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2014 ML 350 4matic gas, spring shocks with 80,000 miles. CPO runs out next month. Should I dump it out of fear of it falling apart after 100,000 miles? Who's planning on keeping or has kept their W166 ML long term (150,000+ miles)? Can it be a dependable daily driver for the wife with just regular fluid changes, brakes, tires and an oil leak here and there? How does the suspension hold up on these things? Do control arm bushings, shocks etc. begin falling apart at 100k miles? Are you worried by the fact that the ML is built in the USA Alabama? What are your thoughts on the build quality of this SUV in comparison to a Lexus RX350?
IMO Lexus has better build quality than M-B. Based on experience owning Toyotas and test driving and looking at Lexus.
Have you ever had a daily driver over 100,000 miles? Things generally don’t start breaking down en masse after 100k.
I had a dieselgate VW Toaureg that I ran to 238k miles. Awesome car I don’t regret owning for as long as I did. It had its share of problems. Such is life.
No one can give you a guarantee of trouble free running, although many can report such experience. You control how you use and maintain the vehicle. Mercedes controls the design quality and build tolerance. These factors combined produce the ownership experience.
A Honda CR-V will, with high likelihood, provide nearly flawless service well past 100k miles. Most other vehicles will not deliver the same reliability as the Honda, but most will be more fun to own and drive.
Ok so worry and get rid of it. Get the Lexus... Then you will ask the same question when the Lexus comes up on 100k miles... I do not think people really understand reliability... Does it start and does it drive and not leave you on the side of the road getting you to your destination safe? Then it is reliable. I can honestly say I have never been on the side of the road in any MB I have ever owned. Cannot say the same about GMC and Dodge however...
Made in the USA? Common. Lexus is a toyota. Toyotas are assembled here in the US and they are fine and in Canada as well. Its only called a Lexus here in North America because we are the only ones dumb enough to call it a Lexus vs Toyota Harrier that the rest of the world knows it as lol.
A last year ML with no airmatic should go 200,000+ miles easy with no major issues assuming you keep up on the servicing. Suspension parts will wear depending on the road you drive over. Brake pads and rotors will depends on how aggressive you drive it. Drive it like a Pi$$ed off teenager then it will require more upkeep. Driving like you should and it will be fine. Extend the warranty when you can and try not to worry about it. If she drives 40,000 miles a year I would suggest just getting a beater Honda or something cheap.
Keeping my 2015 ML350 4M long term. Wifes DD. No Airmatic. P1 car. Nothing fancy on it just the basics. Looking to get a high milage badge in the future.
2014 ML 350 4matic gas, spring shocks with 80,000 miles. CPO runs out next month. Should I dump it out of fear of it falling apart after 100,000 miles? Who's planning on keeping or has kept their W166 ML long term (150,000+ miles)? Can it be a dependable daily driver for the wife with just regular fluid changes, brakes, tires and an oil leak here and there? How does the suspension hold up on these things? Do control arm bushings, shocks etc. begin falling apart at 100k miles? Are you worried by the fact that the ML is built in the USA Alabama? What are your thoughts on the build quality of this SUV in comparison to a Lexus RX350?
Thanks for replies!
My W163 was built in the Alabama plant, and it lasted (and was still strong as hell when I sold her) at 325k miles.
I think MB's durability has gone down considerably since those trucks, and I don't in any world imagine this makes it that far, but I was to drive this one for as long as possible too!
Ok so worry and get rid of it. Get the Lexus... Then you will ask the same question when the Lexus comes up on 100k miles... I do not think people really understand reliability... Does it start and does it drive and not leave you on the side of the road getting you to your destination safe? Then it is reliable. I can honestly say I have never been on the side of the road in any MB I have ever owned. Cannot say the same about GMC and Dodge however...
Made in the USA? Common. Lexus is a toyota. Toyotas are assembled here in the US and they are fine and in Canada as well. Its only called a Lexus here in North America because we are the only ones dumb enough to call it a Lexus vs Toyota Harrier that the rest of the world knows it as lol.
A last year ML with no airmatic should go 200,000+ miles easy with no major issues assuming you keep up on the servicing. Suspension parts will wear depending on the road you drive over. Brake pads and rotors will depends on how aggressive you drive it. Drive it like a Pi$$ed off teenager then it will require more upkeep. Driving like you should and it will be fine. Extend the warranty when you can and try not to worry about it. If she drives 40,000 miles a year I would suggest just getting a beater Honda or something cheap.
I think you're over-simplifying and remembering the good ole days. German vehicles aren't what they were.
- I own a 2013 ML350 BT which I bought at 20k kms in 2017. DEF tank took a dump at 25k, EGR at 30k
- I own a 2012 BMW X6 bought new. Coil packs, front driveshaft, aux water pump, track arm bushings, oil filter housing leaks etc....by 45k miles
I own a fleet of five Savana 2500 service vans. With the exception of one tranny, they are reliable to 200k kms, which is when I rotate them out of service.
Also a 2012 1500 Ram Pick-up which is now at 200k km. Pinion bearings due to driving through flood level water. That's it!
And then there's my good ole 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. 130k miles to date, salvage titled when purchases at 50k miles. First Japanese vehicle I ever owned. I have NOT put one penny in this truck unless I wanted to, ie; shocks/battery. The damned thing is bulletproof.
Oh, and btw, I beat the tar outta my FJ, it's that much fun to drive. Still ticking.
I always believed in paying more for quality. No more. The high-end German manufacturers have gone above and beyond to prove otherwise.
As far as you not ever being left stranded with your MB, I think you're remembering the good ole days when a Mercedes was a Mercedes. Today, you lease one for 3-4 yrs, then drop the keys off at the dealership and pray for the soul of the poor arsehat who buys it from the auction.
Last edited by peter2772000; Apr 7, 2019 at 01:33 PM.
I Agree, I have owned Mercedes new since early 2000 and once they went mainstream it is just an over priced automobile that will last 4-6 years and then start to nickel and dime you. Mercedes decided to build quantity and not quality simply put. I even switched to BMW as my second ride and although that automobile is doing fine it still scares me that it will not out last my previous Chevys.
The other thing that really bugs me is the aditude that some service writers have and try to take advantage of you by charging huge profit repairs.
I do mind paying premium for an automobile and not getting the quality expected.
with the money and time i have put into my ml now, i feel like i need to keep it long term or else it just won't be worth it.
i like many members on here have started to enjoy stressing/worrying about everything (sarcasm). every new noise i hear or shiny/wet spot i see i worry that something is going wrong and i start investigating
A proper comparison is contemporary like-purposed vehicles, across manufacturers.
My subjective reliability ranking for a compact (GLC-size) or full size (GLE-size) SUV for average passenger service.
Criteria:
- gasoline engine. Passenger car diesels in North America are a near complete failure, unfortunately. Speaking from personal experience and reading posts across several carmaker forums.
- base model, not high performance AMG, M-Power, F-Sport, Nismo, etc.
- not a commercial vehicle
- not a pickup truck
- built within the past 3 or 4 years after the widespread use of aluminum in bodies, direct injection fuel systems and engine downsizing
- not exotics like Bentley, Rolls, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Aston Martin
Subjective reliability rankings:
Toyota (and Lexus), Honda (and Acura)
Volkswagen, BMW, Subaru
Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, Nissan, Audi
Ford, GM, Volvo, Hyundai
Dodge, Chrysler, Kia, all the rest
Not sure where Tesla or Jaguar fit, likely in the lower half of the list.
My plan at the moment is to keep the W166 GLE350W4 as long as possible, hopefully more than 200k miles.
I think you're over-simplifying and remembering the good ole days. German vehicles aren't what they were.
- I own a 2013 ML350 BT which I bought at 20k kms in 2017. DEF tank took a dump at 25k, EGR at 30k
- I own a 2012 BMW X6 bought new. Coil packs, front driveshaft, aux water pump, track arm bushings, oil filter housing leaks etc....by 45k miles
I own a fleet of five Savana 2500 service vans. With the exception of one tranny, they are reliable to 200k kms, which is when I rotate them out of service.
Also a 2012 1500 Ram Pick-up which is now at 200k km. Pinion bearings due to driving through flood level water. That's it!
And then there's my good ole 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. 130k miles to date, salvage titled when purchases at 50k miles. First Japanese vehicle I ever owned. I have NOT put one penny in this truck unless I wanted to, ie; shocks/battery. The damned thing is bulletproof.
Oh, and btw, I beat the tar outta my FJ, it's that much fun to drive. Still ticking.
I always believed in paying more for quality. No more. The high-end German manufacturers have gone above and beyond to prove otherwise.
As far as you not ever being left stranded with your MB, I think you're remembering the good ole days when a Mercedes was a Mercedes. Today, you lease one for 3-4 yrs, then drop the keys off at the dealership and pray for the soul of the poor arsehat who buys it from the auction.
you own a 350BT. Those are **** and are known for issues. Look how many MB’s I have owned. Also I will add 2 Porsche’s, 1 Ferrari, 1 Maserati, 1 viper and 1 Corvete. Again none of them left me on the side of road. Surprised with the Maserati! None left me on the side of road. My newest MB is a 2015. My oldest is a 2004. I just sold a 2005 C240 with 300,000 miles that again never left me broken down. Yet the magazines all said that the C was unreliable and yada yada yada. Well they were wrong. My 97 E went 280,000. I put over 350,000+ miles on a W126. Nothing built today is built like a 126,123 or 124 or 140. The world knows this. MB knows this. Your experience with 1 MB being bad is not a representation of the make considering you bought one everyone and their brother knows is a problem. You bought a bad model. The end. You have told us100X over in this thread and others and I do not blame you. Paying hard earned money for something that breaks often is not fun at all and we have all been there with one make or another. For me it was a GMC I bought brand new off the showroom floor. It is what it is. Best is to just sell it and move on. As far as your fleet of vans well there is nothing to break. Sort of like a w123. Reliable and simple. My dodge caravans are less upkeep then a MB. But hey a dodge caravan doesn’t have self parking or self driving or ABC or heated and cooled seats. Lots of electronics on a MB or any higher end car. If you do not believe in paying for a premium car because you can’t justify it or afford it then fine. That is up to you.
Last edited by C280 Sport; Apr 8, 2019 at 07:50 AM.
I Agree, I have owned Mercedes new since early 2000 and once they went mainstream it is just an over priced automobile that will last 4-6 years and then start to nickel and dime you. Mercedes decided to build quantity and not quality simply put. I even switched to BMW as my second ride and although that automobile is doing fine it still scares me that it will not out last my previous Chevys.
The other thing that really bugs me is the aditude that some service writers have and try to take advantage of you by charging huge profit repairs.
I do mind paying premium for an automobile and not getting the quality expected.
Mainstream? Lol common. Look how many 123, 124 and 210’s they sold long before the ML came around. They are priced similar to BMW, Lexus, Jaguar, Audi. Are those overpriced?
My W163 was built in the Alabama plant, and it lasted (and was still strong as hell when I sold her) at 325k miles.
I think MB's durability has gone down considerably since those trucks, and I don't in any world imagine this makes it that far, but I was to drive this one for as long as possible too!
163 was mixed. Some drove them forever with no issues. Others always had issues. I never got a ML or MB SUV until this year.15 ML and 15 GLK
Bought a CPO '14 ML350 2 wheel drive CPO in Aug '16 with 30k on the clock. Recently bit the bullet for the 2 yr CPO extension. Car now has about 47k on it. Wife is driving less these days. Car had a $68,500 MSRP (4Matic would have added $2,500). It is obviously highly-optioned incl ventilated seats which work quite well here in TX. Point is keeping this one makes sense. Reliability has been fine. Yes, it does not meet the OP's desire to hear about high mileage cars. But it's 5 years old now and looks almost as good as a new GLE.
I Agree, I have owned Mercedes new since early 2000 and once they went mainstream it is just an over priced automobile that will last 4-6 years and then start to nickel and dime you. Mercedes decided to build quantity and not quality simply put. I even switched to BMW as my second ride and although that automobile is doing fine it still scares me that it will not out last my previous Chevys.
The other thing that really bugs me is the aditude that some service writers have and try to take advantage of you by charging huge profit repairs.
I do mind paying premium for an automobile and not getting the quality expected.
You need to find a local MB Shop instead of using the dealer. Service writers can be a real pain in the neck
Bought a CPO '14 ML350 2 wheel drive CPO in Aug '16 with 30k on the clock. Recently bit the bullet for the 2 yr CPO extension. Car now has about 47k on it. Wife is driving less these days. Car had a $68,500 MSRP (4Matic would have added $2,500). It is obviously highly-optioned incl ventilated seats which work quite well here in TX. Point is keeping this one makes sense. Reliability has been fine. Yes, it does not meet the OP's desire to hear about high mileage cars. But it's 5 years old now and looks almost as good as a new GLE.
My wife has a 2015 ML with about 33k miles on it. I am thinking other then pads, rotors and fluid changes what else is there? These ML's are not complex at all. Especially mine with just P1. Maybe tires and spark plugs someday. Only thing that went "Wrong" with mine was the TPMS Light came on when it became really cold. Tires needed some air and it went away. Other then that in the over 1 year of ownership I have not experienced nearly 1/3 of the issues others have. I also have a 2015 GLK as my run around town car. Basically the same as the ML except much smaller.
When I found our W166 2014 White on black ML,
With black wood trim, diesel with all options what I wanted.
I thought Im looking at unicorn. So I bought it, and thought life is good for next 20 years.
Than I found this forum, should have it done another way around )) with people having so many issues with diesels W166.
So far 91K miles not a single issue, except user errors ))
Even if I have to put $5-7K and get 90K miles, 5+ years, I will be Ok with it. Any car will drop 5-7K in value in the first year anyway.
Your comment "I always believed in paying more for quality. No more. The high-end German manufacturers have gone above and beyond to prove otherwise."
Sorry if I misunderstood.
What I'm trying to say is that in my opinion, these are no longer "premium" cars. I still stand by my claim of wanting to pay more for quality. But it won't be to high-end (in terms of cost). I simply accept that BMW & MB are no longer the vehicles I once thought they were. And believe me when I say that this saddens me to no end.
I've done whatever mods I believe will help me get through the next 4 yrs relatively trouble-free. It's now up to the lady luck to see if that's how it turns out.
I plan on keeping my 2014 ML350BT long term. Only time will tell if that is a wise decision with a Bluetec. My other car is a 2007 C230 with 185K and has been relatively reliable. Just put about $2K into a complete suspension rebuild and the car now feels and drives better than new.
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