1999 Mercedes Benz ML320

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE GEAR SHIFTER FROM PARK BUT THE SHIFTER REMAINED STUCK IN PARK. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND AFTER WAITING A FEW MINUTES, THE CONTACT WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE THE GEAR SHIFTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

I HAVE 2 COMPLAINTS AGAINST MERCEDES ML320 SUV. 1) WITH IGNITION OFF AND KEY REMOVED, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER CAN BE SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND THE TRUCK STARTS TO ROLL. IT POSTS EXTREME DANGER TO PASSENGERS, ESPECIALLY, KIDS LEFT IN A PARKED VEHICLE, AS WELL AS PEDESTRIANS IN FRONT OR BEHIND THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE STANDING IN BETWEEN THIS VEHICLE AND ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE ON A SLOPE. 2) THE WELL KNOWN POWER LOCK FAILURE CAUSES THE MANUALLY LOCKED DOORS (INCLUDING CHILD PROOF REAR DOOR LOCKS) TO BE UNLOCKED AUTOMATICALLY WHENEVER THE VEHICLE STARTS IN MOTION FROM FULL STOP. IT IS DUE TO THE AUTO-LOCK FEATURE WHICH ATTEMPTS TO LOCK ALL DOORS WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTS TO MOVE FROM FULL STOP (E.G STOPPING FOR RED LIGHT). HOWEVER, DUE TO POWER LOCK FAILURE, IT CANNOT LOCK ALL THE DOORS AFTER 4-5 TIMES AND EVENTUALLY UNLOCKS ALL DOORS. THIS LEFT CHILDREN IN THE REAR IN DANGER OF OPENING THE DOORS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED TO ME TWICE; ONE AT 9700 MILES IN 2001 AND AT 70,000 MILES IN 2007. I HAD WRITTEN A LETTER TO MERCEDES BENZ USA TO COMPLAINT ABOUT THE POWER LOCK AND THEY JUST DENIED THAT IT IS A DEFECT. *TR

REFERENCE: VEHICLE COMPLAINT - 47046 IN SEPTEMBER 1999, WE PURCHASED A NEW MERCEDES-BENZ, ML-320. IN 2003, THE VEHICLE WAS PART OF A RECALL CONCERNING A LOWER POWER STEERING HOSE AND CLAMP AT THE RADIATOR FITTING. ON AUGUST 7, 2007, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE LOWER POWER STEERING HOSE BLEW OFF LOSING ALL HYDRAULIC FLUID. WE LOST THE POWER STEERING AND HAD EXTREME DIFFICULTY STEERING THE VEHICLE. THE SAME PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WITH A FAMILY MEMBER'S ML-320. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION HAS FROZEN FOUR TIMES IN FIRST GEAR. THE MERCEDES DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE HOSE; HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOT RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER BECAUSE WE ARE FEARFUL ABOUT DRIVING THE VEHICLE DUE TO THESE RECURRING PROBLEMS. *JB

IN SEPTEMBER 1999, WE PURCHASED A NEW MERCEDES-BENZ, ML-320. IN 2003, THE VEHICLE WAS A PART OF A RECALL FOR A LOWER POWER STEERING HOSE AND CLAMP AT THE RADIATOR FITTING. ON AUGUST 7, 2007, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE LOWER POWER STEERING HOSE BLEW OFF LOOSING ALL HYDRAULIC FLUID. WE LOST THE POWER STEERING AND HAD EXTREME DIFFICULTY STEERING THE VEHICLE. THE SAME PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WITH A FAMILY MEMBER'S ML-320. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION HAS FROZEN FOUR TIMES IN FIRST GEAR. THE MERCEDES DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE HOSE; HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOT RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER BECAUSE WE ARE FEARFUL ABOUT DRIVING THE VEHICLE DUE TO THESE RECURRING PROBLEMS. *TR

I HAVE A MERCEDES ML 320. IT IS A 1999 MODEL WITH LESS THAN 100,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR WHEN DRIVING. SOMETIMES THE TRANSMISSION LOCKS IN GEAR..SO WHEN PULLING OUT IN AN INTERSECTION AND ONE THINKS THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN LOW FOR POWER, IT IS LOCKED IN HIGH AND THE CAR COULD NOT ACCELERATE QUICKLY ENOUGH TO AVOID A POTENTIAL COLLISION WITH ONCOMING VEHICLES. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING, THE TRANSMISSION MIGHT SLIP OUT OF GEAR AT AN INOPPORTUNE TIME AS WELL. ONE HAS TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND THEN RESTART WHICH RESETS THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY MECHANICS AND THEY ALL SAY THAT MERCEDES HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO RECALL. I AM HAVING THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT BUT I BELIEVE THERE ARE MANY OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM. A RECALL SHOULD BE ORDERED ON THE 1999 THROUGH 2001 MODELS BEFORE SOMEONE DOES GET KILLED. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES IN THE PAST 2 YEARS AND WE'VE HAD THE MERCEDES DEALER TRY TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT RESORTING TO A NEW TRANSMISSION. WE ALSO HAD IT TO VARIOUS INDEPENDENT MECHANICS THAT ALSO FAILED IN THEIR EFFORTS.*AK

CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM IGNITION WITHOUT THE VEHICLE BEING IN PARK. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE COULD SHIFT THE GEAR LEVER TO ALL GEARS WHEN THE KEY WAS NOT IN THE IGNITION AND ENGINE IN AN OFF POSITION. THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE HILL AND RAN OVER A MAILBOX DAMAGING THE VEHICLE AND BACK WHILE THE GEAR LEVER WAS STILL IN PARK. THE REAR SEAT BELTS DOES NOT RETRACT AND HAD TO BE MANUALLY PUSHED BACK INTO THE MECHANISM. *TC

TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 70 MPH UP A STEEP GRADE ON CALIFORNIA INTERSTATE 5 ON THE SECTION OF THE HIGHWAY KNOWN AS "THE GRAPE VINE" ELEVATION OF 3000-4000 FEET, HEADED NORTH KEEPING PACE WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC IN THE FAST LANE (FAR LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE FREEWAY HIGHWAY ), IN THE AFTERNOON OF 2/16/04 AT 2 PM WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON THE CAR ( 1999 MERZ, CLASS HD,, BODY TYPE UT [XXX]) AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED TO A LOWER GEAR SENDING THE RPMS FROM 2500 TO 3000-4000, THIS NORMAL AUTOMATIC ACTION CAUSED THE CAR TO STOP ALL FORWARD MOTION REDUCING BOTH CAR SPEED AND RPMS TO ZERO IN THE FAST LANE, THE IMPACT A "FULL ENGINE SHUT DOWN" A HIGHLY DANGEROUS ACTION IN FAST MOVING TRAFFIC WITH A SHORT HAZARDOUS SIGNALING NOTICE. THE CAR IN JULY OF 2003 PERFORMED IN THE SAME MANNER IN THE SAME SECTION OF "THE GRAPE VINE" HEADED SOUTH IN THE FAST LANE WITH A DIFFERENT DRIVER, NOT USING CRUISE CONTROL THE VEHICLE STOPPED ALL FORWARD MOTION. SHORTLY ARRIVING IN PALM SPRINGS CALIFORNIA ON THE SAME DAY, THE CAR AGAIN PERFORMED IN THE SAME MALFUNCTION. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE PALM SPRINGS MERCEDES DEALERSHIP. THE PROBLEM IDENTIFIED AND PRESUMABLY RESOLVED. THE PROBLEM IS NOT RESOLVED AS STATED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS LETTER. IT HAS OCCURRED FOR THE THIRD TIME. THIS IS A CRITICAL LIFE THREATENING MALFUNCTION THAT DEMANDS IMMEDIATE RECTIFICATION. *JB UPDATED 07/26/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)