Issac2021

Now I have two choices: 2013 ML350 Bluetec,~ $20000,~70k miles
2014 ML350, $22500, 56k miles
The 2014 VS 2013 has more advanced configurations:
HK logic 7 sound system, Genuine Leather seats including Massage function，Heated/Ventilated Front Seats， front and rear split Air condition and ACTIVE BRAKE INTERV. FCW STOP.
Which one is better?
Thank you for your sugession.

Issac2021

The 2014 come back. $22500,56k miles. Clean carfax.
Do you think it's good price?

FIN 4JG1660571A423013
VIN 4JGDA5HB9EA423013
Model Year 2014
Model ML 350 4MATIC
Engine 276955 30 681188
Transmission 722906 10 136264
Order Number 0 4 715 71906
Order Location UNITED STATES (USA)
Production Number 3422543
Interior LEATHER - BROWN (254A)
Paint 1 DIAMOND WHITE - METALLIC PAINT (799U)
Release Date 2014-05-20
Delivery Date 2014-05-29
Code Description
054 YOM 13/2
06A OIL OFFSET AMOUNT +600 ML OIL
1U7 FOGGING SENSOR
200A LEATHER
212B OP. INSTRUCT. AND MAINT. BOOKLET-ENGL. FOR USA/CAN
218 REAR-VIEW CAMERA
22P TRACK PACKAGE
232 GARAGE DOOR OPENER WITH 284 - 390 MHZ FREQUENCY
234 BLIND SPOT ASSISTANT
249 INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR MIRROR,AUTOMATICALLY DIMMING
254A LEATHER - BROWN
258 COLLIS.WARN. SYS. W/ ACTIVE BRAKE INTERV. FCW STOP
264 LICENSE PLATE ATTACHMENT AMERICA
275 MEMORY PACKAGE (DRIVER SEAT, STRG. COL., MIRROR)
280 LEATHER STEERING WHEEL AND LEATHER GEAR SHIFT KNOB
284B AIRBAG LABEL - ENGLISH FOR USA
301 ASHTRAY PACKAGE
342B INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/HU LANGUAGE - AMERICAN
348 EMERGENCY CALL/SUPPORT SYSTEM
35A VGS D4-0, D3 PATTERN
399 FRONT MULTICONTOUR SEAT WITH MASSAGE FUNCTION
401 FRONT SEAT CLIMATE CONTROL
413 PANORAMIC SLIDING SUNROOF/GLASS SUNROOF
427 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 7-SPEED
441 STEERING COLUMN, ELECTRICALLY ADJUSTABLE
461 INSTRUMENT WITH MILES IND. AND ENGLISH LEGEND
475 TIRE PRESSURE CONTROL
476 AUTOMATIC LANE RECOGNITION
494 U.S. VERSION
500 ELECTRIC FOLDING OUTSIDE MIRROR
512 COMAND APS WITH DVD CHANGER
518 UNIVERSAL COMMUNICATIONS INTERFACE (UCI)
51U BLACK FABRIC ROOF INTERIOR TRIM
536 SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO COMPLETE SYSTEM
543 SUN VISOR WITH ADDITIONAL FUNCTION
550 TRAILER COUPLING
551 BASIC ANTITHEFT ALARM SYSTEM (ATA)
580 AIR CONDITIONER
608 AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM SWITCH (IHC)
615 BI-XENON HEADLICHT W.ACTVIE CURVELIGHT RIGHT-DRIVE
636 DELETION - WARNING TRIANGLE
666 PRODUCT PROT.F.TRANSPORT VEH. W/O TIE-DOWN HOOKS
690 EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE (MINI SPARE)
705L UNITED STATES (USA)
723 TRUNK COVERING
729 TRIM PIECES - WOOD POPLAR
763 RADIO REMOTE CONTROL WITH PANIC SWITCH (315 MHZ)
799U DIAMOND WHITE - METALLIC PAINT
7XXL NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA
804 CHANGE OF MODEL YEAR, THE LAST FIGURE SHOWING THE NEW MODEL YEAR
810 PREMIUM SOUND SYSTEM
840 DARK TINTED GLASS
846 SCUFF PLATE IN ALU-APPEARANCE WITH RUBBER STUDS
866 PREINSTALLATION FOR REAR ENTERTAINMENT
872 REAR SEAT BENCH HEATING LEFT UND RIGHT
876 INTERIOR LIGHT ASSEMBLY
889 KEYLESS - GO
890 AUTOMATIC REAR-END DOOR
915 FUEL TANK WITH GREATER CAPACITY - VOLUME 2
929 ENGINE FOR ETHANOL FUEL E85
986 DEVIATING VIN WITH MODEL YEAR
989 IDENTIFICATION LABEL UNDER WINDSHIELD
A05 TRANSMISSION ALL-WHEEL CAPABLE
A21 SHIFT BY WIRE
A63 FE TORQUE CONVERTER HOUSING-0
A64 FE CONVERTER 0 MM
A89 REDUCED-FRICTION
A99 U-VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY WITH VGS 4-0
B09 REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR WITH MAGNETIC COUPLING
B12 WHEEL REPLACEMENT TOOL
F166 SERIES 166
FW LIMOUSINE
G906 TRANSMISSION CODE VERSION 06
GA AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
HA REAR AXLE
J58 RIGHT BRACKET
J5A DSM: STAR1 FBS4 UPDATE
J81 CHANGED OIL FILLING OM613
K15 CONTROL CODE FOR SERVICE INTERVAL 15000 KM
L LEFT-HAND STEERING
M276 V6-GASOLINE ENGINE M276
M35 DISPLACEMENT 3.5 LITER
P49 MIRRORS PACKAGE
R02 ALL SEASON TYRES
R55
U10 FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WITH WEIGHT SENSING
U12 FLOOR MATS - VELOUR
U71 DVD PLAYER WITH REGIONAL CODE 1, USA
U80 115 V SOCKET
V59 SPEED- + LOADINDEX 107H XL
VL FRONT AXLE HALF, LEFT
VR FRONT AXLE HALF, RIGHT

chassis

Solid spec. Leather multi contour seats and rear heated seats. Were bi-xenon the premium headlights in 2014? I don’t know.

The 3.5L gas V6 is solid. Avoid the Bluetec, read all about it on this site.

I would go for the 2014 gasoline vehicle. $22.5k seems reasonable but car prices are weird now so it’s anyone’s guess.

Issac2021

The car market was crazy since last year. All the cars are overpriced.

BlownV8

Yes, was Bi-xenon with active curve was the premium light package in 2014 and 2015. The 2016 GLE had optional LED with active curve.

Prices are massively overinflated now on used vehicles by 34% to 40%. You will be much better waiting until next year when the chip shortage is no more and supply catches up with demand.

Issac2021

Actually, I have looked for several months. Both prices of 2013 and 2014 are lower than the other dealerships.

Issac2021

Really ? I always think the Bi-xenon with active curve was standard.

BlownV8

Halogen was standard.

Issac2021

Thanks! Good to know.

ml3504matic____

That was for all MY12 cars in the MB lineup

ml3504matic____

I’d personally choose the 2014 with all the options.

It also depends on how much you drive. In Canada where I live, majority of the ML’s are Bluetec’s and they have more then their fair share of issues. If not driven enough, you have issues ranging from oil cooler seals needing to be done, to turbos and AdBlue tank heater going bad.

To give you a list for OM642

1. Oil Cooler Seals
2. Turbo failure
3. EGR Valve
4. AdBlue Tank Heater
5. Nox Sensors
6. Clogged DPF
7. Engine Seizing from Poor maintenance, regardless of future repairs
8. The need to exchange adblue DPF fluid and limited starts at times when fluid is low

For your own sake, and health (I personally don’t like the smell of diesel) I’d avoid diesel. Also in the US, Diesel availability is not as readily available as compared to gas.

I think Canada got majority of the diesels because a. the MSRP was cheaper, and people liked the idea of long range, little did they know they’d be paying for the fuel savings with repairs needing to be done.

The list goes on

For the M276 Engine

1. Timing Covers Leaking
2. Timing Tensioners
3. Very Rare: PCV Valve

Not trying to scare you but there are a lot of issues with Bluetec’s, at least here in Canada for this variant of OM642.

IMO getting any car with at least premium package and bi-xenon headlights, and if possible real leather, parktronic (in premium package here in Canada), distronic and so on is ideal.

Choose a car with all the options you want. I personally retrofitted everything in mine, to cooled cup holders, running boards, 20” wheels, roof rack (eh not really a retrofit) but you get the point. The ML400 has been decent to me $6700 in repairs later, here it is (Car was in rough shape when I got it).

Did my car financially make sense? Not one bit




In terms of Bluetec Badges not on the trunk. I personally think (for the most part) that if they’re not there, then they’ve been replaced because a. the trunk lid was repainted b. one of the badges came off and the dealer assumed it was gas and replaced it with a gas one set of badges I guess you can say.

2012 has Blue Efficiency Badges, and was removed in MY13 and received the “colour instrument cluster screen, also the swap from Command be beige to the more modern looking look (This can be done when updating the software from Xentry) MY14 had removed headlamp washers for Bi-Xenon Models and received 360° Camera as an option, and MY15 at least in Canada had a black headliner standard for the black interior and ML400 M276 3.0 Twin Turbo.

Overall those are the differences between all W166 prefaclift models. Those are the noticeable things i’ve noticed between all the models

I hope this answers your questions overall. Case Closed.

ml3504matic____

From the looks of this 2014

The service record according to CarFax seem to be good. 4 new tires were put on on January 28, 2021. Front Brake Pads on January 14, 2021. Both owners bought the vehicle outright/owned? There also appears to be some sort of Extended Warranty on the car, issued as a “SERVICE CONTRACT ISSUED” on 2/22/2021

My concern is why did the car have an owner for only 4 months? and why did the car go through the Auto Auction 2-3 times? Did the car not meet reserve? or is there something else? I’d get a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection) given the sketchy history.

Also, given the car to have panoramic, I’d check to see if you hear any popping from the pano when going over rough road/speed bump. If there is a lenghty repair is needed dropping the headliner and tightening the bolts for the panoramic I believe.

A lien was reported in June 2021, just confirm with the deal before proceeding.

Issac2021

Thank you so much for your detailed answers and nice suggestions. I will move to 2014 gas.

Issac2021

Thanks a lot for your nice analysis.
The dealer only showed me the autocheck report but not carfax. So I couldn't find so much details of this car. Could you send me one copy of Carfax report? my email, lifu05@gmail.com

ml3504matic____

I unfortunately did not get a carfax report. I used the carfax app

Issac2021

Ok. Thank you very much!

SL55designo

I just purchased this car today! It’s a solid car.

Issac2021

Really? FT... Today I just transfer money to buy this car.

SL55designo

I promise you. It’s sitting in my driveway!

Issac2021

Be happy. You robbed my dream car.

SL55designo

I will sell it to you next year if you are interested. It’s a solid car so far. I love the upgraded leather and the rare pano roof.

Issac2021

Are you kidding? I never interested in it anymore.

we47b1me

Well this turned stupid.

SL55designo

relax Issac. No need to be upset. There are a lot of the ML 350 benzes out in the market for sale right now. What state are you located in by the way?

contactchris

It’s marketing. It’s the same. Both are 4Matic and both are Bluetec.