2001 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 Complaints

I OWN A MERCEDES ML 320, 2001 MODEL. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD REPEATED FAILURES SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW. THE VEHICLE IS NOW THREE YEARS OLD AND HAS 5700-0 MILES ON IT. THE MOST SERIOUS FAILURES INVOLVE THE FUEL PUMP ON THIS VEHICLE. THE FUEL PUMP HAS FAILED TWICE, WITH THE MOST RECENT FAILURE BEING 11/13/03. LARGE AMOUNTS OF GAS FUMES FILL THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND A SERIOUS DANGER OF EXPLOSION EXIST. THE FUEL PUMP LOCATION FOR THIS MODEL IS UNDERNEATH THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT AND DIRECTLY UNDER WHERE MY CHILDREN SIT. MERCEDES BENZ HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE FUEL PUMP PROBLEMS FOR UPWARDS OF FIVE YEARS AND HAVE FAILED TO CORRECT IT OR ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM WITH IT. NO RECALL OR NOTICES TO THE CONSUMER. IN ADDITION THE ML 320 MODEL HAS A LONG LIST OF OTHER EMISSION FAILURES AND OVERALL FAILURES. THE FUEL PUMP IS THE MAIN ITEM FOR MY COMPLAINT AND IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO AS WELL AS THEIR REFUSAL TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OR ACKNOWLEDGE IT. OTHER FAILURES AND ISSUES ON MY CAR INCLUDE: O-2 SENSOR, FUEL FILTER, PREMATURE WEAR AND REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE PADS (FRONT AND BACK), STEERING PROBLEMS, THROTTLE STICKING AT TAKE OFF (AT TIMES), WINDOW MOTOR, DRIVERS SIDE. SWITCH AS FAILED TWICE IN 57K MILES AND REASON IS SWITCH IS UNABLE TO HANDLE DESIGNED AMPERAGE. ALSO A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. NO RECALL OR NOTICE AND A REPEATED KNOW PART FAILURE FOR THIS MODEL YEAR AND OTHER MODEL YEARS, REAR EMISSION EVAPORATOR PART. ALSO RELATED TO GAS FUMES IN THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE AND COMMON FAILURE ITEM. (PART NAME IS NOT CORRECT TERMINOLOGY), BATTERY FAILURE WITHIN ONE YEAR, BATTERY NOT DESIGNED FOR AMPERAGE LOAD EITHER AND COMMON FAILURE. ALSO AS FIRE RISK., NUMEROUS OTHER FAILURES THAT ARE NOT ENTIRELY SAFETY RELATED FOR THIS PRODUCT., A SERIOUS LOOK INTO THIS VEHICLE AND THE COMPANIES ACTIONS REGARDING THESE REPEATED FAILURES OF FUEL RELATED ITEMS AND OTHER ITEMS IS NEEDED AND REQUESTED.*AK *TR

VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER RECALL 03V121000 CONCERNING POWER STEERING HOSE CLAMP. AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE DONE, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH DUE TO A CLAMP FAILURE. THIS DEMONSTRATED THAT RECALL REMEDY WAS INADEQUATE.*AK AFTER THE RECALL FAILURE, THE CONSUMER LEARNED MERCEDES REDESIGNED THE CLAMP THREE TIMES. THE CLAMP USED ON THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WASN'T THE SAME CLAMP BEING USED THROUGHOUT THE RECALL. MERCEDES WAS CONTINUING TO MODIFY THE CLAMPS. CONSUMER NOTED THAT THE RECALL SHOULD BE RECALLED AGAIN. STEERING WAS LOST WITHOUT NOTICE AND WHICH WAS UNACCEPTABLE. *PH *JB

ENTIRE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BURNED.*MR THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CONTINUED EXPERIENCE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *TS *JB

THE THIRD ROW SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE FOR MORE ROOM. WHEN CONSUMER TRIES TO MAKE MORE ROOM THE SEAT BELT WOULD GET TIGHTER, CAUSING BRUISES TO APPEAR ON THE CHILDREN'S NECKS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, SMOKE AND FLAMES CAME FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE DEALER REPLACED ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *AK THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BURNED OUT WHILE DRIVING. THE LIGHTS CAME ON CONSTANTLY, THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD STATE THE AIR BAG WAS OFF, THE ALARM WOULD GO OFF CONSTANTLY IN THE DRIVEWAY, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE OFF, THE VEHICLE BEEPED. THE DEALER CLAIMED THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *SCC *JB

I PICKED THIS NOTE UP FROM A MERCEDES-BENZ INTEREST GROUP WEBSITE, AND EXAMINED MY ML320, AND FOUND THIS TO BE A TRUE DANGER (TICKING TIME BOMB). HERE: DON'T KNOW IF THIS HAS BEEN A SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION BEFORE, SO FORGIVE ME IF IT HAS, I'M NEW HERE. I'M A DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN IN SOUTHERN CA, AND I SEE A LOT OF THE ROUTINE FAILURES ON ALL OF THE MODELS. MOST OF THE TIME, WHEN SOMETHING SAFETY RELATED IS A REPEAT OR COMMON FAILURE ON A CAR, THERE IS A RECALL OR A CAMPAIGN ON THE ISSUE. NOT THIS TIME. FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, I HAVE BEEN SEEING 163'S WITH CHAFED FUEL AND BRAKE LINES. NOW THERE'S TWO VERY IMPORTANT SYSTEMS ON ANY VEHICLE, FUEL AND BRAKES. THE TYPICAL FAILURE IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE MASTER CYLINDER AT THE FOREMOST BRAKE LINE. THE ONLY FUEL LINE RESTS INNOCENTLY AGAINST THE LINE, CHAFING AND RUBBING FOR MANY MILES. NOW, YOU WOULD THINK, OK, IT'S A RUBBER HOSE ON A METAL LINE, NO BIG DEAL, RIGHT? NO! THE FUEL LINE IS LINED WITH BRAIDED STAINLESS STEEL, WHICH EFFECTIVELY CUTS INTO THE BRAKE LINE. I HAVE PERSONALLY REPLACED SEVERAL BRAKE/FUEL LINE COMBOS ON THESE VEHICLES, AND SEEN MANY OTHERS DO THE SAME. ANY TIME I SEE IT, I REPLACE THE LINES, AND BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF HIGHER-LEVEL PERSONNEL IN MB, BUT TWO YEARS FROM THE FIRST ONE I HAD SEEN, THERE HAS NOT BEEN TO DATE (TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE) ANY RECOGNITION OF THIS FAILURE BY MB CORPORATE. MORE COMMON ON ML 55, 500, 430 UP TO 2003. THEY SEEM TO HAVE SHORTENED THE FUEL LINE ON THE NEWEST VEHICLES. IF I COME ACROSS ONE SOON, I'LL TRY TO TAKE A PICTURE TO GIVE YOU FOLKS AN IDEA OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. A FRIEND WORKED ON ONE OUT OF STATE THAT HAD COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE, AND THE WOMAN DRIVING ENDED UP GOING THROUGH A STOPLIGHT. I'LL CHECK IN ONCE IN A WHILE, IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS I'LL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER THEM. JUST A HEADS-UP, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GO LOOK AT YOUR ENGINE FUEL LINE. *LA

WE BELIEVE THAT ONE OR MORE MECHANICAL AND/OR DESIGN FAILURES CONTRIBUTED TO AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH OUR 2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML 320 WAS INVOLVED. *LA

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND SUBSEQUENTLY ROLLED TWO TIMES BEFORE IT LANDED BACK ON ALL FOUR TIRES. NONE OF THE SIX AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND THE MERCEDES BENZ TELE-AID SYSTEM NEVER ACTIVATED THEREFORE THE SERVICE CENTER WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY INFORMED OF THE ACCIDENT. *AK *PH *NLM

MECHANICAL FAILURE BELIEVED TO BE RESULT OF ACCIDENT.*MR THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TS *JB

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON, THEN ALL THE GAUGES STOP WORKING. DEALERSHIP REPLACED GEAR SELECTOR, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK PLEASE REFER TO ODI# 10022912(THE EXACT INFO) THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ALSO FLASHED AND BEEPED. THE SPEEDOMETER/TACHOMETER ACTIVATED AND THEN SHUT DOWN, THEN RESTORED THEMSELVES AFTER 20 MINUTES. IN ADDITION TO THE INITIAL GEAR SELECTOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. TWENTY FAILURES OCCURRED WITHIN 500 MILES. THE BAS/ESP CONTROL MODULE AS WELL AS A NEW BATTERY AT NO COST. THE CONSUMER HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AFTER THE 3RD FAILURE DUE TO THEM NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP ON THE HIGHWAY. *SCC *JB