[balkanbase]

I am looking to buy an SUV, but am reluctant to give up my love for performance and german cars in general....so naturally I came across a ML55 and fell in love with it...and I'm talking about the drooling kind of love since it IS an SUV after all. Hope I can pick it up in the next couple days.

Did quite a bit of research on these, so even though it has 94k miles, a bunch of good reviews and the fact that it is a MB and chain-driven engine are giving me some reassurance.

Can you, as ML55 owners, point me to what major problems are common and what I should pay closer attention to during the buy?
What does Service B cover, when is it due, and can it be done in my garage with normal tools you'd expect from a weekend-DIY guy?
Any clue on whether insurance rates for the ML55 are drastically different from...say a ML320?

Thanks :thumbsup:

 

[dbriggs]

hello, and welcome. I know exactly how you feel about wanting one of these, but i really cant tell you much on the first part of your question because i bought a project ml55 for a song, and i knew i needed to do alot of work to begin with, but i can say that my insurance only went up 8.00 more a month for the 2000 ml55 when i sold my 99 320 . i didnt think that was bad..

 

[balkanbase]

insurance only went up 8.00 more a month for the 2000 ml55 when i sold my 99 320

Honestly that was the one question that i the least expected an answer for thanks a lot for the good news

 

[FAR888]

Please tell us what model year you're contemplating purchasing.

My 2002 ML55 has been pretty reliable and is fantastically fun to drive.

Please test drive it after the engine has been running and switched off to see if the truck will start again - This is to check your Crankshaft Position Sensor.

Insect the power steering reservoir and hoses for leaks - A common problem

Check that the power steering works at low speeds - This is the problem I and many ML55 owners face at the moment.

With the ignition at position two, the point before the truck starts, check that all the instrument panel lights illuminate - Some sellers try to mask an existing problem by removing the bulbs from the instrument panel (E.g. the 'Check engine' and 'BAS/ESP' bulbs).

Have the truck scanned for OBDII codes - Any generic scanner will do.

Have the truck scanned for traction/transmission codes - You will need a dedicated professional scanner for this.

Get under the truck and check for any leaks from transfer case/transmission and axles.

Check condition of tie rod ends, ball joints, bushings.

Check conditions of brake pads and rotors.

Do a number of spirited accelerations from a standstill to see see if you can hear/detect a thud (seemingly from behind drivers seat/rear wheel) - If you hear a thud, engine/transmission mounts need to be changed).

Others will chip in with their experiences.

Post pics of the intended purchase if you can.

 

[balkanbase]

Awesome, that's basically a quick & dirty checklist right there haha :bowdown: greatly appreciated!
And yes, I read that brakes/disks, power steering components and interior plastic pieces are the most common issues. I'm looking at a 2002 model...loving the exterior and interior "facelift" over the 2001 model, plus I'm hoping that MB by then learned their lesson from any problems that may have come up in the 00-01 models.
Sorry, can't post any pictures right now since I cant even access the website for the car at work (yet benzworld.org does work...awesome). I'll try to post some later on when I get home.

 

[FAR888]

.......Sorry, can't post any pictures right now since I cant even access the website for the car at work (yet benzworld.org does work...awesome). I'll try to post some later on when I get home.

Ha ha ha - I know the feeling.:crybaby2:

My work also blocks social network sites and any site other than the boring ones!

Let me know which site and colour and location of truck (maybe mileage) and I will find it and post pictures which you can droll over at work.

 

[balkanbase]

well it all sounded too good to be true of course, so naturally the car got sold quite literally in front of my nose :crybaby2:

However I randomly ran across a very clean ml320 on my way home, got a great deal on it and picked that up instead. Its no AMG, but i can probably live with the gas mileage difference between the two