I just got my 2012 Bluetec. I had a 2010 Bluetec, so this is what I am doing my comparisons to. I have an appointment at the dealer for next week, but I would like to get some input here from other owners if possible. When I start the car and drive off, and the engine is cold, the engine has a terrible hesitation and pulses and shakes and has little ability to accelerate. My 2010 did not do this. It gets better rather quickly, but still totally different than my 2010. Also, where does your engine temp gage read? Mine is way above the middle (80) almost to the next line. Every other car I have had, the normal temp falls right in the middle of the gage.

Only other thing I have noticed, is that the seat heaters take forever to heat up. My 2010 was blazing hot after almost no time at all.

The car otherwise is fantastic. I just switched cars with someone today who has a 2011 ML and it is really night at day. The old one feels dated and cheap. The ride, road noise, steering is top notch in the 12. I really like the lighter steering at low speeds and it does tighten up nicely as your speed increases.

I special ordered the Auburn Brown leather which I must say was way darker than I was expecting and much darker than the photo in the dealer guide.

The H/K sound system is fantastic, and I feel that it will get even better as time goes on. I just listened to the same CD in the 2011 that I swapped with for the day and the depth and clarity are far better in the redesigned 2012 system.

The Satin ash wood is gorgeous.

The illuminated door sills look great and are a nice touch.

I love the 3 color ambient lighting.


The COMMAND system is great. The navigation with traffic is a nice feature. I have been using mbrace and the "Send2Benz" feature and I really love it. I am not sure that I would pay for the subscription, but I have used it frequently. If you are not familiar, you can quickly search a location on your iphone app and the app sends the address to your car and the when you get in, just hit the “i” button and the navigation to that location begins. Sirius weather is a great feature.

The real leather really gives the car a better feel and a much more luxurious look. Maybe it is only because I was just in one that had the tex and was able to compare side by side.

Love the 2012 overall, just hope to get some of these quirks worked out.

I assume you are refering to the Bluetec 350 with regard to you tread.
The 250 Bluetec (with a way to noisy 4 cylinder diesel engine for such a upscale SUV) that I drove today had a quite high engine temperature (way past middle).
Except from the 4 cylinder engine the car was excellent!
It handled better, much more upscale than the W164 and fantastic looking.
I have a mega loaded ML350 Bluetec for order for delivery in March, 2012 with the ILS/Bi-Xenon/LED headlamps.
I can`t wait, but I sure will follow your strange engine behavior for you 350 Bluetec!

Congrats on the new purchase.

I was only rich enough to pick up a 2012 Blk/Blk 4matic with a package 1. Awesome truck.

BTW tjg, I sent you a PM

My Bluetec does pretty much the same thing.When cold the drivetrain shudders and shakes quite noticably.The only other diesel with which I've ever had experience,my BMW,did no such thing.I took my Bluetec in to have the issue addressed but was told,after it was checked and after taking a drive with the service manager,that everything was normal and the problem was probably caused (partially,at least) by the fact that I never use the "sport" mode,thus denying the transmission the opportunity to "learn" first gear.

I'm resigned to living with this issue and am willing (for the time being,at least) to do so largely because I see no actual harm being done to the vehicle and because,as you've noted,it *does* resolve itself soon after starting.

As for the temp guage,mine rests (once warmed up) just above 80.

My dealer didn't cancel my origional order which he omitted the trailer hitch and I told him that was a deal breaker and they reordered. Anyway he called and said come on in and drive it anyway.
It had been raining and was cool for SoCal 53 deg when my sales rep gave me the keys and I started it up backup and drove out of the dealership. No hesitation that I could detect. This is the second '12 Bluetec I've driven and it was a major improvement over the '10 which I wanted to like but couldn't get over mediocre performance.

My order had The Auburn interior with the satin ash wood that looked better than I thought as it contrasts to the black dash. Nice change to the almost universal black that makes it look like a dark hole in the interior. I'm impressed as the quality of the interior is a step up compared to the last ML.

Forgot to mention that I test drove a Bluetec and did not notice this. Maybe see if the dealer has any ECM cal updates??? Also could you have gotten some bad diesel??? Maybe try another station...

Also might be worth it to poll the new S-class forums since they have the new 240 HP 3.0 diesel.

I had my SA's '12 ML350BT for the night a few weeks ago and the following morning I experienced the same hesitation and shake that the OP had. I currently have a '10 ML350BT and I have had it happen on a few occasions as well. What I've been doing lately is starting it and letting it run for a good minute (or more) before leaving. That seams to get rid of most of it. I agree, however, that it shouldn't be in-your-face obvious. I don't like the idea that my $75K ML will shake in the morning just because it's cold out :-)

Thanks for the feedback. I am not sure why this car shakes so much when it is cold. I never had the issue with my 2010 Bluetec.

In regards to the interior, MB really did an awesome job. The interior looks and feel expensive. You can tell just by pressing the buttons how well everything is make and put together. This is a very big contrast to the 2010 that I owned.

NORWAY100 were your figures in US $ or Krone?
I saw $ sign so guessed you converted to dollars.
wow expensive there my friend

Miserable, cold, wet day here in London, Ontario where I test drove the ML350 BT I'll acquiring in 2 days. No issues with shuddering noted. But it's looking the temperature is going to drop a bit more on the night I take delivery. I'll let you know if it happens!

Regardless, way more civilized than my R320 BT. Smoother, quitter and more responsive.

I have a 2012 ML350BT and have no issues with shaking. This includes several cold mornings starts in Maine.

Thanks for all of the feedback. Every morning, I cannot make it down my street without the car jumping, vibrating, shaking, etc. They just picked it up to look at a few issues including the cold operation of the engine. I will let everyone know what they find. Thanks again.

A sixty second warm up has taken care of the shaking symptom on my ML

No chance your from BOW, NH

I guess there is! Are you as well?

I've had the shaking, stumbling issue a couple of times now. Most noticeably when I did a cold start outside at about 28 degrees F. Other times, at 30 degrees plus, I've not had any shaking.

I think this is fixable by MB with some ECU tuning; I don't know if they'll actually do it, of course. So far, I don't really find it that bothersome; it usually goes away after a 15 to 20 seconds of driving. It's something I'll be keeping an eye on as winter progresses and more cold start "opportunities" present themselves.

Yeah I am.. Small world.. My dads look at trading in his 2011 ml350 for the 2012, thats why im looking at this section.. Sounds like you are really enjoying yours?

I am very happy with the purchase. Feel free to send me a PM if you guys want to talk cars!

Nice E55!

Has anyone had the dealer provide a solution other then let it warm up prior to driving? The same issue has manifested itself yesterday and today in my new 350 diesel during cold weather starts.

My GL 320 CDI has never shuttered in cold weather at start. Today it was 21F and no issues. The first year of any new model will ALWAYS have more problems than subsequent years, a proven fact of life.

60 seconds, I'm usually 300 to 600 seconds behind in the mornings. I can't afford 60 seconds! My 300D Turbo from 1984 doesn't require more than 5 seconds (glow plugs warming up). For a $60K 2012 This is simply Unacceptable! This is

News from my service manager last week is that this is a known issue with the new diesel and they are working a software fix. I am expecting the update in the coming weeks.

Known issue? Why are they selling diesels today, and not telling before purchase?? This soils the brand. When I bought my GL diesel in '07, there was a turbo hose blow off problem, and the dealership would not allow me to take delivery of my ordered vehicle until they were satisfied of a fix. Times have changed, and this thread alone has ended my interest in getting an ML right now. What problem will emerge next week? New model blues, which hurts after dropping so much money.