 320 MADE BY MERCEDES. THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING 60 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE DIED. LUCKILY, WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE OVER TO A SAFE PLACE AND STOP THE CAR SAFELY. I CONSIDER THIS A VERY DANGEROUS FAILURE MODE. SINCE THE CAR WOULD NOT START, IT WAS TOWED TO SACRAMENTO MERCEDES. THE SECOND, AND PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANT, ISSUE IS THE WAY THE DEALER INSISTED ON DOCUMENTING THE PROBLEM. I TOLD THE DEALER THAT NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, ?THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED?. AFTER READING WHAT THE DEALER WROTE IN THEIR MAINTENANCE SYSTEM I TOLD THE DEALER THEY MUST HAVE MISHEARD ME. I REPEATED THAT NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. THE DEALER THEN SAID THAT WHEN THEY STARTED THE CAR AND THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AT THAT TIME. SINCE I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP, I CANNOT VERIFY WHETHER THEY STARTED THE CAR, OR NOT, AND IF IT STARTED WHETHER THE WARNING LIGHT WAS ON, OR NOT. I TOLD THE DEALER THEY COULD DOCUMENT THAT THEY OBSERVED A WARNING LIGHT, BUT THEY SHOULD NOT ERRONEOUSLY DOCUMENT THAT I STATED THE WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. HOWEVER, WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR THE DOCUMENTATION CONTAINED BOTH STATEMENTS. I ASKED THEM TO REMOVE THE PORTION THAT I HAD STATED THE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THEY REFUSED. I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ?TRAINED? TO FALSELY REPORT THESE PROBLEMS, PERHAPS TO AVOID PROBLEMS BEING BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE NHTSA. I THINK THIS IS POTENTIALLY FRAUDULENT AND SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED. I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS A CRANK-ANGLE SENSOR. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS PAYING 50% OF THE COST AND THE ?FACTORY? WAS TAKING CARE OF THE OTHER 50%. *AK

ENGINE RUNS ROUGH, IDLES LIKE IT IS GOING TO DIE, CAR SURGES FORWARD WHILE MOVING OR STOPPED, DASH WARNING LIGHTS ON/OFF, ROUGH GEAR SHIFTING OR WON'T SHIFT, ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, GAS TANK/GAUGE PROBLEMS, LOCK/WINDOWS POWERED WHEN CAR OFF, DASH LIGHTING GOES IN/OUT, HEADLIGHT/BRAKE LIGHTS BURN OUT QUICKLY, ELECTRICAL, STARTING CAR ISSUES. THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN/OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS. I BOUGHT IT USED WITH A "CERTIFIED PRE OWNED WARRANTY", CODES GO OFF AND THEY SIMPLY RESET THEM. THERE HAS BEEN A NEW CONVERTER, WINDOW REPAIR, WORK ON GAS TANK, SPARK PLUGS, AND NUMEROUS OTHER "ATTEMPTS". NOW THE WARRANTY IS GONE AND MY PROBLEMS HAVE WORSENED. I DRIVE IT OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP AND THE WARNING LIGHTS COME RIGHT BACK ON. THEY ARE USING PROCESS OF ELIMINATION AND I'M PAYING FOR ALL THE GUESS WORK! THE OIL MONITOR IS ALWAYS OFF, GET THE OIL CHANGED AND IT GIVES ME SERVICE IS NEEDED CODES WITH -OIL READING? HELP. *TR