rizwan

Hey guys,

I took my 2000 ML430 to the MB dealership in Alexandria, and was wondering if anyone has any experiences with them they'd like to share. They were really nice to me, and seemed like they were honest people.

my ML430 was recently bought 2 weeks ago, and i wanted MB to do a presale inspection on it to make sure that it was fine (i bought it from an auto dealer elsewhere, and it was the only MB in his lot of hondas and toyotas. Also, the car had some dents in it from the previous owner (small but deep dents in the front of the hood (noticeable), and some dents in the back (also noticeable). The DentMaster guy said that he'll be able to fix them in a couple of hours and it should cost around $400. All in all, this is what i'm paying for:

Presale Inspection (2 hours labor): $195.80
Dent repair: $400
Extra set of keys (only got one set): $170.00

Being able to drive off with a better MB: hopefully priceless!!

Does this sound like a standard price or is it way off? I think it's pretty reasonable, but i've never own a MB before this one.

riz

moa4r

all your prices sound OK...go for it!

Darkmann

[QUOTE...[b]Being able to drive off with a better MB: hopefully priceless!!...[/QUOTE]

I won't be so sure about that. If you can afford it, get extended warranty. These trucks are great and extremely capable. But some could be very problematic. An extended warranty and good dealership can make the difference in your ownership experience!!!

rizwan

Well, last night the lady called me from the dealership and told me that they were busy and didn't get to my car , so I have to go half of today without it too. Hopefully the results with be worth it!

oh BTW, do you guys get the dealership to install custom parts for you if you buy them, or do you guys have other people do it? I want to install a K&N air filter, and don't know if i should ask them to do it. (labor is pretty expensive there though)

thanks,
riz

rizwan

Thanks Darkmann,

do you know what a extended warranty might cost? I'd like a reasonable ball park figure, so that when i go into the MB dealership and they give me some other price i'll know whether it's good or bad.

Thanks,
riz

adammull

well, a K&N can be installed in 5 minutes yourself. Very simple. Not even worth the time to ask the guys in the service department. They will probably tell you it voids the warranty, or it is an inferior product, etc.

rbetz

I just purchased my 2005 ML350 from Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria about 30 days ago . . . . my first Mercedes. So far, they seem very capable and accomodating.

Darkmann

I don't recall but I believe I was quoted somewhere between $1500 and $2000 when I first purchased my ML. That may also depend on the region - I'm in Salisbury, MD.

Regarding the K&N filter, you will not get any noticeably HP gains with just the filter. What you want is the filter charger system (if they make it for the ML) AND an exhaust mod, if you want more power. Another way to get more HP is to look into the Brabus system. I believe Kleeman also has some HP mods for the ML. But just doing the filter is not worth it, if you're looking for more HP. And, BTW, that's a 10 minute DIY.

rizwan

Well, I picked up my ML430 from MB of Alexandria, and the total cost was $1390.43

Damn I hate labor costs! I guess it took 3 hours to realize my A/C blows *slightly* warmer than regular at the cost of $97.90/hour. So they had to change the entire wiring harness for the aux cooling fan as it was blowing fuses !! Apparently this caused my right reverse lamp to blow out, which I wasn't aware of.

My rear brakes whistle a little bit when stopping, and I mentioned this to the service agent, and she said it was normal, as higher quality disc brakes do that. I was a little confused by that, but I did find this (third paragraph)

They fixed the dents on the car which is awesome. The only problem is that the previous owner, when he dented the car caused paint damage, so that is still there. All in all though, you can't see the damage unless you're up pretty close.

I didn't get a chance to ask about extended warranties as they basically called me on the last minute to tell me the car was done, and by the time I got there, all the service managers had left, and only the cashier was there to accept my money, haha.

However, when I was driving back, I noticed that the assembly behind the steering wheel (under the instrument panel) was not put back together properly. I had to snap it back in place! There is also now a rattling sound coming from near the sunroof. I HOPE that it's not there tomorrow morning.

Darkmann, thanks for the quote. Is that $1500-$2000 per year of extended warranty? Yeah, I'm not looking for anything drastic by adding an air filter, just hoping to "refine" what i already have, i guess, hehe

I'll post a pic of the car as soon I have the time to get it detailed and stuff.

riz

rbetz

I paid $2,720 + $61.20 (tax) = $2,781.20 for my extended warranty at MB of Alexandria on 5/10/2004. That's for the 84 month/100,000 mile variety.

rizwan

hey guys,

how long should programming a key take? They called me back to tell me that my key's arrived from gernmany but they need a half hour's labor to program it for my car. As far as I know, people do it in like 5 minutes. Is there anything I can do myself?


thanks,
riz

Darkmann

it has taken more than 1/2 hr to program the key. I don't quite understand how this works - in my case, using my VIN, my new keys came already programmed. I took the keys and started the car right away - this wan't the ML. Maybe it varies between dealers, but 1/2 hr is not that long to have the programming complete - they may also be using an Atari O/S technology!!!

moa4r

someone told me each MB is made from the factory with a total of 24 keys (no more, no less) that are stored in Germany in case the owner needs them...

sounds like a big pile to me, though

dinko

Something as simple as a filter can void a warranty?

kokketiel

AFAIK you can only buy the extended warranty from MB within the first year since the in-service date of the car. Since 2001 was the last year that the 430 was sold, you will not be able to buy a MB warranty, which leaves you with having to get an aftermarket extended warranty.

kostas

i've had horrible experience with my 2000 ML430.. good luck with yours.. hope you dont run into the same problems

terp97

What is the best price for a 2005 ML350 Special Edition P30 Package, Brilliant Silver Metallic, Charcoal Leather, Heated Front Seats, Entertainment Package, Sunroof Package, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, DVD Navigation?