Most problems occur once early in the vehicle's life and then never occur again. The ongoing issues (brake switch, MAF sensor, EGR tube, etc.) are simple and cheap fixes and don't occur that often.

At 100k miles you are looking at all of the items that go wrong with _ALL_ vehicles with this age and use. Budget $4k for front end work, anything that has rubber in it and accessories and you'll be set for another 100k miles.

They are actually quite dependable vehicles as long as the owner kept up with the regular repairs. Most of the issues you read about had very simple and quick fixes then never occured again as I mentioned above. The bad reputation came from the dealers through either incompetance or greed using a minor repair issue (such as the $25 brake switch) as an excuse to replace $2k worth of electronics. Then the owners stopped doing the required maintenance and the vehicles started deteriorating. If maintained correctly there have been no reports I have read of major problems other than rebuilding a transmission in the 170k - 200k mile range. Something which is fairly normal for most vehicles, though it should be noted that not changing the fluid can substantially shorten the lifespan of the transmission. The vehicles were advertised as the transmission being "sealed for life", with the issue of "life" being just slightly longer than the warranty period. MB Germany has now reversed itself on this position as has many of the US dealers if you ask them quietly. But apparently MBUSA is scared of another class action lawsuit and the official response is that they are "sealed for life" and the fluid should not be changed. If they were now to admit that this advice was wrong it would open them up for some expensive claims.

As long as you have a complete maintenance history, get the vehicle checked out, and have money set aside for the normal repairs you should be fine purchasing this vehicle.

Agreed, they have a few issues but they're great cars, built like tanks. Having said that, it's a truck, so it won't ride or handle like an E-class. But it can tow and haul more stuff. Superb snow vehicle, but what do you care you're in Atlanta!

Well THAT makes me feel good; I'm at 185K. No way is the fluid good for a "lifetime". Mine started shifting poorly at ~114K IIRC; a flush took care of the problem and another is planned for 200K.

Good luck!

__________________
Lenny

There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games. --Ernest Hemingway

'10 GL550/'04 BMW 545/'99 BMW 323/'98 ML320/'87 VW GTI (race)

Thanks a lot for the replies, it appears as though the ML class may not be as bad as most consumer reviews rate them.....What type of fuel consumption is associated with an ML320???....I've read the various "mpg ratings" on the web but I'm thinking that you guys would have more realistic numbers....

Also, how can I tell that the "Harmonic Balancer" has been replaced?????

I also ran across a thread about an "electronic box" that cost a whopping $5,000.00 to replace (dealer item only).......Honestly, in these economic times, I do not want to bring a "money pit" into my life.....

Though my 1997 E320 is gone, we still have my wife's 1995 E320 wagon and my "back up vehicle" a 1983 300SD.....All 3 of them have not gone to the dealer or a repair shop, I personally have made all repairs (I was an ASE Certified mechanic for a little more than a decade from 1987-1999, though never a Benz tech) so I'm wondering if my skills would save me any huge repair costs on an ML class, but a $5,000 part would be the kiss of death for me!

Thanks for the replies guys!

__________________
Currently Driving
2006 E320 CDI
1999 E300 Turbo Diesl
2002 ML500
1995 E320 Station Wagon


MBs I've owned
1997 E320 Assassinated by Pine Tree
1987 300E Wife Killed Engine
1981 300D Stretch Limo Total Loss
1970 250 Coupe 212,000 mi.
1974 450sel 184,000 mi.
1974 240D 377,000 mi.
1977 300D 204, 000 mi.
1979 280se God Only Knows!
1983 240D 130,000 mi.
1972 220D 280,000 mi.
1983 300SD 244,000 mi.

>What type of fuel consumption is associated with an ML320???

It is heavily dependent on your driving style. I've got accurate numbers on the ML430 using US gallons:

City 16 mpg
Hwy 55mph 20 mpg
Hwy 65mph 19 mpg
Hwy 75mph 17/18 mpg

Towing I don't remember exact figures but IIRC the worse number was 12mpg towing 3 tons @ 75 mph. Towing 1-2 tons @ 65 mph was in the 14-15 mpg range.

The 320 should get anywhere from 10-15% better assuming the exact same driving style. But to give you a comparison on driving style effects my wife drives like a NY taxi and gets at best 14mpg in the city and 5-10% worse on the highway.

> Also, how can I tell that the "Harmonic Balancer" has been replaced?????

It should have been done under warranty if it occured. Get the repair history from the owner. You can go with the owner to his/her dealer and get a printout for free.

> I also ran across a thread about an "electronic box" that cost a whopping $5,000.00 to replace (dealer item only).......Honestly, in these economic times, I do not want to bring a "money pit" into my life.....

There are four electronics parts that are an issue. The first is the module security module that "approves" the key. There are a limited number of keys that can be activated in the early models (8 if I remember correctly) and once you reach that number you have to buy a new module that is only available from the dealer and can only be activated by the dealer. The electronic portion of the key fob so far lasts forever unless physically damaged. I've even left them and the pants where they got washed with no damage. As long as the current owner has only activated a few keys you should be fine. If s/he is nearing the limit I would not purchase unless you have a, well, $5k discount.

The second issue is hooking up jumper cables the wrong way (positive -> negative and vice versa). This can fry a lot of expensive parts.

The third issue is spilling a drink down into the insides of the center console. There are electronics in there that are not water tight.

The last issue is the ???? plate in the transmission. These have gone bad. But the total repair is under $1,000 and appears to be a one time item. It isn't common but does occur and should be noted if one day your transmission fails. Instead of a $2,800 repair it could be less than $1,000 at an honest shop.

The last item is really the only thing that I would consider a "gotcha" as the others are all under the control of the owner.

>(I was an ASE Certified mechanic for a little more than a decade from 1987-1999, though never a Benz tech) so I'm wondering if my skills would save me any huge repair costs on an ML class

Yes! The repairs are for the most part very simple. This is IMO the easiest vehicle in our fleet which consists of domestics and Japanese in addition to the MB.

> but a $5,000 part would be the kiss of death for me!

Other than the issues mentioned above the electronics appear to be quite robust. Other than that transmission issue I've read of darn few problems that were actual part failures and not caused by the owner. This is not to say that there haven't been a lot of parts changed out. There have. But if you read the case histories you'll find that it is the dealer either doing "guess and replace" or not taking the time to diagnose the actual cause which is often a cheap and quick solution. One problem that does occur is if the seals on the harness connections fail or water starts dripping on the part corrosion at the connection can cause an apparent failure. But the actual solution is to just clean the connection and make sure that it is water tight in the future. ABS systems and the connection to the transmission are the general culprits here.