mrobinso

I really love the late 90s to early 2000 Mercedes models - the machines were a bit simpler mechanically making it easier for a shade tree like myself to work on them. I have become familiar with Mercedes after owning several and now that my wife and I likely aren't too far off from our first kid, I am thinking of replacing my Jeep Cherokee for a safer and more refined vehicle. I have always liked the W163 MLs, and have been looking around locally. Most of what I am seeing are over 100k miles and in the sub $8,000 range. Seems like the MLs of that era just haven't held value too well, although I wouldn't say that is unusual for most Mercs.

Do any of you E55 guys/gals also own or have owned a W163? Be interested to hear your experience in terms of maintenance and reliability as compared to the fairly stout W210 platform.

I know from reading and searching on forums the ML is far from perfect and has its fair share of common issues, however, that doesn't bother me too much as I like to fix up and maintain my vehicles myself.

I am keen on the ML500, and if the ML55s weren't so hard to come by I would love to grab one of those. It's a shame the 3rd row option is so difficult to find on the used market as well.

Anyways, thoughts? Experiences? Thanks!

desired_speeds

My opinion: unreliable. Common problem is the drive shaft that goes into the front differential

mrobinso

Any hands on experience that goes with that anecdote? Genuinely curious.

desired_speeds

Early years of college I worked at a independent MB/BMW independent shop part time. There was a used car dealer that would bring in a lot of MLs and they always had a bunch of problems. Their window switches in front were also problematic.

illest

I considered an ML when my wife and I had twins but I heard bad things about the early model years having lots of issues. I thought they got most of the issues ironed out by the time the facelifted version came out. I ended up getting an e46 wagon instead.

mrobinso

Thanks for the input. The e46 wagon is a rare car - nice choice. It's disappointing to hear the negative feedback on the ML, but that is consistent with what I have read, especially about issues with the pre-facelift models. One thing I love about the w210 is that it was made in Germany, and I know the W163 was made in Alabama I believe. Part of me just says get a Tahoe or Suburban but I can't help but be drawn to the ML - I'll likely end up getting one and kicking myself later if it has many issues I can't handle. I have done everything on my Jeep including replacing the suspension, rebuilding the transfer case, and chasing down vibrations due to improper driveshaft alignment after I installed a lift, so I am familiar with 4x4 mechanics/suspensions.

illest

check out the ML section on the other forum they might be able to give you a better idea of the common issues and help you determine if they are things you want to deal with.

mrobinso

Just a quick update with this thread. I ended up buying a 2003 Z71 Suburban. While it's definitely not as refined as an ML would have been, it's a time-tested platform and with the leather trim interior I am happy with it.