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Advice on a 2007 ML500, please!!

5K views 32 replies 6 participants last post by  RowdyRackmount 
#1 ·
Hello all,

Thank you for taking the time to give me some advice on a purchase decision:

I am looking to get a 2007 ML500 with 139,000 kms, fully loaded, silver on ash interior; seller is asking for $13,500 CAD and is open to offers as long as I come see the car first!

My question to you all is that is the car worth considering? I am in the market for a new SUV and almost bought an Audi Q7 but an inspection revealed a leaking engine! Was wondering how is it on gas (mostly suburban city/some highway) and any major issues plaguing this particular model? Any thing I should look out for when I go see it?

The seller owns a National Auto Parts Centre and has service records for everything! I will quote his ad:

2007 Mercedes-Benz ML500– V8 engine, Very rare, Last year of production! Iridium silver metallic with ash leather interior finished with walnut trim, 7 speed automatic with paddle shift, 4MATIC (all wheel drive), fully loaded with all desirable options, including navigation, backup camera and park assist for easy parking, heated steering wheel, power tailgate, rear cargo rubber protection mat, and premium sound package to name a few.

All maintenance up to date with service history, 2 keys, non-smoker, no accidents, will provide a Carfax/Carproof report for interested parties, already e-tested and will certify. Only 139,000km. Perfect all season vehicle!


Please any thoughts/advice is very welcome!!:smile
 
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#3 ·
I would at least go and look at it. Before you buy I would take the VIN to a dealer and see if you can find a maintenance history. Some 2007 cars did have engines affected by bad balance shafts in the 272 and 273 engines. The dealer would be able to see the engine serial number on the build sheet and see if it is in the affected range. A good history would also tell if this problem has been fixed or not.
 
#5 ·
Hi,

Thank you for your reply!! As you said, I will definitely go take a look, although the ASH Interior is not really for me; it is almost too washed out for me and am not really feeling it, but will not disregard the car due to it! What does a balance shaft do? Is it like the drive shaft or is that totally different?

I think I will take the VIN number from the seller and get it run from the dealer first as well; although I am quite positive he is the 2nd Owner and has maintained it at an indy!

Thanks a lot though for your time and I hope I can join the Benz Family!!:)
 
#6 ·
The balance shaft is located at the bottom of the engine and holds the spur gear in place to turn the timing belt. From MY 2005 to 2007 the metal of these shafts and gears was not hardened properly and would wear causing Check Engine lights to come on because of the timing belt slack and eventual engine failure. There was a class action settlement in the US last year. I am not sure if they did anything in Canada, but this was a world wide problem. If they have service records that would probably be the most important thing that I would check for. Good luck.
 
#10 ·
Hi James,

Thanks a lot for your reply. I found a website as mentioned that spoke about these issues and was really apprehensive to go and even see it; boy, i am glad I did because I really liked it! As the other poster mentioned, the engine is not a 273 so I am actually very happy with that as I would have been very unhappy if it did not check out! Any other thoughts are most appreciated!
 
#9 ·
Hello,

First off, thank you for your reply!

I did what the other poster said and took a look at the car and just came back! I took a picture of the car's VIN number and used a VIN Decoder as suggested on thi website: Mercedes Benz balance shaft engine issues. How to check by VIN. M272/273 - MB Medic

Over here, they said to decode the VIN and check the engine number: It should be higher than 273...30 88611

However, when I decode my VIN the engine number is 113964 30 746572

This is the full VIN decode:
Chassis

Sales designation: ML 500 4MATIC
Order number: 0 7 701 20837
Delivery date: 27 02 2007
Market: NA,North America
Production order: N
Paint code 1:
775U - BRIGHT SILVER METALLIC CLEAR COAT PAINT
Equipment:
208A - LEATHER - GRAY
Engine no.:
113964 30 746572
Major assembly variant: A 113 010 77 44
Part var. design.:
Text
Transmission:
722901 01 052225 [transmissionType = GA]


Based on what you said, my engine number is 113964 30 746572 and I am assuming the 113 is the engine you are referring to! If this is indeed true, I am going to buy this for sure then! I am planning to gift it to my mum and I really think she will like this! Also, the interior was so clean and the pictures do not do the ASH colour justice!
Please reply!!
 
#13 ·
Hi James,

I saw it today morning already!! The ASH interior was a lot better in person, but kudos to the seller as he had maintained it immaculately and it is his daily driver.For a 2007, it was perhaps the cleanest car I have come across in my search for my next SUV. He is selling it as he wants to get a GL(the bigger one?) now. Anything else I should look out for when I have a mechanic inspect it (I am thinking I should definitely get this done to be safe?)

I am buying an SUV to gift it to my mum and feel like I will be making an offer to the seller tonight! I will not lie, I am also going to see a V6 2005 Cayenne today evening, but my heart is kinda set on this one! The one thing I am thinking about is that the ML comes without air suspension and the Cayenne has the air suspension; I think the ML not having it can be good in the long run, but I really want to see the Cayenne before I commit.

The V8 is a beast, the seller has agreed to give me parts at cost for the lifetime of my ownership, and was very generous is the amount of time he took to show me the car! I know my younger brother would rather get this than the V6, and lastly the Merc is way better equipped; everything seems to be an option with Porsche, at least on the V6 model!

Rest assured, I will defo post pics if I do pick it up; cannot thank this forum for giving me some clarity and advice!
 
#16 ·
Hello all,

Bought the car!! Am so happy!! Went to see the Cayenne and it was a V8 as the seller had no idea! I know that the 2005 V8 have the coolant pipe issue and I asked him whether it was sorted but he said no engine work; did not get a good vibe from the car but I really wanted a Porsche.

However, in terms of the feedback i got here, I made the decision on the way back home from the Cayenne and bought the ML; I am sure the Cayenne might have handled better, but the ML was just that much better maintained and was mint!! Also, for my Mum who I am giving this car too, I am quite happy I made the choice on the ML.

If I am being honest, I had my heart set on the Cayenne, but am so glad I took a chance on the ML!! Excited to get it soon!!
 
#18 ·
Hi,

I've been driving a V8 340 hp Cayenne last saturday as I'm interested to sell my CLS because of what my back is telling me (I'm getting old...). I was quite disapointed, the Cayenne was far from the CLS (this I had no doubt, more than 600 Kg difference)... but I had also more fun with my old W163 compared to the Porsche !!! In fact the MB M113 has more torque in lower revs et tranny gears are shorter. Cayenne is a great vehicle but coming from a W163 or 164, the only ones that can beat them are 382 hp and above.

MB-tex is a synthetic textile (look here: What is MB-Tex Seat Upholstery? | MB-Tex vs. Leather), cheaper to produce (but this you can't see when you get your bill) and easier to maintain. Must be "greener" too I guess. I would be surprised your W164 has this kind of upholstery, I think it was an option on MY 2010 and later and 208A code is for real leather.
 
#19 ·
Hi Win,
I was not too worried about the power, but more so of maintenance and options in the car; I would be lying if I said that the Porsche badge did not have my head turned as I just wanted to give my mum a premium vehicle. I was initially looking at a V6 Cayenne only to have it fall through; almost bought a Q7 for her but engine was leaking; this ML was by far the cleanest!

Also, in terms of interior options, the ML had the Cayenne beat in all regards! Everything seemed to be an option on the Cayenne! I had seen this ML almost a month ago and never paid it any attention; a few price drops later and after seeing it in person, I was sold and the response from everyone seems to indicate I mad ea great decision.

From what I read, the MB-Tex is much more easier to maintain but real leather is always good. Honestly, though for a 2007, the interior and exterior on the ML was immaculate, and for that matter every Cayenne I saw was with TAN and it was nowhere near the ML. I am sure this has something to do with the seller maintenance and am glad I joined the Merc family again!

I will be posting pics if that is welcome on these boards for people to see, but cannot thank everyone enough on making this decision so much easier!!
 
#23 ·
Glad that you got the car. I think over time you will be happy without the airmatic as they can be very problematic and a lot of people end up converting them to coil spring suspension anyway. I am sure you will be happy with it. Please keep us up to date as far as maintenance and any other questions you may have. This group is always glad to help.
 
#25 ·
Hi James,

Thanks! Took the car to my mechanic today morning and it passed with flying colours!! :) Was very happy as I was hoping it did not end up like the Q7 which I really wanted. I dodged a massive bullet there and am glad I waited to find the right car for my mum. Deposit paid and will pick up the car by Friday latest.

Funny enough, I voiced the AIRMATIC concern to my mechanic who told me the same thing as you; it is actually much better in the long run considering the repair costs associated with the air suspension. He also told me that he drives a 2012 ML350 BLUETEC and has no air suspension and prefers it without. I also went for a test drive with the mechanic and truly I found the ride very comfortable and even though I felt some bumps sitting in the back seat, the comfort was miles ahead of the Infiniti I drive.

I will be contributing much more to this board going forward and hope to learn quite a few things along the way; next step is to get into DIY routine maintenance! Once again, this forum helped me make a swift yet informed decision as the seller told me right after I saw it and bought it, he has had about 6 people calling him to come see the car; not this one, cause its mine now:grin:grin
 
#28 · (Edited)
RowdyRackmount, I'm surprised you haven't noticed that the Cayanne is one of the ugliest cars on the road!

As I spend 95% of my time looking at my cars on the Drive and only 5% driving them, so the styling is very important. The ML gets so much right, it's a great looking SUV. Probably one of the best considering some of the newly announced ones I've seen..

Why date the plain girl when you could have her pretty friend?
 
#30 ·
Hi Kid,

I like your style! I do not mind the Porsche although my brother refers to its as squashed bug! :grin
All in all, in terms of reliability and options, the Mercedes won this round for me and I really do like the styling of the ML; its muscular and has nice strong lines, plus the space inside is a lot better than the Cayenne! No regrets whatsoever and I cannot wait to give the car to my Mum tomorrow!
 
#29 ·
Hi,

Yes, true. I agree W164 has a best looking than the Cayenne but this is just a matter of taste. This said, I think either that W164 + M273 is much more reliable than Cayenne S V8 and maybe easier to maintain.
@RowdyRackmount, I do not want turbo-charged engine, it is a matter of reliability and Cayenne V8 turbo is not something I can feel I can pass many years trouble free with. So, in my opinion, it must be a "S" V8 385 ch (or 403), MY 2007 and above as many defaults of the early ones have been corrected. But definitely, if I can find a M273 W164, it will be the one.
 
#31 ·
Hi Old,

From a maintenance standpoint, I agree that the ML is certainly more reliable than the Cayenne. The seller who runs a German parts store has confirmed this with me. I did my research on the M113 engine it has very good reliability record. The Cayenne years I was considering (2005-2006) do have reliability issues with the V8 and the response here regarding the ML was very positive.

About the turbo, you are perhaps right that it will be maintenance hog and you probably do not need the extra power (sensible). I am curious as to why you prefer a M273 engine over the M113? Any particular reason?
 
#32 ·
Hi,

M273 has more torque and of course more hp's with at least, more mpg. It is as rock solid as its "father", only known issues it has are "soft" timing chain sprocket (MY 2005, 2006 and some 2007) and leaking cam adjusters. As this was the last MB's V8 engine without turbo-charger, it is the best choice to me as M113 stays as a reference. Real comparison between M113 and M273 can be done with the 55 version of the M113 (5.4l): 347 ch on one hand vs 382 on the other. Torque value is nearly the same but range is a bit better on the M272. Turbo engines are not aging so friendly and maybe because I am old school machanically speaking, I always prefer big blocks plenty of torque @ low revs than smaller ones with some breathing tricks.
And right, MB's V8 engines are more reliable than Porsche's ones - and BMW's, and Jaguar's and of course Audi's (much more!). They are probably the best you can find in the automotive market.
 
#33 ·
Hello All,

Wanted to give you all an update as I have had the car now for almost two weeks:

It is very smooth and refined and so quite, something only you can appreciate once you have driven it a few times. I thought it would be hard on gas, but it is surprisingly very good on gas and on the highway I averaged 11.9L/100Km.

Only changed the cabin filter as I wanted to do that first thing; one thing though, I accidentally hit the WINDOW LOCK switch that prevents the rear windows from opening ( I guess its the child lock??) and the button is stuck now! Can operate windows from driver side, but rear ones are in lock mode! Tried to unstick it so to speak, but no luck. The physical button I wiggled around and it came back up, but I think it is broken!

Other than that, my mum is very happy and she enjoys driving it; cannot thank everyone enough for helping me make this purchase decision!!
 
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