Where is the cabin air filter 2003 ML 350 and how much of a pain in the butt
is it to replace? I am fairly handy with tools and have been working on my own cars since the late 60s.
Short list of some of the cars I have owned.
NSU Prinz 1000
MGTD
100LS Audi
912
911S
Saab 900S
Saab 9-5
ML350

It is located underneath the passenger side dashboard in the footwell area.
First, remove the plastic cover under the dash/airbag/glovebox area. You will need a regular socket as well as a phillips screwdriver. There is one wire for the auxiliary power port that you might want to disconnect, but I did not need to do this.

Once you swing that plastic cover out of the way, there will be a thin, black plastic trap door (about 2" x 10") that you can release via a tab and remove from under the dash area.

When you do this the filter should fall straight down, or you might need a pair of pliers to gently pull it out. You'd be surprised at the amount of crap that filter stops - well worth replacing. I used a MANN filter, which I think is the best of breed. Good luck.

__________________
Gil

2004 ML350
1984 300CD; Ivory (sold)