2007 Mercedes Benz ML320

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 CDI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK FAILED. WHILE A SERVICE STATION ADDED FUEL TO THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE FUEL TANK AND FOUND A CRACKED ON THE FUEL TANK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 110,000.

I PURCHASED A USED 2007 MERCEDES ML320 CDI ON MARCH 12. AFTER A WEEK OF DRIVING - I INSPECTED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT (I USUALLY DO). I NOTICED ENGINE OIL DRIPPING (SMALL BUT NOTICEABLE AMOUNT) ON THE SERPENTINE BELT. I DID NOT THINK IT WAS URGENT - SO I TOOK PICTURES SO I CAN SEND IT TO MY SELLER TO CLAIM WARRANTY. ON MARCH 23, I WAS DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY ON I-65. SUDDENLY, STEERING BECAME VERY HARD. IT WAS A CURVING HIGHWAY SO I WAS FORCED TO GO INTO OTHER LANES. LUCKY, TRAFFIC WAS NOT HEAVY SO I DID NOT SWERVE INTO ANY OTHER VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO WRESTLE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL ON TIME TO MOVE AWAY SAFELY. ALSO, AT THE SAME TIME WE LOST STEERING, THE BATTERY LIGHT WENT ON. AFTER STOPPING, WE POPPED THE HOOD AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE SAME BELT MENTIONED EARLIER HAD DISINTEGRATED INTO SEVERAL PIECES. WE CALLED FOR A TOW VEHICLE. MERCEDES BENZ FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR $300 AND ASSURED ME THAT THERE IS NO OIL LEAK. 200 MILES LATER, I GOT HOME - AND SAW THE SAME LEAK, SAME SPOT. OIL WAS DRIPPING FROM THE TURBO TO INTERCOOLER HOSE JOINT (WHICH WAS JUST ABOVE THE SERPENTINE BELT). I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND THE ONLY SIMILAR ISSUE I FOUND LED TO DTB S-B-09.20/29. I ASKED MERCEDES, BUT THEY SAY ITS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. SO I AM CURRENTLY RESEARCHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM PERMANENTLY. *TR

DEAR NHTSA, MY '07 MERCEDES ML-320-CD WAS BOUGHT 'NEW'. THE DEFECT OF A RUN-AWAY, HI RPM REVVING-UP OF THIS DIESEL ENGINE WAS FIRST EXPERIENCED APPROX 21/2 MONTHS AGO. IT HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER HAVING IT PARKED AT A LOCAL SHOPPING CTR FROM WHICH I DROVE IT ONTO THE MAIN STREET ATA MODERATE SPEED OF LESS THAN 20 MPH. SUDDENLY THE ENGINE REVVED UP TO MAYBE 5 OR 6 000 RPM CAUSING THIS SUV ACCELERATE BEYOND CONTROL. I HAD TO USE BOTH OF MY FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL BEFORE PULLING OVER ONTO THE CURB WHERE I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION . AFTER THAT, THIS SUV WOULD NOT RESTART AGAIN FOR A WHILE, LIKE 20 OR 30 MINS. SINCE MY RESIDENCE WAS ONLY ABOUT 2 MILES AWAY , AND AFTER RE-STARTING IT I CHANCED DRIVING IT HOME. I HAVE REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO THE MERCEDES HQ AT MONTVALE NJ VIA THE BUILT-IN SATELLITE SYSTEM AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO THE LUBBOCK, TX MERCEDES SERVICE CTR WHILE BEING THERE. THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND SENT ME ON MY MERRY WAY BACK TO MY RESIDENCE IN ROSWELL, NM, ABOUT 200 MILES AWAY. I KEPT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE VERY CAREFULLY , OF CURSE AND LO AND BEHOLD IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON 19 JUL '09 WHILE ON A TRIP TO PHOENIX VIA ALBUQUERQUE. WELL, I HAD A TRIP INTERRUPTION AND DELIVERED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN ABQ WHERE I BOUGHT IT FOR YET ANOTHER SERVICE CALL. THEY KEPT IT FOR 3WEEKS AND INFORMED ME THAT THE LEMON LAW DOES NOT APPLY AND A BUYBACK WAS NOT POSSIBLE. I AM PERSONALLY PETRIFIED USING IT TO THE EXTEND THAT I HAVE REFUSED DRIVING IT ANYMORE, I CAN NOT AFFORD HAVING AN ACCIDENT WITH IT WITH ME AT THE WHEEL. THE COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEALERSHIP IS POSITIVE BUT THEIR TRADE-IN ALLOWANCE IS SO LOW THAT IT WOULD BE A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP TRADING IT IN. IN CONCLUSION I WONDER WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR ME, BESIDES THE ATTY GENERALS OFFICE IN SANTA FE ON MY BEHALF. OF COURSE, ALL DOCUMENTATION AND INTERVIEWS BY MERCEDES PERSONNEL IS AVAIL AS WELL AS THEIR LETTER OF THEIR COP-OUT, SAY DENIAL OF ACCEPTING IT AS A 'LEMON'. *TR

ON 2/16/09 WHILE OUT DRIVING WE SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR INSIDE OUR 2007 ML320CDI JUST AS WE ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION. WE LOOKED AROUND THE VEHICLE AND UNDER THE HOOD TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS BURNING AND FOUND NOTHING UNUSUAL. THE ODOR WAS GONE BY THE TIME WE GOT BACK IN THE VEHICLE. WE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH NO PROBLEMS AND NO ODORS UNTIL 2/21/09. ON THIS DAY WHILE RUNNING ERRANDS MY HUSBAND GOT OUT OF THE DRIVERS SEAT, CLOSED THE DOOR WHILE I REMAINED IN THE CAR AND I SAW THE DRIVERS SEAT BACK (NEAR THE DRIVER'S DOOR) START SMOKING. THE ELECTRIC HEATED SEATS WERE ON AT THE TIME. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE HEAT TO THE SEATS AND THEN SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. THERE WAS A BURN HOLE, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A NICKEL, IN THE SEAT CUSHION. ON MONDAY I CALLED OUR MERCEDES DEALERSHIP TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT DO NOT USE THE HEATED SEATS UNTIL THEY CAN MAKE A REPAIR. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON 3/5/09. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD US THEY HAVE SEEN SOME PROBLEMS LIKE THIS WITH THE SEAT BOTTOMS, BUT NOT THE SEAT BACK. WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE REPAIRED VEHICLE ON 3/6/09. ON 3/6/09 WE WERE CALLED BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR AND TOLD THE SEAT BACK HAD TO BE ORDERED FROM GERMANY AND IT WILL TAKE AT LEAST 2 WEEKS FOR THEM TO RECEIVE IT. WE PICKED UP THE VEHICLE ON 3/6/09 AND ARE WAITING FOR THE PART TO COME IN. NO ONE WAS INJURED BY THE BURNING SEAT, BUT SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN BURNED. IT WAS HOT ENOUGH TO MELT THE LEATHER. THE THICK, WHITE SMOKE FILLED THE FRONT OF THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND THE SMELL WAS AWFUL. THE SEAT WAS NOT JUST SMOLDERING, IT WAS BURNING, ALTHOUGH I NEVER SAW FLAMES, IT WAS LIKE A TOASTER GLOWING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, ALL OF THE INTERIOR AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THEN THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE STEERING DIMINISHED AND IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR FAILED AND THEY REPLACED THE COMPONENT. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH MERCEDES, BUT THEY WERE OF NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 5,400. THE CONSUMER ALSO ADDED BRAKING WAS DIMINISHED AS WELL. UPDATED