2001 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 Complaints

SAFETY SYSTEM FAILURE, INCLUDING BRAKING ASSIST, SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS AND TEL-AIDE DUE TO COMPUTER CHIP FAILURE. CAUSED TWO ACCIDENTS AFTER WHICH CUSTOMER PAID TO HAVE VEHICLE REVIEWED BUMPER TO BUMPER AND THE FAILING CHIP WAS REPLACED. DURING THIS TIME, THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE TO WARN OF THE FAILURE WHICH THE VEHICLE COMPUTER DOCUMENTED 15 TIMES IN A SIX-MONTH PERIOD (BETWEEN THE TWO ACCIDENTS). APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MONTHS LATER, THE WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH ILLUMINATED AGAIN. DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY TIMES SYSTEM HAD FAILED SINCE IT WAS 'FIXED.' TRADED IN VEHICLE FOR SAFETY PURPOSES. *JB

1. DRIVER'S SEAT FRAME ON 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ ML 320 WITH 91,500 MILES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING SEAT TO ROCK BACKWARDS ON ITS TRACKWAY. 2. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND TAKE IT TO A SERVICING MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER. 3. SERVICE TECHNICIAN REPLACED LEFT FRONT SEAT ADJUSTER ASSEMBLY, PART # 16391051779108 WHICH HAD CRACKED AND FAILED DUE TO METAL FATIGUE OR STRESS. FAILED PART IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. MERCEDES BENZ REFUSED TO REPLACE PART UNDER COMPANY EXTENDED WARRANTY (100K MILE WARRANTY).

I OWN A MERCEDES BENZ 2001 ML320 AND THE LATERAL ACCELERATION SENSOR FAILED AROUND 15,000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED AT MY OWN EXPENSE. THE BAS/ESP (BREAK ASSIST/ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM) WARNING LIGHT COMES ON DURING EACH SHORT OR LONG TRIPS AND GOES AWAY AFTER THE VEHICLE SITS FOR A WHILE AND RESTART OF THE ENGINE AND THIS STARTED TO OCCUR AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT DID NOT WORK BECAUSE THE WRONG PARTS WAS USED (SO THE DEALER SAYS) AND THE PROBLEM CAME RIGHT BACK BUT WAS CORRECTED WITH THE CORRECT PARTS THE SECOND TIME (SOMETIMES I FEEL THE ESP KICKS IN AND BREAKING BUT THAT MIGHT JUST BE MY FEELING). THIS COULD BE A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE AND SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM SINCE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE USED TO THESE SAFETY FEATURES MAY HAVE WRONG SENSE OF FEELING WHEN THE SENSOR FAILS UNEXPECTEDLY AT A TIME WHEN THIS FEATURE CAN AVOID AN ACCIDENT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S REMOTE LOCKS WOULD NOT WORK. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER WAITING A FEW MINUTES, THE REMOTE WORKED AND THE CAR STARTED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW BATTERY AND AN ABS SWITCH. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP THEN DETERMINED THE AFTERMARKET ALARM SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REMOVED. THE CONTACT HAD THIS REMOVED AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL PRESENT. THE DEALER HAS NOW DETERMINED THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE COMPUTER. THERE IS AN NHTSA RECALL, # 01V061000, REGARDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; WIRING. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING EXCESSIVE OIL. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE PISTON RINGS FRACTURED. THE BLOCK AND PISTON RINGS ARE BEING REPLACED. UPDATED 4/11/2006 - *NM

DT: CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK. THE AIR BAG LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. THE DEALER PERFORMED THE REPAIRS, AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THEY WERE TELLING THE CONTACT THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HER TO CONTACT DEALER. *AK THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WAS IMOPERATIVE. UPDATED 01/06/06. *JB

I OWN 2001 MB ML320; THE DRIVERS FRONT SEAT PLASTIC FRAME KEEPS BREAKING CAUSING SAFETY ISSUES WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER 6 TIMES AND THEY HAVE FIXED IT, HOWEVER, TODAY THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT SINCE IT IS NOT "TOTALLY CRACKED" THEY WILL NOT FIX IT. I AM ABOUT TO CROSS 50,000.00 MILE WARRANTY AND THAT IS A REAL REASON WHY MY DEALER: KNAUZ CONTINENTAL AUTOS IN LAKA BLUFF, ILLINOIS IS NO LONGER WILLING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE FRAMING CRACKS ARE MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THAT IS WHY IT KEEPS BREAKING. I WOULD LIKE TO SEND E-MAIL PICTURES TO WHOEVER WILL BE WORKING ON THIS CASE. THE DEALER IS SUPPOSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNTIL THE END OF WARRANTY AND NOT TELL ME THAT ITS NOT "TOTALLY CRACKED". PLEASE RESPOND: VIN: [XXX]. *AK PLEASE ASSIST WITH THIS CASE. UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

3RD CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE IN LESS THAN A YEAR. DECEMBER, 2003 - INITIAL FAILURE. HAD TO BADGER MB TO FIND A PART. FUMES COMING IN TO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. JUNE, 2004 - SECOND FAILURE OF CATALYTIC CONVERTER. OCTOBER, 2004 - CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AGAIN. DUE THE NUMBER OF FAILURES ON THIS VEHICLE (IN ADDITION TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER), REQUESTED FROM THE DEALER THAT WE SPEAK TO THE AREA MERCEDES-BENZ REPRESENTATIVE. DEALER REFUSED. INITIALLY BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER ON OCTOBER 11TH. SCHEDULED FOR REPAIR ON OCTOBER 23RD. CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF ENGINE FUMES (AGAIN) , WE CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM PERTAINED TO THE FUEL PUMP MODULE, BUT THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

WHILE PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR CAME OPEN. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE DOOR LOCK WAS DEFECTIVE. A NEW DOOR LOCK WAS REPLACED ON DRIVERS SIDE.*AK *NM