1999 Mercedes-Benz ML430 Engine Problems

DECEMBER 11, 2013 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK MY BENZ QUIT ON ME IN THE ROAD WOULD NOT START BACK (MY HOME IS WITHIN 2 MILES OF MY WORK) THE DAY BEFORE IT HAD QUIT AS I WAS MAKING A TURN BUT RESTARTED A COUPLE OF DAYS PRIOR I HAD THE CAR WARMING AND IT SHUT OFF WHILE WARMING UP BUT RESTARTED. THERE WAS NO LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT DASH PANEL LIT OR STAYING LIT. AFTER SOME INTERNET INVESTIGATING I ASSUME IT WAS THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AS IT HAD ALL THE SIGNS THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD I PURCHASED ONE FOR THE REPAIR SHOP TO INSTALL. THEY HAVE INSTALLED IT BUT BELIEVE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CRANKSHAFT SO I AM NOT CURRENTLY DRIVING IT. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT WITH IT QUITTING WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF WARNING. MY BENZ HAS LESS THAN 65K I DON'T HAVE THE CURRENT MILEAGE WITH ME AT THIS TIME BUT IF IT IS NEEDED PLEASE LET ME KNOW. *TR

NHTSA ID

10557938

Incident

Dec 11, 2013

Mileage

65,000 mi

AFTER EXITING THE FREEWAY I NOTICED A LOUD EXHAUST SOUND COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. AFTER PULLING OVER IOOKED UNDERNEATH THE CAR ANT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SPLIT IN HALF ALONG THE WELDS. *TR BASICALLY, THE EXHAUST IS VENTING DIRECTLY TO THE OPEN AIR WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE EMISSION SYSTEM. THE LEFT SIDE EXHAUST NOT HOLDING TOGETHER CORRECTLY. I THEN FOUND THAT MY CAR HAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT: MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC AND DAIMLERCHRYSLER AG SETTLEMENT (EPA) AFFECTED VEHICLES: THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES HAVE BEEN RECALLED TO INSPECT AND REPLACE, IF NECESSARY, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER: 1999-2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML 320 (VIN RANGE A036519-A260405) 1999 -2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML 430 ( VIN RANGE A057639-A260575) THERE IS NO MILEAGE LIMIT OR TIME LIMIT FOR THIS REPAIR/REPLACEMENT. I AM AN OWNER OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLE BUT THE DEALER WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. HOW DO I PROCEED TO GET THIS VIOLATION REPAIRED? CAN YOU PLEASE POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? THIS IS A HEALTH/SAFETY ISSUE. THANK YOU, SCOTT

NHTSA ID

10509362

Incident

Apr 19, 2013

Mileage

120,000 mi

TL* THE OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ ML 430. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER STARTING MAKING A NOISE AND LEAKING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE MECHANIC NOTICE THE WELDING WAS CRACKING. THE MECHANIC PULLED UP A RECALL AND SUGGESTED THE CONTACT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THE RECALL REMEDY REPAIR AND THE DEALER STATED DUE TO THE VIN NUMBER, THE VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE DEALER SUGGESTED TO THE CONTACT THAT HE CALL MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THEIR IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO AND THE RECALL CAMPAIGN IS CLOSED. THE CONTACT STATED THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

NHTSA ID

10357002

Incident

Sep 15, 2010

Mileage

98,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ ML430. WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD, UNUSUAL POP. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE SOUNDED SIMILAR TO A LOUD MOTORCYCLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE TWO FRONT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS NOT A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

NHTSA ID

10345951

Incident

Jul 14, 2010

Mileage

131,700 mi

CRANKSHAFT HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE! (1999 MERCEDES BENZ ML430)... MILEAGE: 82000 REF: NHTSA ACTION # 03058..HE PULLEY FAILURE JUST OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING DOWN I85 IN ATL. UPON HEARING A KNOCKING NOISE AND SMELLING WHAT SEEMED LIKE RUBBER BURNING, I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ENGINE. IT TOOK NO TIME TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL, IT WAS THE V-BELT (NO LONGER CENTERED ON ALL PULLEYS) RUBBING AGAINST THE ENGINE. BEING REASONABLY MECHANIC SAVVY, I KNEW THIS WAS A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS THAN JUST A WATER PUMP OUTAGE AND PROCEEDED CALLED A TOW TRUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MY LOCAL MB DEALERSHIP (MB OF S.ATL) AT A COST OF $52.00& APROX DROP TIME: 8:00 PM. THE FOLLOWING MORNING I CONTACTED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO FURTHER EXPLAIN MY SITUATION AND WAS ADVISED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN AND VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THE V6 AND V8 ENGINES OF WHICH MINE IS THE LATTER (113942). HAVING NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE MULTITUDE OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS AND LAW SUITES, I WAS FLOORED WHEN THE QUOTE OF APPROXIMATELY $3500.00 WAS DROPPED IN MY LAP. THE DEALER HAS AGREED TO COMP THE PARTS.. APROX COST: $1300.. THE LABOR (14.85 HRS TOTALED $1510.00) I GET TO EAT! LAW SUITE TO FOLLOW IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECOVER MY OUT OF POCKET COST! WHY IS THIS NOT A RECALL ITEM!!!!!*AK

NHTSA ID

10093140

Incident

Sep 20, 2004

Mileage

82,663 mi

I'M AN OWNER OF A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ ML430 WHICH IN MY BELIEF HAS A DEFECTIVE PART NAMED A HARMONIC BALANCER OR A CRANK SHAFT PULLEY. THE REASON IM FILING MY COMPLAINT IS BECAUSE I WAS TOLD BY A MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE REP(CHRIS) OF TRI-STAR MERCEDES BENZ IN THE ST LOUIS MO,AREA THAT HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF A MALFUNCTION OR A DEFECTIVE PART CALLED THE HARMONIC BALANCER THE INQUIRY WAS MADE AS I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THE SAID ESTABLISHMENT AFTER HAVING A PROBLEM WITH A LOUD NOISE LIKE GRINDING IN THE ENGINE DEPARTMENT THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON THE ENGINE STARTED TO DIE OUT THE POWER STEERING BEGAN TO FAIL JUST THINK IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR SHE COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE TO OTHERS AND HERSELF BUT GOD.... ON WEDNESDAY AUG 1,04 I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TRI-STAR MERCEDES BENZ ON THE FOLLOWING DAY I RECEIVED A CALL FROM SERVICE REP CHRIS AND I TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED, HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE HIS TECH'S LOOK AT IT HE CALLED BACK ON THE SAME DAY AND STATED WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS I ASKED HIM DOES THIS HAPPEN OFTEN TO THE ML HE STATED NO. I WAS THEN QUOTED A PRICE OF 1700 DOLLARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM IF THE OIL PANS WERE DAMAGED AND 1450 IF IT WAS NOT. AFTER RECEIVING MY CAR BACK I AM HAVING PROBLEMS OF SHAKING IN MY STEERING WHEEL LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY TIRES BUT THERE IS NOT. I BELIEVE ITS GOT SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE COSTLY REPAIRS OF THE HARMONIC BALANCER. A COUPLE OF WEB SITES WERE FOUND WERE I DISCOVERED ACCORDING TO OTHER MB OWNERS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM I THINK THAT MB IS TRYING TO COVER UP THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING SITUATION ON THERE HANDS AND WHICH HAVE COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE CONSUMER SUCH AS MYSELF. THOSE THAT HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THERE MB SHOULD BE WARNED OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER AND MB SHOULD OWN UP TO THERE RESPONSIBILITY AND RECALL THERE CARS AND SUV AND REFUND MONEY TO THOSE WHO HAVE HAD COSTLY REPAIRS DONE BECAUSE OF THIS SAID COSTLY DEFECT. WHO KNOWS HOW MANY ACCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED CAUSING LIVES TO PERISH. *JB

NHTSA ID

10090485

Incident

Aug 1, 2004

Mileage

72,000 mi

HARMONIC BALANCER/VIBRATION DAMPNER ON ML430 MERCEDES-BENZ DEFECTIVE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10056431

Incident

Jan 25, 2004

MERCEDES BENZ 1999 ML 430. HARMONIC BALANCER FAILED. DRIVING 65+ ON THE MASS. PIKE, THE POWER STEERING FAILED, AND THEN THE ENGINE BEGIN TO OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE WRESTLED FROM THE LEFT LANE, ACROSS 3 VERY BUSY LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE STATE POLICE WERE CALLED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. I LATER LEARNED THAT THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY HAD BROKEN APART AND CAUSED A CHAIN REACTION OF FAILURES ULTIMATELY LEADING TO THE ABOVE. * CB

NHTSA ID

10054362

Incident

Oct 13, 2003

Mileage

78,000 mi

MERCEDES BENZ (MB) HAS A DEFECTIVE HARMONIC BALANCER WHICH THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE REPLACEMENT FOR WILLINGLY. THEIR OFFICIAL LINE IS THAT THEY "HAVE NO POLICY" WITH REGARD TO THIS. THE PART IN QUESTION IS ON "NATIONAL BACKORDER" I WAS TOLD BY 2 DIFFERENT SOURCES. MB WAS CONDESCENDING & RUDE WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT THIS. THEIR DEALERSHIPS PROVIDE NO HELP. FAILURE OF THIS PART CAN BE DANGEROUS. I HAVE FILED REPORTS WITH MY STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL & THE BBB. A RECALL IS NECESSARY IMMEDIATELY!! P.S. (THE FUEL GAGE DOES NOT READ FULL EVER!) *LA

NHTSA ID

10047306

Incident

Nov 21, 2003

THE HARMONIC BALANCER ON ALL MERCEDES BENZ V6 AND V8 ENGINES BETWEEN 1995 AND 1999 IS DEFECTIVE. MB KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE $100 DEFECTIVE PART FAILS AROUND 50K MILES IT CAUSES $2K-3K IN DAMAGE. PLEASE SEE THE SITE MERCEDESSHOP.COM TO VIEW THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MBUSA CUSTOMER SERVICE, THE M-B AREA MANAGER, RON ST.PIERRE, AND DREHER-HOLLOWAY SERVICE MANAGER, MIKE BELLAIGERON. ALL REFUSE TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE ITEMS. M-B RE-DESIGNED THE PART IN 2001 AND ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN IN DEC 2001 DIRECTING SERVICE TECHCNICANS TO REPLACE THE PART WITH A NEW STOCK NUMBER. THEY KNOW THE PROBLEM EXISTS BUT WAIT FOR THE FAUILURES BECUSE THEY GET MORE REVENUE FROM REPAIRING THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE FAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10047190

Incident

Oct 18, 2003

Mileage

54,000 mi

THE VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER ON SIX SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10046528

Incident

Apr 15, 2003

Mileage

52,231 mi

THE HARMONIC BALANCER ON THE CRANKSHAFT OF MY MERCEDES ML430 VIN# 4JGAB72E7XA09375 FAILED W/O WARNING CAUSING THE FAN BELT TO FAIL AND THE BALANCER STARTED CUTTING A HOLE IN THE OIL PAN. THIS FAILURE JUST BY "LUCK" DID NOT CAUSE A MOVING ACCIDENT DUE TO LOSS OF ELECTRICAL AND POWER STEERING, OR AN UNDER THE HOOD FIRE. THIS COST ME $500 TO GET FIXED WHEN A $70 PART COULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED IF I HAD ONLY BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS FREQUENT FAILURE ON MERCEDES MODELS LIKE MINE. THE DEALER WAS LITTLE HELP IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10045578

Incident

Oct 23, 2003

Mileage

83,353 mi

HARMONIC BALANCER HAD DETERIORATED AND WAS REPLACED IN ORDER TO PREVENT SUDEN FAILURE AND/OR MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE; PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE INCREASINGLY 'COMMON' AMONG ML OWNERS!*AK

NHTSA ID

10043844

Incident

Oct 27, 2003

Mileage

90,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY ML430 ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY POWER STEERING GAVE OUT AND MY CAR STARTED TO OVERHEAT. I MANAGED TO "STRONG ARM" THE CAR, (HOPPED A CURB MID-TURN) AND PULL OVER INTO A LOCAL GROCERY STORE. WHAT MY DEALER HAD DIAGNOSED WAS THAT THE HARMONIC BALANCER WAS DISCONNECTED AND THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY ASSEMBLY CAME APART. I'M AFRAID THAT IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR AT THE TIME THE CIRCUMSTANCES MAY HAVE BEEN MORE SEVERE. SINCE THE PULLEY CAME APART AT SUCH FORCE IT ALSO MANAGED TO RIP A HOLE INTO MY OIL PAN. ALL IN ALL I'M LOOKING AT A $3000 REPAIR TO A POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND OFFERED TO PRESENT THE ISSUE TO MB AND REQUEST HELP FOR THE REPAIR. "COMMON PROBLEM!" .. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF. MB CAME BACK WITH NO ASSISTANCE SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY AND OWNERSHIP MB IS TAKING ON THEIR BRAND. THE WHOLE REASON I PURCHASED THE CAR WAS FOR QUALITY. I'M SADDENED TO WONDER HOW MANY LIVES ARE POTENTIALLY IN DANGER DUE TO THIS COMMON PROBLEM AND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR MB TO BECOME PROACTIVE AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *LA

NHTSA ID

10043368

Incident

Oct 3, 2003

Mileage

72,000 mi

LTR INQUIRING ON THE STATUS OF A COMPLAINT FILED IN AUGUST 2003 (#10031122) RE THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION IN HIS MERCEDES BENZ ML 430 SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE.*MR THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. THE TRANSMISSION IS SEALED (NO DIPSTICK) SO THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE CONSUMER TO CHECK THE FLUID LEVEL. THE VEHICLES CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AND THE BRAKE LINE RUPTURED. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10042515

HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE; EARLY DETECTION PREVENTED SERPENTINE BELT FAILURE AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST AND POWER BRAKES ASSIST.

NHTSA ID

10039353

Incident

Sep 20, 2003

Mileage

71,700 mi

THE HARMONIC BALANCER FAILED TO STAY ON THE CRANKSHAFT AND HIT OTHER ENGINE COMPONETS AND CONSEQUENTLY CUT THE FAN BELT, CAUSED THE ENGINE TO OVER HEAT, AND PUT A HOLE IN THE OIL PAN. *AK *TS *JB

NHTSA ID

10024527

Incident

Jan 15, 2003

Mileage

80,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 45MPH LOST CONTROL OF STEERING AND NOTICED MAIN PULLEY LOOSENED.*AK

NHTSA ID

8017221

Incident

Aug 23, 2002

Mileage

65,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF. WHILE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP DUE TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

8005001