1998 Mercedes Benz ML320

THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS A CLUNK IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND THE STEERING SEEMS TO BE LOOSE. I THINK IT IS DEFECTIVE STEERING GEAR. THE CAR WANDERS OVER THE ROAD AND SOMETIMES STARTS PULLING ITSELF INTO ONE LANE AND THEN TRIES TO GO TO THE OTHER LANE ALMOST CAUSING ME ON ONE OCCASION TO RUN OVER A KIA RIO. MERCEDES SHOULD HAVE TO REPAIR DEFECTIVE STEERING GEAR FOR FREE. *NM

CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDS REPLACING. ENGINE IS SOUNDING VERY LOUD. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. PART WAS ORDERED IN SEPTEMBER 2005. AS OF TODAY, 12/30/05, THE PART IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE. THE MERCEDES ACCOUNT MANAGER SAID OVER 1200 CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ARE ON BACK ORDER FOR THE US AND THERE ARE 2 PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING LONGER THAN US IN AUSTIN FOR THE PART. HE SAID IT MAY BECOME A RECALL. WHY ARE SO MANY OF THESE PARTS ALL FAILING AT THE SAME TIME THAT SUPPLY CANNOT KEEP UP WITH DEMAND? I FEEL MY VEHICLE MAY BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND HAVE NO ACCESS TO A PART TO CORRECT THE DEFECT. *NM

OUR 1998 MERCEDES M320 HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO UNEXPECTED STALLING FOR SOME TIME. MORE RECENTLY THIS HAS INCREASED IN FREQUENCY AND WE HAVE PERIODS OF LOSS (REDUCTION) OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER ADVISES THAT WE HAVE DETERIORATION OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AND THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM ON NEWER MODELS OF THE M CLASS - BUT NOT OUR YEAR. WE HAVE THE CAR AT THE DEALER WAITING FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS. WE ARE TOLD IT WILL BE A NUMBER OF WEEKS SINCE THE PARTS ARE IN GREAT DEMAND. REPAIRS WILL COST OVER $2,000 - BUT THE CAR IS CLEARLY UNSAFE. MOST FREQUENT STALLS ARE STARTING AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. ONE CONCERN IS KNOWING THIS PROBLEM WITH MODEL YEARS JUST NEWER THAN OURS ARE SUBJECT TO RECALL WHILE OUR YEAR ISN'T. THE OTHER ISSUE IS HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS FOR THE DEALER TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM UNTIL IT BECAME VERY SEVERE (OR THEY LEARNED OF THE SOLUTION DUE TO THE RECALL OF OTHER YEARS. *JB

THE RIGHT SIDE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SPLIT AT THE NECK. WHILE THE LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALER FREELY ADMITS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS CLASS OF CAR AND THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS VERY PROBLEM, THEY TELL ME THAT MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT COVERED AND IF I WANT TO AVOID THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH A LEAKING EXHAUST SYSTEM, I MUST REPLACE IT MYSELF. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MUCH WIDER PROBLEM THAN MERCEDES BENZ IS WILLING TO ADMIT TO. *JB

HARMONIC BALANCE PULLEY WAS FAILED AND WAS RECALLED 1998 MERCEDES ML320 -[XXX]. MERCEDES REFUSED TO PAY TOTAL LABOR FOR PROCESS. VEHICLE HAS NO EQUIPMENT OTHER THAN MERCEDES MADE AND INSTALLED EQUIPMENT. VEHICLE HAS MERCEDES FOG LIGHT BAR ON FRONT (STANDARD MERCEDES MADE AND INSTALLED ITEMS). IF THE PART HAD NOT BEEN DEFECTIVE, THIS CHARGE WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT IS WAS INSTALLED BY MERCEDES BEFORE I GOT THE CAR--I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD BE BURGEONED WITH MERCEDES COSTS DUE TO POOR QUALITY OF DEFECTIVE PARTS. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WHILE APPLYING BRAKES AT 25 MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED ON THROUGH AN INTERSECTION CONTROLLED BY A STOP SIGN. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT AND BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND TO A DEALER, WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE BRAKE LINE LEADING TO THE REAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION.*AK