arbittan

I would like to start a dislike list on the ML.

My current issues or dislikes are:

- No Parking Tilt Side Mirror function
- Non Working Voice Command Buttons
- iPod Integration controls only through wheel
- No Child Safety locks ?? didn't know you could sell a car in the US w/o them
- Hard Plastics use on the Dash and door panels (Chevy type)
- Cup holders break foam cups..
- Service Department has a hold back attitude
- Tire Pressure monitor doesn't tell you what wheel is low
- Standard gauges are hidden behind menu prompts (Temp, Oil, etc)
- No glove box space for Owner's Manual or anything else..
- No tint Strip on Windshield

sosh

I will address a few of them. I do have the parking mirror tilt perhaps you did not order the correct package, Voice command I believe is an option that you could have ordered, I like the IPOD controls and see no need for them elsewhere, I am certain that the vehicle meeys all regs so far as child locks are concerned, just teach your children how to behave in a vehicle, Unfortunatly the type of plastics being used are common in all vehicles but they are durable and not bad looking,My cup holders have never broken a foam cup and I use them for such all the time, I do not know what you mean by a hold back attitude, my dealer's service department is excellent.Only the temp has a readout on the MFD, and if it overheats you will get a red malfunction alert,Owner's manual storage is also my pet gripe,Windshield has tint but not the heavy band accross the top that you used to see in 50's and 60's vehicles,If you are that unhappy with the items you mentioned which were clearly visable to you when you purchased why did you buy it?? Perhaps you did not know that you were not purchasing a relatively expensive vehicle, an S Class or a CLS would eliminate lots of your gripes. Its a truck remember that!! I believe its a rather nice one and I am on my 3rd one, each has gotten better.

Retiree

A neat place to store the operating manuals zipper pouch is under the left rear seat cushion.
What difference would it make which tire is low. If you get a warning, pull over and have a look; there are but four to choose from.

pkancel

Hey pal, off the subject of what you wrote, but where did you get your Ipod Integration kit and how much? Did you installed or have someone?

Thanks man and I would just about agree with every one of those things you wrote. Especially the reverse mirrors for passenger side mirror so when backing you dont hit curb with the wheels. My 03 E500 has them, why not an 06 ML.

Retiree

ML-350 2006 Option Packages ----- #317 "Comfort Package"............ "Parking-assist right-side mirror can tilt down automatically when driver shifts into reverse."

arbittan

pkancel - I got the iPod kit from the Dealer.

sosh - You wrote: "If you are that unhappy with the items you mentioned which were clearly visable to you when you purchased why did you buy it?? Perhaps you did not know that you were not purchasing a relatively expensive vehicle, an S Class or a CLS would eliminate lots of your gripes. Its a truck remember that!! I believe its a rather nice one and I am on my 3rd one, each has gotten better."

I owed an Acura MDX prior to my ML, it had all of these features and cost much less. Why did I buy a ML, I wanted something different. My sales person told me the tilt-mirror is integrated, a standard feature. Same with a digital clock in the Command, and features that were not in the car at delivery could be installed at a later date....

I have since realized that my sales person was full of crap and the dealer's best was to say sorry if you want another one with the features you like, then you can trade your "old" one in.... hmmm, sorry I am not going to trade in a 5 day old car for next to nothing.....

I don't think a $175,000 car would make me happy... Especially since an Acura or Lexus or a cheap low end Hyundai has these features standard...

My dealer was Euro, it was and has been the worst after sales experience I have ever had.

My point is, my sales person told me a whole bunch of nothings. I was used to having certain things standard on my Acuras so Mercedes shouldn't have been different.

As for the comment on the child locks, all cars (-) Mercedes have these locks. It's not a matter of teaching your kid not to touch the doors, it is just a safety feature that allows me to control the opening of the door. BTW - BMWs have Child locks standard also, so it isn't a german car thing....

sosh

Well then the problem was that you were mislead by your saleperson. Your dealer sounds also like a bit of permissivness for the sales person to be allowed to do so. However didnt you do any reasearch on your own or even read the literature?? This was not MB's fault and was partially yours.Many of your gripes could have been resolved by buying an ML with heavier options yours must be a very basic stripped ML. Take them to task for it perhaps you have some basis for a suit.

DUTCH

Not available in the US in 2007.

kevinchung

i agree your list.
But most of item you should know before buy.
If you don't like why buy it?

Kevin

arbittan

Well the questions started being asked after the fact.

When I realized that my ML couldn't have or didn't have or the ability to have certain options installed or not installed, I started asking questions about other things. One question I had (since my mirrors didn't tilt) was does this car have heated side mirrors and asked where the button is to activate it. I was told there was no button to activate it, it is automatic. I had to wait until it got cold enough to see if that was true. (It works).

I got the P1 package just FYI. What the dealer had in stock was limited and I didn't want to build one and wait 6 months to get it. I like buying cars and drving off the same day.

What burns me is the options that I want now and have been informed that those options cannot be installed (Voice Commnand,etc.)


I am not a hater of products, but when a company doesn't stand behind thier product or when the company takes the dealer's side on service and sales, its hard not to be a hater of this product.

I have said before, I love the way the car accellerates, but that is it.

The COMMAND system also doesn't compare to my BOSE in my older car. (I have the H/K package)

sosh

Again I will reply, I have had 3 other MB's with the Bose system and I find the HK far superior in all areas. The mirror heat is automatic and temp controlled. P1 is a very basic package. If you are not a product hater sounds to me that you have a bad case of buyer's remorse. Perhaps you feel that you spent more than you could comfortably afford. In fact you were not very vigilant pre purchase. Your instantanous gratification feelings also played in your current state of mind. However, there is an easy way out, just trade it for an MDX that you loved so much. Yes it will cost you but at least your whining will stop.

Retiree

You "like buying cars and driving off the same day" from a dealer??? Every car buying article or advisor says NOT! "Marry in haste, repent at leisure!"

sosh

After reading the stuff in this thread I got into the rear of my ML today. It does in fact have child safety locks, When the doors are locked the rear doors cannot be opened from the inside unless the vehicle is unlocked either with an unlock switch or by opening the front door. There are no lock/unlock buttons in the rear. The originator of this thread has not even taken the time to familiarize himself with his ML. I payed no attention to these locks as the only thing that rides in the back of mine is my dog and she never tries to unlock the doors.

DUTCH

There are most definitely lock/unlock buttons in the rear doors of my 2007 ML320 CDI. They are towards the back in the normal place.

sosh

Yes, the manual ones on top of the sill but no electric ones. It would be difficult if not impossible for an infant to pull up on those.

GregW / Oregon

I would not go anywhere that used foam cups--have a half life of about 500 years in a landfill, unless you recylce them.

arbittan

Sosh, I did not buy more than I can afford. I do believe in getting value in what I pay for though. I guess I would over look some of the initial issues I had with this car if the dealer was more pleasent to deal with. You could definitely say I had and have buyer's remorse, but only because the dealer has not met my level of service. Again, it doesn't matter who makes the car, it is the service that counts. For some of the people in this forum, I am speaking hearsey. I will offend some people in this forum, becuase I am speaking negative about a product that you all love. I am not going to tell you my Acuras were problem free either but, Acura covered all of their defects and some that were not their defects under warranty. The root word here is customer service and customer satisfaction.

Back to the initial comment that I bit off more than I could chew. I don't believe a company should base their service on how much a customer spends on a single item. It would be great to have spent $66,675.00 on a fully equiped ml350 with everything, but I didn't want to.

Also I would have to wait for 6 months to get a custom built one from Alabama and I would lose out on getting a good price.

When I say the ML does not have Child Safety locks on the rear door, I mean it doesn't have a disable switch on the rear door. On most cars sold in the US, including BMWs, they have a little toggle switch near the lock (the part that hits the striker).

Greg, the comment on the foam cup was more or less that the grip hold that is used in the US version of the ML doesn't have much play in it. Usually the Starbucks and other coffee shops that I go to use foam cups to keep the coffee hot. I don't drink alot of coffee so I don't carry a thermal cup to refill. The Non-US version of the ML uses a more traditional cup holder that has a hide away cover. ( Would have been nice to have that as an option over in the US).

I guess the other part of my Dislike forum would be to ask:

How many people use the dealer to service their car?
How many people use a dealer different from where they purchased their car?
How many people use a private mechanic?

Again to be fair, I am looking for the who, what, where and why.

I said earlier in this post, I had issues with my Acuras, but Acura fixed them without any problems. I am looking for that same type of service with MB. Is this not the case with MB? Do they not have a strong customer service record?

Thank you

paulybagadonuts

Sorry you're having so much of a problem but I can sympathize. I feel that customer service is extremely important and too often overlooked. I generally hate car dealers. They usually promise you the world and once they get what they want you feel like they're done with you. This is my first Mercedes experience and part of what sold me on the car was the dealership It's quite a diferent experience walking into a Mercedes dealer than any other I've been in. I felt almost like a guest and never pressured. I think the guy spent over three hours with me on my first visit. Too soon to tell how the service end will go but I'll keep you posted. I think you might have gotten stuck with a bad dealer. Is there another dealer you can go to that is convinient? I'm sure they'll welcome the buisiness and maybe you'll be treated a bit better/ Good luck. I love my ml so far, It's not perfect but what is? You get what you pay for...

arbittan

There is another dealer that I could go to. It is closer to work but further from home... I am getting ready to to take my car in for its 13,000 mile service and I am going to call them to see how much they charge for this service and if they will charge me for a loaner car. I remember with Acura you needed to stay with your purchasing dealer to get a free loaner.

The dealer was great before I signed on the dotted line. I spent two full days test driving, asking questions, searching inventories, etc.

It was the full after sale service that needed work.

I have been searching different forums for simlar issues I have been experiencing with my car and it is reassuring that others are having the same issues.

I have also seen posts by sosh and it seems to be the same song and dance with him. He will blow you up the minute you talk bad about MB. Part of customer service is listening to the customer and the complaint. The customer needs to have assurance that their issues are taken seriously and will be addressed in a professional manner.

Well, when I take my car in, I will have the following addressed:
- Service A
- Some type of electrical noise after the car has been off (last more than 3 hours)
- Driver side wood trim cracked under the clear coat ( no sign of an impact mark, etc)
- sqeaking over speed bumps (they have replaced the front shocks already)
- Static over all radio channels (CD, SAT, AUX, Etc.)
- Run lastest patches for car, command, etc.

Since some of my issues are documented here and on other sites, I will print those solutions out to help them out on getting the problems resolved.

sosh

Again, you are totally missing my point. It is the dealer that makes your experience pleasant or not. The mfg sets minimum standards for their dealers. Many go beyond these standards and some comply marginally. You apparently did business with a marginal one. In my case, my dealer is excellent and goes well beyond what MB requires. In addition to the actual dealer your experience relys on the specific individuals you are dealing with. A friend of mine purchased from my dealer and had a bad experience until I suggested he switch service advisors to the one I used. His entire experience changed for the bettter after doing so. Mfgers like MB really consider the dealers their customer so the dealer's relationship with MB is also important. MB certainly has their faults like anyone else in business. My cars and there have been many of them, all have not been perfect when I got them. The dealer has made them right with little or no grief to me. I was driven away from GM when I had a Cadillac that had the worse service I have ever experienced due to the dealer. The same goes for BMW who in my case ran a close second to the Cadillac dealer for bad service and support. Both of these dealers are no longer in business and I am not surprised. Also in my case there is an MB dealer closer and more convienient to me than the one I use but many years ago I went there to get a headlight bulb replaced and they refused to do it while I waited as I had not bought my car there. That caused them to lose the sale of 5 MB's that I have purchsed since. My dealer picks my car up, leaves a loaner MB and returns it when it is done. They are allways available on the phone to answer questions give advice, etc.
In your case I do not believe you did enough dilligence, two days and a couple of phone calls is not sufficient. Perhaps you have never made a purchase like this before and should consider it a lesson. In addition with regards to waiting for an ordered car, why didn't the dealer try to find you one in the system and do a dealer trade, or, why didn't you plan ahead and order. You are an inexperienced buyer. I suggest you go back to a Japanese car and be happy.

mymb

Here we go again.

arbittan

Hmmm... I have a choice here, I could:

A. Fall into sosh's trap (Since he can't get a hint that his advise or lack of advise is poor and ill mannered.)

or

B. Completely ignore him and see what other problems/issues people have with their car.


I am going with "B".

I am going to call a few dealers in the morning and see how much the A service is going to cost through them and if they offer a loaner. Hopefully I can get them to look into the other issues the car is having.

Aggressive

Great point!!!! Get at real coffee cup! Starbucks has a really nice stainless one I recieved from my wife as a gift. It didn't cost much and it was one of the best gifts I ever received. I am a Coffee lover! If you use a disposable cup it should be one of the 20 to 30 % preuse materials.

Moreover, I am considering the ML350 and it is narrowed down to one of my final choices. I have thoroughly investigated this vehicle and know that there are many options offered with the premium II package. Not sure if I wanted or need to jump to a III but these options should be suitable.

Next, I would recommend getting anything in writing for items that take place post sale. Take anything a saleman states with a grain of salt unless they are willing to put it in writing.

Lastly, I would get a hold of your confidence, tactfulness, and bearing ......March into that dealer and tell them flat out that you were told certain options were included/ standard. Get on top of them and don't leave until you get what you want. They should even work a deal to get your the options you want even if it means getting you another ML. I recommend even letting them know that you will be contacting Mercedes Benz Corporate and the Better Business Bureau. Good Luck!!!

P.S. Go get yourself a nice stainless coffee cup, you deserve it!!!

Aggressive

Good luck with that!! I will be sure to let you know of any problems I have when it comes time to getting my ML.

DUTCH

It's really too bad that you have to order PIII to get the Airmatic suspension, but it is well worth the extra cost. Just my $.03.