M-Class (W166) Produced 2012-2015

Seeking common issues (if any) for ML

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Old 11-21-2014, 10:25 PM
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Infiniti FX45
Seeking common issues (if any) for ML

I'm thinking of replacing my 2006 Infiniti FX45 with a 2015 ML400 (it would be my first Mercedes). I realize this is the first year for the ML400, so I was wondering if there are some common maintenance/reliability issues (or any other issues I should be aware of) for the ML350, as a proxy. Thanks for your help!
Old 11-22-2014, 08:51 PM
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I've had my ml400 for about 7 weeks now. I actually bought it for my wife. My biggest problem is that she doesn't share it we me . The car is a pleasure to drive and has plenty of power. The engine has a nice growl,to it, not too loud. I have a 350z as well so I assume you currently have a vs engine in your fx and there fore have that nice exhaust sound.

That said, there are a few things that bug me
- the radio has to be on for nav and reverse camera to work
- there is no seat memory associated w the key fobs. So every time I get in you have to hold down the memory button for the setting u want. Sux in the rain.
- the rear view cam only has one setting.
- no tail pipes.

My other cars, Honda and Acura, all have these features. stock. Not sure how a $70kplus mercedes doesn't have these features.

Overall we are very happy w the car. My wife loves driving it. So do I on rare occasion. Good luck.

W
Old 11-22-2014, 11:03 PM
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Well.....

1) the radio has to be on for nav and reverse camera to work - yes, COMAND needs to be on for Nav/camera, etc.. you can choose a "blank" audio function if you want no sound

2) there is no seat memory associated w the key fobs - Correct, per updated Federal recommendations which do not want "unseated" front seat movement as to prevent chopping off a foot in the 2nd row

3) the rear view cam only has one setting - well, if you have Parking Assist Package (way cool) you have a wide choice of "views" including overhead "drone" view, rear, front, wide rear, sides...etc. - standard rear view camera, correct one view

4) no tail pipes - most get tired of cleaning rear pipe exhaust tips, and minor rear end collision can frack up exhaust system, where "hidden" exhast no cleaning and no rear end collision damage..
Old 11-22-2014, 11:49 PM
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Thanks, ntwillie1. My wife has a seven year old GL, and its backup cam requires the screen in the dash to be on, though not specifically set to the radio (it can be in nav mode, e.g.). Also, if it's on when we turn the car off, it will come on when we start the car again, so we just leave it on. Can you confirm that the ML's backup cam does NOT work like this? I.e. it really has to be the radio and no other function. Also, do you have to deliberately turn it on every time you start the car? Even my wife's GL's behavior I find odd since my Infiniti FX45's screen has no on/off switch; it comes on with the car, and goes off with it, too.

Regarding the seat, my FX45's moves back and the steering wheel moves up when you turn the car off, to ease egress. When you start the car, the seat returns to its last position, regardless of whether or not it was stored in memory (of course, hitting a memory button returns everything to that memory's position). Does the ML work like this, or differently? I don't really care if it doesn't associate seat positions with fobs, but I really like how the FX45 works and was hoping for something similar in the ML.
Old 11-23-2014, 03:59 AM
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I have a 2012 ML 350 and the radio does not have to be on for the rear camera to work. I guess they changed it for the current year and if they did it is a stupid change. I leave Command on all the time - I doubt I have pushed the off button more than a couple times in the two and a half years I've owned it. I have the "disc" setting always set to something I do not have plugged in at the time, such as usb or memory card. I press "navigator" so my map is always showing. Everytime I put the car in reverse the map goes off and on comes the rear camera. It goes back to navigator screen the moment I take it out of reverse. Simple as can be. There is no reason to have the radio on or any sound whatsover. Only the Command must be on to activate the screen so you can see the rear camera picture. And this does not have to be adjusted or re-entered every time the car is started.
Old 11-23-2014, 08:00 AM
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i disagree with most of what you said

Originally Posted by fabbrisd1
Well.....

1) the radio has to be on for nav and reverse camera to work - yes, COMAND needs to be on for Nav/camera, etc.. you can choose a "blank" audio function if you want no sound
Still ridiculous

2) there is no seat memory associated w the key fobs - Correct, per updated Federal recommendations which do not want "unseated" front seat movement as to prevent chopping off a foot in the 2nd row
Have you ever seen how slow a car with memory seats moves? if that can chop a foot off then I don't know what to say. I've had that feature for 7 years on my cars and thankfully no one in my family has lost a limb due to that feature.

3) the rear view cam only has one setting - well, if you have Parking Assist Package (way cool) you have a wide choice of "views" including overhead "drone" view, rear, front, wide rear, sides...etc. - standard rear view camera, correct one view
I only have parktronic so I dont' get those features. My other cars didn't have the overhead view but they did have multiple camera views such as normal, wide angle, and a striaght down view from the tailgate so you could see what you were backing into such as a trailer or if you were close to a wall. All I'm saying is that for a $70k car they could at least give you that.

4) no tail pipes - most get tired of cleaning rear pipe exhaust tips, and minor rear end collision can frack up exhaust system, where "hidden" exhast no cleaning and no rear end collision damage..
As a car lover i love seeing tail pipes on deserving cars. I can understand no tailpipes on a Prius and such. I personally don't mind cleaning them but I can see where others may not like it. I guess it's just a matter of personal opinion. My car is twin turbo and has a little growl so I would like to see tail pipes.
I put my answers in red only to make them easier to read. Please don't take it the wrong way. Overall we are very happy with the car. It drives well, has plenty of power, and has an excellent interior. The nicest I've had so far.

Last edited by ntwillie1; 11-23-2014 at 08:09 AM.
Old 11-23-2014, 12:46 PM
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My wife and I had been Escalade drivers for the past 15 years and we loved them. Our last leases were for 2011's. She got a Platinum and I got a Premium. We were both surprised at how much better the Platinum is than the Premium, but we drove them without much complaint for the 3 year least term.

A year in advance, we ordered new replacement Escalades....but we were told that Cadillac no longer makes Platinums (subsequently found out that this is untrue). So we ordered the Premiums. And we waited for production. Our leases needed to be extended by 6 months and GM charged us a premium to do so. This was irritating, but the dealer told me that he'd reimburse me on the back end - so I agreed to it.

We ordered the units in December 2013 and by the end of November 2014, neither Escalade was built for reasons that were obscure. FINALLY, GM sent a stern letter saying that they would not extend our leases any long and that we'd have to either buy the vehicles or give them back.

Because we had nothing else to drive, we bought them both. I have since sold mine to a friend and my wife elected to keep hers to take to the USA for personal use while down there on business every few weeks.

By coincidence, my Father-in-Law wanted a new Vehicle and ended up buying an ML350 after his wife refused to leave the Hyaat Auto Gallery in Calgary where he took her to meet "Jon", the sales rep. My in-laws were so impressed that they called me at work (something that they NEVER do) to tell me to head down to the dealership because they put an ML away for my wife and I.

We headed down after a hectic day at work and test drove the ML550. Next thing we knew, we put in an order for two of them with Chestnut Designo Leather, AMG appearance packages, loaded to the max except the night vision and upgraded sound systems. We added the full hood 3M package as well as the nanomolecular paint protection.

I just got mine this past week (Palladium Silver) and My wife's Diamond White one arrives in February.

I have been absolutely blown away by the ML550! The fit and finish in the vehicle is stunning. It's not quite the attention-seeking looker from the outside that I've been used to with the Escalades, but that is very easy to forget once you are inside it.

The cabin is pin drop quiet, and the technology inside is a whole order of magnitude better than the best that Cadillac can offer. The performance is breathtaking. Acceleration and handling in the ML550 is again - an order of magnitude better than anything available from the whole Cadillac Fleet. The vehicle is a treat to drive, whether in slow and dense traffic or open highways where I can effortlessly and very quickly cruise up to 200km/h without any discernible effort on the part of the vehicle. Could easily go faster, but I would never do so on a public road. Will try on the private "pay for use" racetrack going up in Calgary in the near future.

The ride is extremely comfortable and infinitely customizable.

I can't say enough about how nice the vehicle is to drive. It's like they took the cream of the crop of German Engineers and told them to build the car of their dreams. And they DID!

For $108,000 (includes everything including winter wheels/tires/service/windshield/tax,etc), I feel like I paid a fair price for the vehicle that I received.

Cadillac wants basically the same price for their new Platinum's that are going to be severely delayed in production for the next couple of years. I think that Cadillac executives probably drive their Cadillacs to work....but I would not be surprised if one of two of them keeps a Mercedes in the garage for their private use on weekends!

I can't see myself ever going back to Cadillac or any other of the brands that I test drove while looking for a replacement. The Cayenne is nowhere near as nice as the Merecedes and the Audi Q7 was laughably "are you serious?" in terms of it's overall low quality for the price. Lexus was about the same in quality as Cadillac....and there really isn't much out there that can compare.

It's like Mercedes is the "Apple Computer" of the Automotive world. All the other manufacturers are light years behind.
Old 11-23-2014, 02:10 PM
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Originally Posted by fabbrisd1
Well.....

1) the radio has to be on for nav and reverse camera to work - yes, COMAND needs to be on for Nav/camera, etc.. you can choose a "blank" audio function if you want no sound
Just press the Mute on the steering wheel while the radio sound is playing, the radio stays on with no sound till next time you unmute or turn on audio. Everything else works fine while the radio is muted including Nav voice, phone voice. Even when you turn off the car the next time you turn on the car the radio mute is still on.
Old 11-25-2014, 03:40 AM
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'17 GLS500. Previously '14 C250, '13 ML500, '12 C250, '08 ML500, '07 E500 & '03 A160
We assume you have seen this thread.

https://mbworld.org/forums/new-m-cla...ease-help.html

Doesn't seem to be any mention of anyone with a ML400 having this issue, yet, but there's certainly plenty of ML350s on there. And if memory serves me right (without reading back through it all & reliving the whole experience) there were 2 of us with ML500/550s, and a couple of Blutecs too. Also not just limited to the M-Class.

Happy decision making!
Old 11-25-2014, 04:03 AM
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'17 GLS500. Previously '14 C250, '13 ML500, '12 C250, '08 ML500, '07 E500 & '03 A160
Wow, interesting story, and great information ....

I pretty much agree with everything you said, except MB is the "Apple Computer" of the automotive world. Well, true in the sense that it's very hard to modify anything on a new MB, but not true in the sense of quality. From my experience Apple's products haven't been that great at all, perhaps Sony would be a better comparison. My experience with MB over the years has been pretty much flawless, and Sony too! Neither MB or Sony are 100% perfect, but they're as good as you'll be able to get most of the time!

What I will agree with you on totally is the ML 'vs' Cayenne 'vs' Q7 comment. Neither of them come close to the ML, and here they're all more expensive. Did you drive the new X5 though? It looks great, and will possibly be my next choice if they do end up dropping the ML500(550) here, that's assuming BMW don't drop the X5 50i too! I know I'll never be as happy in an X5 as an ML though, but I still want a petrol V8. Can't afford an ML63, and they're not my cuppa tea anyway. Otherwise Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7l is looking good, and with the money I save I'll buy myself another toy to drive! Although I might need it to pay for the extra fuel costs.

I assume you're in Canada? Interesting that you can also still get a ML550 there (or 2 in your case!), like here, but no longer in the US. I still can't get my head around all this.

I hope you continue to enjoy your ML550s ... excellent choice!

Originally Posted by Subatomic Power
My wife and I had been Escalade drivers for the past 15 years and we loved them. Our last leases were for 2011's. She got a Platinum and I got a Premium. We were both surprised at how much better the Platinum is than the Premium, but we drove them without much complaint for the 3 year least term.

A year in advance, we ordered new replacement Escalades....but we were told that Cadillac no longer makes Platinums (subsequently found out that this is untrue). So we ordered the Premiums. And we waited for production. Our leases needed to be extended by 6 months and GM charged us a premium to do so. This was irritating, but the dealer told me that he'd reimburse me on the back end - so I agreed to it.

We ordered the units in December 2013 and by the end of November 2014, neither Escalade was built for reasons that were obscure. FINALLY, GM sent a stern letter saying that they would not extend our leases any long and that we'd have to either buy the vehicles or give them back.

Because we had nothing else to drive, we bought them both. I have since sold mine to a friend and my wife elected to keep hers to take to the USA for personal use while down there on business every few weeks.

By coincidence, my Father-in-Law wanted a new Vehicle and ended up buying an ML350 after his wife refused to leave the Hyaat Auto Gallery in Calgary where he took her to meet "Jon", the sales rep. My in-laws were so impressed that they called me at work (something that they NEVER do) to tell me to head down to the dealership because they put an ML away for my wife and I.

We headed down after a hectic day at work and test drove the ML550. Next thing we knew, we put in an order for two of them with Chestnut Designo Leather, AMG appearance packages, loaded to the max except the night vision and upgraded sound systems. We added the full hood 3M package as well as the nanomolecular paint protection.

I just got mine this past week (Palladium Silver) and My wife's Diamond White one arrives in February.

I have been absolutely blown away by the ML550! The fit and finish in the vehicle is stunning. It's not quite the attention-seeking looker from the outside that I've been used to with the Escalades, but that is very easy to forget once you are inside it.

The cabin is pin drop quiet, and the technology inside is a whole order of magnitude better than the best that Cadillac can offer. The performance is breathtaking. Acceleration and handling in the ML550 is again - an order of magnitude better than anything available from the whole Cadillac Fleet. The vehicle is a treat to drive, whether in slow and dense traffic or open highways where I can effortlessly and very quickly cruise up to 200km/h without any discernible effort on the part of the vehicle. Could easily go faster, but I would never do so on a public road. Will try on the private "pay for use" racetrack going up in Calgary in the near future.

The ride is extremely comfortable and infinitely customizable.

I can't say enough about how nice the vehicle is to drive. It's like they took the cream of the crop of German Engineers and told them to build the car of their dreams. And they DID!

For $108,000 (includes everything including winter wheels/tires/service/windshield/tax,etc), I feel like I paid a fair price for the vehicle that I received.

Cadillac wants basically the same price for their new Platinum's that are going to be severely delayed in production for the next couple of years. I think that Cadillac executives probably drive their Cadillacs to work....but I would not be surprised if one of two of them keeps a Mercedes in the garage for their private use on weekends!

I can't see myself ever going back to Cadillac or any other of the brands that I test drove while looking for a replacement. The Cayenne is nowhere near as nice as the Merecedes and the Audi Q7 was laughably "are you serious?" in terms of it's overall low quality for the price. Lexus was about the same in quality as Cadillac....and there really isn't much out there that can compare.

It's like Mercedes is the "Apple Computer" of the Automotive world. All the other manufacturers are light years behind.

Last edited by Benz Werd; 11-25-2014 at 04:08 AM.
Old 11-25-2014, 10:54 AM
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Originally Posted by AussieBenzLover
We assume you have seen this thread.

https://mbworld.org/forums/new-m-cla...ease-help.html

Doesn't seem to be any mention of anyone with a ML400 having this issue, yet, but there's certainly plenty of ML350s on there. And if memory serves me right (without reading back through it all & reliving the whole experience) there were 2 of us with ML500/550s, and a couple of Blutecs too. Also not just limited to the M-Class.

Happy decision making!
Thanks! I hadn't seen that. Hopefully it won't be a problem on the ML400 since it's a new engine, but I'll know what to do if it shows up. I downloaded the pdf you posted. Too bad mbtechman deleted all his posts. Sounds like there was some good info there, but I guess the pdf is the crucial piece.
Old 11-25-2014, 11:07 AM
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'17 GLS500. Previously '14 C250, '13 ML500, '12 C250, '08 ML500, '07 E500 & '03 A160
Originally Posted by Involute
Thanks! I hadn't seen that. Hopefully it won't be a problem on the ML400 since it's a new engine, but I'll know what to do if it shows up. I downloaded the pdf you posted. Too bad mbtechman deleted all his posts. Sounds like there was some good info there, but I guess the pdf is the crucial piece.
You would hope so. It might be fine at first and develop during the first couple of thousand miles like mine did.

But yeah, suggest you print that pdf asap before it gets removed again. I won't be removing it, but who knows maybe the moderators had to remove those previous posts from mbtechman, and will do it again to mine. I'm still curious as to why though. The only reason I can think of is somebody high up at MB somewhere has some influence on this forum and they didn't want customers (like me) turning up to their service departments producing an offical MB service bulletin that they couldn't access themselves, which is exacly what happened to me. For weeks they told me it was normal and there was no fix for it. Damn fools. I'm just happy it's sorted now and hasn't returned ... yet! Fingers are crossed that if it does reoccur it happens before my warranty runs out.

Enjoy your ML400, nice choice!

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