2002 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 Complaints

I OWN A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML500. A WEEK AGO I EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE. AS I WAS ACCELERATING THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED (THE GAS PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR) AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR DESPITE FULLY DEPRESSING THE BREAK PEDAL. THE CAR REACHED 80+ MPH AND I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE OFF OF THE ROAD TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT (I WAS ABLE TO SLOW IT TO ABOUT 50 MPH BY FULLY DEPRESSING THE BREAK PEDAL). I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL (IT HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; WHEN I SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY DECELERATED). OVER THE NEXT 40 MILES I EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION 10+ TIMES. THIS OCCURRED BOTH WHILE I WAS ACCELERATING AND WHILE I WAS BRAKING. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN IN MY SUBDIVISION THE CAR ACCELERATED AND DROVE THROUGH THE STOP SIGN. I PARKED THE CAR IN MY GARAGE AND CALLED MY MB DEALER. I ASKED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT DO THIS. I EXPLAINED THE ISSUE TO THEM AND THEY SEEMED UNCONCERNED. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR AGAIN SINCE THIS OCCURRED (I WILL NOT EVER DRIVE IT AGAIN). *NM

WARRANTY ISSUES AND/OR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS THAT SHOULD BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. ON OCTOBER. 21, 2003 TOOK MY ML500 YEAR 2002 TO DEALER FOR SQUEALING AND SCRAPING BRAKES. SERVICE DEPARTMENT COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM THE SQUEALING AND SCRAPING AND TOLD ME THAT BRAKE DISC AND PADS LOOKS FINE. HOWEVER THEY ADVISED ME TO BUY NEWER VERSION OF BRAKE PADS, WHICH WOULD NOT SQUEAL. I REFUSED TO BUY BRAKE PADS, AS THEY SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS NOT SATISFIED, THEREFORE TOOK THE VEHICLE AGAIN NEXT DAY (OCTOBER 22,2003) AND TALKED TO THE SALES PERSON FROM WHOM I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. HE AND SERVICE MANAGER PERFORMED TEST DRIVE. DEALERSHIP CHECKED THE BRAKES AGAIN AND TOLD THE SQUEALING AND SCRAPPING WAS DUE TO A ROCK STUCK BETWEEN BRAKE PADS AND DISC. SINCE YESTERDAY, I HAD DRIVEN MY VEHICLE ONLY 24 MILES BUT NOW THE PADS AND ROTORS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. BECAUSE OF THEIR NEGLIGENCE AND UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME $348.04 FOR MY 18 MONTHS OLD VEHICLE, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. DEALERSHIP AND MERCEDES BENZ DID NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY. SAME DAY, ANOTHER CUSTOMER CAME TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM, HIS MERCEDES ALSO HAD A ROCK STUCK BETWEEN BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON DEFECT IN THE MERCEDES THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL. *AK

TGHE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS STICKY AND NOTCHY. THIS CONDITION MADE SMOOTH ACCELERATION EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. *AK *TS

WARRANTY ISSUES AND/OR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS THAT SHOULD BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. *PH AT THE FIRST 10,000 MILES, THE CONSUMER NOTICED BRAKE TRAVEL WAS TOO LONG AND WAS ADVISED BY AN SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. HOWEVER AT LESS THAN 3,000 MILES, THE BRAKES WERE STILL NOT ADEQUATE AND THERE WAS A SQUEAKING NOISE FROM THE REAR BRAKES WHEN BRAKING. THIS TIME, THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THE REAR BRAKE PADS WERE GONE AND THE ROTORS WERE SCORED DUE TO TOO MUCH CITY DRIVING AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR WOULD NOT HONOR REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. *TT *JB

THE GEARS JAMMED WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WOULD REV TO ABOUT 2000 RPM'S OR MOR BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULDN'T MOVE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPT THE VEHICLE WOULD EVENTUALLY MOVE. THE DOORS WERE DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. THE VEHICLE CONSUMED ALOT OF FUEL. THE FUEL GAUGE DIDNT WORK PROPERLY. STEERING WHEEL DIDN'T DISENGAGE FROM THE IGNITION AND EXCESSIVE REFLECTION FROM GLARE SHIELD ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. *PH *NLM

TRANSMISSION STUCK IN FIRST GEAR, THREE ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY BY OWNER, FINALLY ON FOURTH ATTEMPT.(PLACING IN PARK AND TURNING OFF AN ON IGNITION) TRANSMISSION FINALLY WOKED NORMALLY. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER THROUGH ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TOLD TO RETURN VEHICLE TO DEALER, CONTACTED DEALER, WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL SEVERAL TIMES. THOUGHT I SHOULD ADVISE SOMEONE AT NHSTA. DT