2008 Mercedes Benz ML350

LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID RESULTING IN DIMINISHED OR TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THOUGH TOTAL LOSS DID NOT HAPPEN YET, THIS COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH WITHOUT ANY WARNING. 1998-2004 CLASS WAS RECALLED FOR THAT VERY REASON; WHY NOT THE MODEL YEARS THEREAFTER THAT HAVE SAME PROBLEM; LIKELY IN SAME FREQUENCY. *TR

THE ORIGINAL SYMPTOMS WERE THE POWER STEERING STARTED TO GET JERKY (FLAT SPOTS) MEANING THERE WAS POWER ASSIST FROM 12 O'CLOCK TO 2 O'CLOCK, THEN HARD EFFORT FROM 2 -4 O'CLOCK AND SO ON. IT INITIALLY WAS DRIVABLE BUT AFTER A FEW HUNDRED MORE MILES IT HAS BECOME DANGEROUS, AS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EFFORT MUST BE USED WHEN TURNING, THEN GETS EASY, THEN TIGHT. I HAVE CHECKED AND THERE ARE NO FLUID LEAKS AND THE RESERVOIR IS FULL. MY MECHANIC CHECKED IT OUT, AND HE SAID IT APPEARED THAT THE STEERING RACK IS BAD. HE RECOMMENDED WE FLUSH AND CHANGE ALL THE FLUID WITH MBZ APPROVED:236.3 FIRST TO SEE IF IT IMPROVED. IT DID NOT AND HE SAID I WAS LOOKING AT $2000+ TO REPLACE THE RACK. AFTER OWNING TWO MERCEDES BENZ VEHICLES OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, I'VE BEEN LOYAL BUT HAVING ONLY PURCHASED THIS 2008 ML350 FOR LESS THAN A YEAR AND ONLY 65K MILES I FIND IT DISCONCERTING THAT I'VE READ SO MUCH ON THESE PREMATURE STEERING RACK PROBLEMS ON THESE VEHICLES. I CHECKED WITH MB, ONLY TO LEARN THAT MY VIN WAS NOT ON THE LIST FOR 'RECALLS'. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE, AND MB NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE! DOES SOMEONE NEED TO BE SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED BEFORE MB IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS ISSUE??! *TR

LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR, DURING MONTH OF APRIL 2014, DIFFERENT ERROR MESSAGES STARTED TO APPEAR ON DASH INCLUDING ABS (BRAKE SYSTEM), SRS (AIR BAGS), AND STEERING WHEEL VIBRATING, HARD TO TURN WHEEL, A FEW TAIL/PARKING LIGHTS NOT WORKING. AT SHOP, THEY SAID SENSORS WERE BAD, AND DUE TO MY EXTENDED WARRANTY THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE POWER STEERING SYSTEM ($272) BUT SAID TO REPAIR THE AIR BAGS WOULD COST $800. A DIFFERENT MECHANIC SAID UNDER $100 TO FIX AIR BAG SENSORS. NOW, AUGUST 2014, TRUNK LIFT MOTORS ARE KONKING OUT AND THE LOCK IS NOT LATCHING, POPS OPEN WHILE DRIVING, HAVE TO PULL OVER TO SHUT BEFORE EVERYTHING FALLS OUT. ALSO OTHER MOTORS FOR WINDOWS AND SUNROOF WORK INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN TURNING LEFT THE PARKING BRAKE SENSOR LIGHT POPS UP ON DASH....ALSO OUT OF THE BLUE ONE DAY THE WHOLE GPS SYSTEM WAS BLANK, TOTALLY WIPED OF ALL INFO DESTINATIONS, HISTORY ETC FROM PAST YEAR, ONLY A MAP SHOWS NOW. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED MY VEHICLE WAS MAKING A VERY LOUD WHINING NOISE, SO I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL SHOP. THE OWNER OF THE SHOP SAID MY POWER STEERING FLUID WAS EMPTY AND I HAD A LEAK. I DECIDED TO MAKE A APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID I NEEDED MY POWER STEERING RACK HEAD RESEALED. I THINK THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND MERCEDES NEEDS TO HAVE A RECALL ON THIS. I HAVE NOTICED OTHER COMPLAINTS BESIDES MINE LISTED ON HERE. I SHOULDN'T HAVE SUCH SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS BRAND AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, ITS RIDICULOUS. *TR

ORIGINAL CAR, 2007 ML350,REPLACED WITH A 2008 BY DEALER AFTER MULTIPLE PROBLEMS, 2008 MANUFACTURED IN JANUARY,2008 THESE CARS A MANUFACTURED PROBLEM IN TO SPRING OF 2008,.CARS AT THAT TIME CONSIDERED WORST USED CAR IN CONSUMER GUIDE.. INTERNET SHOWS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS FROM SEVERAL CUSTOMERS. NOT ABLE TO MAKE CONTACTS WITH THE HEAD OFFICE, WARRANTY GONE BECAUSE OF TIME,2008 HAS SAME PROBLEMS AS 2007, CAR HAS BEEN IN GARAGE MORE TIME THAN I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE IT, AIR BAGS ENGAGED AND DISENGAGED, WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON WHEN NO RAIN, BACK LIFT OPENS BY ITSELF, WINDOWS WILL GO UP AND DOWN AT WILL, GPS DOES NOT WORK, STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT ADJUST, SEATS WON'T FOLD DOWN, OIL LEAK, OCCASIONAL ROTTEN EGG SMELL IN CAR, HEATER COMES ON AUTOMATICALLY AND CAR GETS SO HOT, HAVE TO OPEN THE WINDOWS, YET WHEN YOU WANT HEAT YOU OFTEN TIMES CANNOT GET IT TRANSMISSION LEAK (ALL CONSIDERED UNUSUAL BY THE DISTRIBUTOR, HAVE ALL REPAIR BILLS AVAILABLE, TECHNICIANS HAVE FOUND MOST ALL OF THE PROBLEMS, REPAIR COSTS ABOUT 1500 A WHACK, THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT SHOULD SOMEONE GET HURT IN THIS CAR, THEY WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE, CAN'T AFFORD TO TRADE, I AM HANGING OUT ON A LIMB IN AN UNSAFE CAR. THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN- HAVE FRIENDS IN THE CAR THAT CAN VERIFY ALL HAPPENINGS. LETTERS TO IRA ROSENBURRG (?) FROM PRIME MOTORS, SCARBOROUGH, MAINE GO UNANSWERED, JUST ASKED TO SIT DOWN AND TALK, SOME RUDE ENCOUNTERS, PRESENTLY WANT TO DO A TRANSMISSION OIL REPAIR AT 1500, CAR COST 57,000 THINKING ONE HAD A RELIABLE CAR, ONLY HAS LOW MILEAGE EITHER DON'T DARE DRIVE IT A LONG DISTANCE OR IT IS IN THE GARAGE FOR WORK.MY QUESTION: WHY DO WE SEE MAJOR RECALLS FOR MANY CARS BUT NEVER SEE MAJOR RECALLS FOR MERCEDES WHEN INTERNET SHOWS MANY PEOPLE HAVE PROBLEMS????? WOULD I RECOMMEND MERCEDES TO ANYONE---- NEVER QUESTION IS "CAR IN GARAGE AGAIN?" *TR

RACK AND PINION LEAKED ALL THE FLUID DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART. I REPLACED THE POWERSTERING PUMP FEW MONTH AGO AND PAID CLOSE TO $1200 (POSSIBLE THE BACK RACK DAMAGE IT THEN). NOW THE STEERING RACK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE DEALER WANTS CLOSE TO 2,000 TO FIX IT, THEY ARE USING REFURBISHED PARTS. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER MB IS NOT SUPPLYING NEW STEERING RACKS ANYMORE, MB ONLY SUPPORTS REPAIRING KITS TO REFURBISH DEFECTIVE ONES. THIS IS COMPLETELY INSANE, FIRST THEY PUT A DEFECTIVE PART IN THE VEHICLE, THAT THEY CHARGE YOU AN ARM AND LEG TO REPLACE IT WITH A REFURBISHED ONE. E RECALL IS A MUST AND MB SHOULD BE FORCED TO PUT NEW PARTS AS THE STEERING SYSTEM IS VERY CRUCIAL TO SAFETY. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE RACK AND PINION HAS FAILED. ONCE AT 85000 MILES IN A PARKING LOT AT WORK IN GREENVILLE TEXAS. THIS TIME IT WAS WITH A REBUILT A1CARBIN RACK AND PINION. THE STEERING FELT LIKE IT LOCKED UP. AFTER IT FAILED THE STEERING OF THE CAR IS IMPOSSIBLE AT SLOW SPEED EVEN FOR A MAN. ALMOST HIT TWO PEOPLE BUT WAS ABLE TO AVOIDED IT. *TR