The headlamps on my ML-500 (2003) are starting to haze over. My MB dealer says this is normal due to teh hot sun and acid rain and MB will not fix under warranty. Anyone else seen and dealt with this?

Regards
Mike

 

Same thing happened to my 2003 ML350. The top edge of the lenses started to turn milky. MB dealer replaced both headligh assemblies under warranty.

 

Thanks CMM. My dealer saiud they wern't covered under warranty. What dealer did you get yours replaced at?

Mike

 

MB of Pomapano. I bought the car there, as a certified pre-owned, and even though many things broke, they have never declined a warranty claim.
The only re-curring problem I have is with the steering:
When the car is hot, at parking lot speeds, the steering wheel makes a whistling noise. The dealer has already replaced the steering rack twice, but now it's back. Good thing that I have one more year of warranty via the MB certified pre-owned program.

 

That's my dealer - I have just setup an appointment to see someone tomrorow about the issue.

No problems with the steering so far, but I have noticed a whistling noise that appears to be coming from under the dash when the car is cold. It usually lasts a few minutes and them dissapears. Havn't noticed it in summer.

 

Mine have the same haziness. I've just been living with it. Don't feel like shelling out any money for it. Of course I don't have a warranty anymore.

 

is this hazyness appearing on the surface or all the way through the glass?

Its just that my company car (which is only used in the desert) suffers from pitting on the surface of the glass, this was sorted out by buffering it with different grades of sandpaper and polish, dont know if this will help, but it works for surface imperfections.

 

I believe it is on the surface. My dealer said it was absolutely NOT covered under warranty as they see it all the time. All service advisor's have a bunch of cards from a service that fixes the problem (for $250) and offers a five year warranty on the repair - longer than Mercedes new warranty - so apparently this is a problem that Mercedes refuses to fix. The 1-800-Mercedes rep I spoke to said it was "caused by the weather and hence wasn't covered under warranty". He basically couldn't care less and wanted me off the phone as quickly as possible, even after i told him this was my third and now probably my last Mercedes.

 

This product is supposed to work on hazing headlights http://www.mdwholesale.com/

 

I used a similar product on my wife's Ml with great success. Got rid of the hazing and yellowing and now looks new again.

 

Thats terrible, I hate poor aftersales and it doesnt matter how much you like the car it will put you off buying another. These garages should be reported. I would write a letter to Mercedes HQ and make a complaint letting them know how disappointed you are with their service. You may get lucky, if not at least you have made a point.

Good luck sorting it anyhow....

 

Is it any wonder why Mercedes brand loyalty and ratings have slipped so much in the past 10+ years? They have a real problem in the service they provide to the customer and I honestly hope that it bites them in the ***. The best thing that could happen for them would be continued strong economic pressure from the Japanese market to bring them down to reality. I don't sound pessimistic do I?

 

that is complained about issues I was was having with my ML - took it all the way from SA to MB HQ in Germany.
Result - very polite letter saying basically get lost :-(

Result for MB ?

I now drive a Lexus because they know what quality and customer care is all about.

I put owning my ML behind me as a $50,000 lesson to never buy another MB product again - and I go out of my way to warn others....

 

it happend with me aswell wat i did is took it apart and cleaned it inside got silcone and put it back to getter now its perfect again.

 

Yeah, after time the plastic gets pitted (which isn't really visible) and crap gets stuck in there--making it look dull and hazy. I've found that it can be pretty much restored with a very aggressive cut polish--say like Mother's Scratch Remover--and a lot of elbow grease. You don't have to worry about going too deep with it either 'cause there's no paint or clear coat to worry about. Should restore any outside dullness and can make them look almost brand new in many cases. To keep that finish up, regularly wax your headlights as you would the paint and cut-polish every once in a while to keep 'em sparkling.

 

I've had great success using Simichrome Polish...
http://www.simichrome-polish.com/
... followed by toothpaste. Virtually any brand of toothpaste will work. I know it sounds corny, but the combination works very well. The metal polish works on the plastic without scratching it, while the toothpaste buffs it up incredibly smooth. Doesn’t do much for pits, but does well with moderate hazing of plastic lenses.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

Bought this http://www.meguiars.com/?clear-plast...Cleaner-Polish @ Advance Auto last week. It worked as advertised and cleaned the mild yellowing film off the headlights. My 2 cents.

 

I tried this stuff, but it didn't do much. They suggest (in the instructions) that if it doesn't work use some fine grit sandpaper to get rid of the problem and them use their stuff for a final polish. This would be a lot of work! Maybe I'll try the meguiars! I did find one tire dealer that will fix both headlights for $99, but it'd be nice to find a product that really works so I can keep them clear myself.