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1999 : Black Opal ML 430 : 125,000 KM (traded-in)
2002 : Bordeaux AMG ML 55 : 130,000 KM (traded-in)
2006 : Silver lridium ML 350 : 53,000 KM (stolen)
2006 : Cubanite Silver ML 350 : 24,000 KM
It baffles me how these people who call themselves CEOs sometimes lack basic common sense. Theytalk about tough market, and all that crap. The real problem is the extremely poor customer service. That's the problem. A lot of MB x-loyalists would stay with the company despite the quality problems if only the company would listen and act accordingly instead of showing its oversized ego to many complaints from customers. The ML is a prime example where reoccuring problems just seem to be shoved aside, hoping that it would just disappear. The innovation is there but the customer service sucks so much that sensible customers just leave the brand and promise never to come back. Apparently these people aren't kidding as the numbers show.
Wake up MB, we told you so several times!!!!!
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1989 300ZXT - mine
A pair of running shoes
A 18Hp lawn mower
2 Mountain Bikes
350Z - will be mine when @ 300+HP and 3-Car Garage
Well said "D" man......"please no flames about Lexus" ..l do work for them....but when we have our quality meetings....we constantly here, these sayings...... "that is not good enough"...."or, it has to be perfect", from the Japanese engineer's..."picky fellows".....When people say Lexus..they want perfection..and we will strive to give it too them...."no arrogance..no attitudes"....just get the job done. The greatest evidence of this, is how Toyota handles thier suppliers....if we receive three defects of a part in one month, the supplier's are notified, that the parts are in non- conformance, and each one has to be quality checked by a representative from the supplier's company, which at times, they check each part for weeks...until a ECI (Engineer Change implementation), such as a thread being re-tapped, or a flashing problem with a metal part, or a squeak in the sun-visor, is dealt with....They will do what it takes to make it perfect...l am in "NO WAY" saying that Toyota is more innovative than Mercedes..hardly..l've always said the Mercedes is an innovator, and Lexus is a "duplicator", but heck.."wake up and smell the coffee"....They are always at the top in J.D. Power awards, their sales are through the roof, and they as a company last year..all of Toyota, made a profit of " BILLION dollars"...net....not gross..that means, after all thier bills are paid, they have 18 Billion...Plenty enough money to put into R&D to figure the next niche market,such as "Hybrid technology" and enough money to bury the competion...l'm sorry Mercedes..that would be you....
Just called my salesman today and told him that he has to present me with some options.
I traded my wife's C230 coupe three months ago for a POS ML500. In 3,000 miles it has had a door panel replaced, trip computer replaced, needs a catalytic converter, needed the radio reprogrammed, new brakes, and a key fob.
They can take this thing back and get me something new or I am done with this brand forever. My Ford pickup is built 10 times better than this.
What's also disturbing is that according to the article, MB is actually counting on the 164 and the R-Class to save them some. Are they nuts??? A few mistakes they made along the way:
1) eliminating "free" maintenance for 05+ models - though this means really nothing, most consumers don't think so. The mention of "free" anything is a people grabber. Besides, BMW is using that in their advertisements to lure customers.
2) No 3rd row or Porposed alternative for the W163 - the original buyers have grown, married and probably with kids now. Why not keep them. I left Nissan (problem free Pathfinder, BTW) to MB for just that reason. I've read a few posts claiming that the 3rd row argument is not that strong - I disagree.
3) That thing called R-Class. What the heck is it??? It's ugly and underpowered and MB wants to force us with 3rd rows to move into it??? What a joke. Here's my prediction: The R-Class will not sell.
4) The W164; We all expected a bluckbuster but what they gave us was not even close. Nice vehicle but it just doesn't have the poise/presence (except for the AMG version which is not practical). The 164 will do better than the R, but will not rival the 163 in annual sales.
Having been through a problematic 02 ML320 and now a pretty decent trouble free 05 ML500, I really feel your pain. Unfortunately, some people opine that you are one per thousand who complain about everything. I disagree. Those of that view just haven't driven other quality vehicles. I traded a problem free 100K+ Nissan Pathfinder for the 02 320 becasue I wanted 3rd row seats. That Nissan ran very well. A problen free Ml is not the norm. I just wish MB would face that fact. Reoccuring problems are very common with the entire MB line, and why it's taken over six years to correct W163 ML issues is a real mystery to me. I'm an engineer and understand design cycles. My only conclusion is that either MB just doesn't know what to do or they have just made a decision to screw those of us who own these MLs. Sometimes it's just very difficult to defend MB's work, despite their great designs and extremely innovative ideas.
Unfortunately it's not just the ML that is not trouble-free as a norm. The same goes for MB's bread and butter model, the E-class. Rated least reliable full-size sedan in North America at least once in recent years I suspect has nothing to do with nitpicky customers and everything with ML-type lower-than-snake-shit-on-the-ocean-floor reliability.
The article resounded with pretzel logic as the rest of you have pointed out. I am really praying that MB learns how to create quality, reliability, and durability with the new era of global car making.
My 1990 300E had a window sticker of $41K. Not much less than what a new E class could be purchased for. If the new E was built the way my 1990 E was built it would cost over 135k according to an article in on of the magazines. The days of that type of craftsmanship are long gone. However if Lexus(Toyota) can build stuff that has half the problems of the Benz line then it is more than prudent for Benz to get up to speed. I hate to pay more than I have to for anything, but I would rather have MB raise prices if that is what it takes to make a very durable product.
The only reason I am still with them is the awesome record my 1990 E has. And the safety factor which is the reason I got into MBs in the first place. One did save my life or a lot of suffering so I am loyal for that.
my family has 3 ML's and they are free of major problems in my opinion, we all have our own way at looking at stuf. stuff happens to every car brand its just that we pay more expecting to get better and we are disappointed when minor things happen, but thats life. all i can say from my personally experience is, my ML has never left me stranded. i have been stranded with multiple friends cars many a time yea thats great that their wind deflector doesn't fall off but hey my car makes it home thats what counts. and plus we look at these message boards and see all the problems the ML has and must think these cars are horrid, but is it not true that people only come here with problems and most people without problems wont come here. if you want to talk about shoddy build quality i can go take pictures of my dads M3 even his porsche had horrid build quality. M3 weather striping fell down at 3,000miles SMG freaked out and needed to be reprogramed, faulty tire sensor, so far the car is at 4,500miles and is starting to rattle. the porsche from day 1 had a rattle they took the back apart and figured they left a foam/rubber lining between the back window and side.
This is my second ML320, my first one was a 1999 model and now 2000 model, the first one, I hade much more problems than I´m having with this new model.
By the way, I fell that much imporovment was done from the 99 model to the 2000 model, side airbags, more leather stuff, tiptronic gear etc...
But when talking about problems, I allways still have
problems, like, fuel pump, now is the third changed,
fuel filter...., window controller buttons three times
changed.
I believe that those cars should not have those kind
a problems, the says here in Brasil, is because this
vehicle are made outside germany, when the mercedes cames from Europe, they are much stronger.
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