United Auto Workers = Monday cars don't work to good because of our hangovers-Tuesday cars are a little better but we still had a late night-Wednesday cars are the best because this day is the hump day-Thursday cars are getting a little rough, we are thinking about the weekend-Friday cars are toast as we have started drinking about 7am for the day shift. I "jest" many of my friends are auto workers and they try to put out the best they can in an auto, the only problem is that they never were told how to do it. I know I will get some sh@% for these comments but such is life. Thanks Chris.
DUTCH - 7/31/2004 6:40 PM
It is still hand made in Austria by Puchians. The M Class is still assembly line made in Alabama by the UAW.
It's the other way round. Puchians probably work 30 hours per week due to unions like in the S-class, CL-class, E-class, Maybach and C-class plant in Sindelfingen. No unions in Vance, Alabama, although the UAW is working hard to change that. And according to the latest initial quality survey, Vance leads most other models - huge improvement in the 2004 model year! [:D]
Right now........I wouldn't touch a new MB product with a ten foot pole. I had a new 2001 S600 followed by a new 2002 G500 and no longer own either of those poorly assembled vehicles and their laundry list of issues. Regardless of what Wolfgang says, the ML was one of the worst vehicles ever for MB. I do suspect that the newer ones are a little better but MB is in trouble across the board these days for quality. They have slipped very low in JD Powers ratings.
On the other hand, after hearing numerous complaints on the '02's, the 03-04 models seem to have fewer and fewer issues.
If you do deceide to go with a G500, make sure you spend some time driving one first. They are not your typical MB product. The G is much more of a truck and will not drive like the ML. Some like it, some don't but with resale being poor on the G, you do not want to find out after you plunk down the money.
I have had MLs too, and yes, I had more than my fair share of aggravation with all of them. The 02' G I had was great. Sure the door seals, squeaked. The heat shields on the exhaust system rattled and I had a rattle in the dash. But guess what? I fixed all of those issues myself and quite frankly my G experience turned out to be great. I would recommend any G provided you look very carefully at all records, if available, and try to find out about the previous owner, if buying used. New you should be fine. Good time to buy as its the last year of this body style and quite frankly the last of the breed. I will be buying an 05' and look forward. Anyway these are my thoughts. Good luck.
I would say not much. Though the build quality is excellent, the reliablity is horrible. In the last 10 months my G has spent 40 days in the shop. It's mostly electrical issues and minor rattles.
I drove it to Phx and ended up having to leave it there due to electrical problems. I haven't had anything mechanical go out yet, well I take that back they had to replace the stearing shock.
I am ready to invoke the WA state lemon law on it.
Whats even more of a joke is the dealer gives me a Buick to drive as a loaner.
ALso you can't turn off the parktronic system. So if you tow, it's very annoying and unsafe.
In a nutshel, but a 2000 or older G wagen. They have few electrical problems. You will be glad you did. It's an awesome car minus the electrical issues.
Jeremy
__________________
03 G500 it's been in the shop for over 40 days in the past 9 months.
my 02 G has been a pos. It took mb 38 times to fix the door lock / handle issue, and i stll have some starange things going on with it.
Like when stop and open your (driver) door only about 50% of the time does it unlock the other doors. Also when you try to get out whith the doors locked you cant, you have to reach over to center and hit the unlock button.
My windows rattle and pop when you roll them up and down.
I get some sutid SRS light now,
The doors rattle and squeek on ever bump. If i had not looked i would bet $1 mill there was a box of marbles in there.
When i front mb they said " Its built on a one ton truck frame, its always going to rattle and squeek" My reply was my 1 ton chevy done not rattle and squeek, they said well this is not a GM product.
Lets see, took them 4 months to fix the Illuminated door plats, then he said, "you know a G wagon can go in water up to the vents" i said i bet that is good on the Door plates.
Oh yea, they suck the gas. my wife goes 256 miles on 21 gallon in town, and the run on 93.
All in all i love mine, but i dont think i will ever buy another one G or benz for that matter.
Just food for thought, Gordon Gilmer traded his 04 G with 4K miles in on a VW toureg. When i ask him why, he said " its dones rattle and i dont have to put up with mb attitude".
I would look at a Porsche hell even a denali is probably better quality than a G :(
A side note on the door locks
When you unlock the car for a first time (from outside the car with the key) one push of the button will unlock the driver’s door and a second push will unlock the rest of the doors. If you only unlock the driver’s door and go on driving the door will lock at 9 mph. If you stop and try to open your door, only your door will unlock (there is no reason for the system to unlock the other doors since there were not unlock initially with the remote). If you had unlock and opened the other doors when you entered the car the first time then these doors should unlock automatically when you open the driver’s door.
It could be a set up based on the remote key control.
Play around with the setup. I thought that mine didn’t work right, but I tried different scenarios and the locks were fine.
The Analyst
Linear Mode
