Warranty check?
 

A friend just purchased a 2000 ML320, and is planning on taking it in for a few minor checks. Are there any issues for this car that he should have checked out or looked into while he is there?

John,

There are no failures I know of that are so subtle as to not be obvious. And there are only a few common failures: 1) is a leaky rear washer device. When they fix it, they will probably damage the rear internal cover for the rear hatch, which will also need to be replaced…. 2) check the remaining brake pad life (sigh); 3) the gas pedal is sometimes notchy or sticky. This is an electronic gas system (no throttle cable) so it is very important that it work properly! 4) optional to turn on the front fog light switch and internal indicator bulb, plus buy a couple of bulbs from the dealer. That’s about all I can think of other than to immediately change the oil & filter, forget about the FSS system (as you know), have the tires rotated and balanced. They were not really covered by the FSS system, and while they don’t wear excessively the ride quality is a lot nicer if the tires are in good form.

I also strongly recommend a bug/rock deflector for the front plus an air deflector for the moon roof. The moon roof fix makes the ML enjoyable rather than unbearable when the moon roof is open. Both are available from clairparts.com and any dealer. Maybe even here… Lastly, there are a number of possible issues, so check with alldata.com for more information. For that reason, suggest they get a Starmark or other good warranty if at all possible! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Hope yer friend enjoys the ML I do enjoy mine!

Regards

The wiper blades are expensive (airfoil type). If they're showing signs of age try and get them replaced before taking delivery. Brakepad life is like Tracy said, a constant battle. The windshields on these things are also suspect to pitting. The nose of the truck his horribly susceptible to chipping. C pillar trim on the inside tends to crack. Rear doorlatch rattles. Somewhere in the middle of Y2k they added extra weatherstripping to the front and rear doors. Previous years didn't have it on the rear doors. The center consoles tend to warp a bit and lose their fit. There have been reports of machinegun doorlocks, also early. I don't think they've fixed the fuel sending unit problem and the fuel pumps tend to go out. I think the fix was to change to a larger fuel filter. The auxilary driving lamps take H3 bulbs. To activate use option 6 on HHT. I think CD skipping problems should have been fixed by MY2000. The moonroof weatherstripping tends to separate. You don't see this part because it remains inside the roof. The moonroof also can be adjusted to to minimize noise. My battery failed in its third year of service, surprisingly early, but we had a cold winter that year. The rear seats tend to rattle a little but these can be tightened down. I think the transfer case should be the new one with 48/52 torque distribution. I can't think of too much more really.

Kuan

PS: What's the difference between a moonroof and sunroof?

Kuan:

A moonroof is glass whereas a sunroof is not.

I'm not sure how the different names originated, but I suspect that the typical owner would have the roof open during the day only (hence the term sunroof). Since you can see out of the clear roof even at night, you can see the moon (hence the term, moonroof).