Starting a gripe list (anybody at MBUSA out there?) I haven't got to drive this much yet, so the list is going to grow. In no particular order:

1. Why can't the US get the AMG Sport exterior on the 350, though nearly every other country on earth can?
2. Why the "bong" and "Don't forget your key" message when entering the vehicle? Of what possible use is that?
3. Why no key dependant settings?
4. Why do you have to hold down the memory button to change seat/mirror settings rather than pressing it once?
5. How about a front license plate bracket that doesn't require drilling through the fascia?
6. Why no Conditioned Based Service intervals rather than dictated one-term-fits-all?
7. Why no exposed tailpipes? Concealed ones emasculate what is supposed to be a truck.
8. The steering is too light and uncommunicative.

Edit: Because of the following post, I should note I am VERY happy with this vehicle - these are just suggestions on how I and other might be more happy.

 

Give me a brake. If you dont like your M Why did you buy it in the first place. Maybe you should jump ship and buy a Kia. Cry and whine all you want dont expect sympathy from any MB owners. Most of us know exactly what we are buying and love are cars.

 

Give me a "break". I've owned all three versions of this vehicle, and knew pretty much exactly what I was getting into. I should have prefaced this with the fact I am 95% happy with it. My goal here was to highlight areas for future improvement, not bring it down. If you'll read some of my nearly 2,000 posts, you'l see I do vey little whining.

 

1. No AMG exterior
2. Smallish Nav screen / No touchscreen
3. No vent seats option with perforated MBtex
4. Poor performance of active park assist
5. Center arm rest could be softer
6. Would love the rear window to roll down a la 4runner

This will be my first MB. How do the keyless doors work? I love how Lexus unlocks by placing your hand behind handle without having to press the button.

 

Completely agree with you Greg...

In the UK, we do get the AMG package standard with the Sport model.

Still, I agree with you that the remainder of the car is still pretty awesome compared to the competition...

David, there is nothing wrong with finding faults and listing them to show what can be improved upon.

 

In October of this year I will mark my 50th anniversary as a car driver. During that time I have driven many, many different manufacturers (foreign and domestic) and types of vehicle - car, truck, suv, wagon, van; 4, 6 and 8 cyl; fwd, rwd, 4wd; manual and automatics and in virtually every color you can think of. In all these fifty years I can honestly say none have given me the overall driver satisfaction of my 2012 "Diamond" white ML350. It is beautiful and performs flawlessly so far. It trumps virtually every other vehicle I have ever owned in most categories, and by a considerable margin. And it should for what I paid.

Having said that, the ML350 is not perfect because nothing is. We will find faults with every car and I agree with many of the ones listed here. Hopefully, these and other things will be tweaked and changed in future generations. For example, why is the night view camera image shown on the Command screen rather than straight ahead on the windshield or instrument cluster like BMW or even other M-B models? Speaking of Command, it is antiquated and behind the times in technology and car/driver interface. M-B should be blazing the trail in this regard but it appears GM is doing that with its tablet based "CUE" system which leaves Command in the era of rotary dialed phones. Why are the running boards so narrow making them useless as a step for all but the smallest feet? Not only are they useless, I even consider them an obstruction to ease of entry and exit. Here on the dealer lots in Texas, it is difficult to find an ML350 without running boards. And as I mentioned the other day in a separate thread (also listed by Greg), why is the maintenance minder based only on miles and time rather than need and conditions? Using X number of miles and X number of months to change oil, eg, is arbitrary and assumes everyone drives the same way and under the same exact conditions. It is a throw back to the old days when they said you must change oil and filter every 3,000 miles/6 months. All M-B is doing is extending these arbitrary maintenance figures but the mentality is the same.

I have no doubt someone at M-B is assigned, either formally or informally, to check the forums for feedback. They would be remiss if they did not. Accordingly, I see nothing wrong with using a forum to list problem areas and make suggestions for the future. After all, we are the customers. Perhaps David's problem was in the title "Gripes". Had the title of the thread been something like "Areas for improvement", or "What I would like to see changed", or "Future Suggestions" or something like that, I bet he would not have been upset.

 

Many years ago a mate said "They don't build cars like they used to - thank God for that".

 

1. No vented seats for the Sports seats with premium leather
2. NAV with internet access/pandora ect (This may be fixed w/MY13)
3. Pano roof w/o the all black paint roof - Only reason i didnt get the pano roof
4. Blutech turbo lag
5. Better tires - Continental seem cheap to me and showing a good bit of wear after only 14k miles
6. Mbrace is so so
7. AMG body kit purchase option
8. Ambient lighting colors only change the light strips.. it would be great if it changed the entire instrument clusters lights

Overall satisfied with my 166 and the major complaints i have is the NAV system could/should be more then it is for a car this "Advanced" and the Blutech issue with cold start and turbo lag with the software "Fix" has become laughable at this point trying to get an answer of why its so bad.

 

This may not effect you folks in NA or EU but for those of us with the steering wheel on the correct side, please get rid of that "Direct Select" lever on the right of the steering wheel.

It scares me when someone not familiar with the car drives and pulls up to do a left turn. They instinctively raise the right side lever to indicate going left. If still moving, they end up in nuetral. But hell if they have stopped first, they will unwittingly be in reverse.

Shift the lever to another obtuse position, centre console, buttons on the dash, anywhere. (perhaps not in the centre of the steering wheel).

 

Yep.. but I have gotten used to that.. what I find slightly annoying is the shift of the indicator stalk from where it used to be to a slightly higher position so it is no longer in the central level... bit distracting!!!

 

Mr X is 6'2 and his wife is 5'3. Mr X accidentally hits his wife's memory key and gets squished against the steering wheel. Mr X sues MB. We all suffer as a result of Mr X's stupidity.

As a citizen of the most litigious nation in the world, things like this should come as no surprise to you! Where else can you get millions for spilling coffee on yourself?

 

That was on my list of Gripes for the W164. The indicator stalk was not central but out of my normal driving reach. My wife has to take her hand off the wheel to use the indicator. On the W166 the indicator is naturally to hand.

The repositioned cruise control is no problem. If you need it in a hurry, theres always the brake pedal, if not Distronic.

And I meant to mention - why not put a dedicated easy to use wiper stalk on the right of the column.

 

Same gripe! they need to lower it a bit.

 

Sorry YYZ, you're towing the corporate line a bit too obviously there. M-B had many of the "features" that Greg mentions, including the Key specific settings, but opted to discontinue them in order to reduce complaints. This was stated years ago by former MBUSA CEO Ernst Lieb in an interview with an MBCA exec. So, while it may be rationalized as a legal issue, I tend to think that it may be more an issue of driving up the JD Power ratings. As for the squishing scenario, I have trouble believing M-B engineers can stop a window or a sunroof from advancing, but not a seat!

I also understand that many other vehicles sold in the US do in fact have key dependent settings and well as "brief-touch" memory settings.

I am (as you may guess) an M-B addict, but they do drive me crazy because they could be so much better if they would actually listen a little harder.

 

The turn signal stalk/cruise lever were re-located due to JD Power feedback. Sometimes you listen and you make things worse...

 

3. Door open (one press of keyfob versus 2) settings are keyfob dependent, if thats even relevant to your situation.

 

The MY 13 I saw should be an improvement in NA. It has been available even in an off road version in the uk as a 12. The offl road version got a guardedly good review in one of the British country sports magazines last winter stating it had 90% of the capability of the RRover with perhaps better reliability. Guess since they rebuilt the US factory again perhaps the 3rd time is the charm!

I recall when cars had automatic mode selector change push buttons on the dash. It was a good idea that faded away.

 

They faded away when folks wanted the shifter on the floor like race cars.
Now they want paddles on the steering like race cars.

I still laugh at the Chryslers that had the push buttons on the steering wheel. The button on the left is drive, when the steering is straight ahead....

 

You've got me there! LOL I agree the new location isn't ideal - at least from the perspective of someone that has driven M-B's for a while, and also positions there hands where they should be from the perspective of airbag deployment, etc.

There is no doubt a fine balance to listening and acting upon what is heard. If only they could listen to just me!!