2000 Mercedes Benz M CLASS: complaints, problems and recalls

ELECTRICAL:MCS UNIT,RADIO/CASSETTE PLAYER DEFECT. MCS UNIT MALFUNCTIONED(SCREEN BLACK OUT AND ALL OPERATIONS CEASED)MB MAY EXCHANGE IF UNDER WARRANTY AND NO AFTER MARKET ELECTRICAL ITEMS INSTALLED..THEY WILL NOT TELL THE CONSUMER WHY? THE $1550 MCS UNIT MALFUNCTIONED...AN OFF DUTY MB TECH WAS ENLISTED TO PERFORM AN INTERNAL CHECK OF THE MCS UNIT AND FOUND A DEFECT THAT ATTRIBUTED TO THE MALFUNCTION OF THE MCS UNIT THAT SHOULD RESULT IN THE IMMEDIATE RECALL OF ALL MB MCS UNITS:I.T.CHECK RESULTS: THE CASSETTE PLAYER MOTOR HAS A LUBRICANT ENCLOSE…

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010173 at NHTSA ↗

POWER STEERING FLUID HOSE CAME UNATTACHED FORM THE RADIATOR (CLAMP FAILED) POWER STEERING FLUID SPRAYED OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. NO FIRE RESULTED. LOST POWER STEERING ASSIST. CALLED MERCEDES ROAD REPAIR - THEY REPLACED THE CLAMP WITH A NEW "IMPROVED" CLAMP. THEY CHARGED $45.00 FOR THE SERVICE>. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 62,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014040 at NHTSA ↗

I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER (HBL MERCEDES BENZ OF TYSON'S CORNER, VA) IN AUGUST 2003 DUE TO A RECALL TO FIX A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING HOSE CLAMP. THE CAR HAD NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER BEFORE BRINGING IT TO THE DEALER. HBL PERFORMED THE RECALL WORK AND THEY ACTUALLY MADE IT WORSE. THE HOSE CLAMP WAS INSTALLED IMPROPERLY WHICH LED TO POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. WE HAD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE REFILL THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND TRIED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH HBL TO GET IT FIXED YET AGAIN. AFTER A…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10047644 at NHTSA ↗

THIRD TIME FOR STEERING LOSS - 3. POWER STEERING HOSE FELL OFF, DRAINING ALL THE FLUID, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING ABILITIES, AND ALMOST CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. 2. TWO MONTHS EARLIER, POWER STEERING HOSE CLAMP CAME LOOSE,LOSS OF FLUID AND STEERING, AND ALMOST CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. 1. AND, SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE SECOND INCIDENT, POWER STEERING HOSE CLAMP FELL OFF, LOSS OF FLUID AND STEERING, AND ALMOST CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. DEALERSHIP HAS SO FAR REPLACED THE POWER STEERING CLAMP TWICE AND THE HOSE ONCE. *LA

Owner-reported narrative. 36,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10051089 at NHTSA ↗

THIS IS EXPERIENCED BY MOST OF THE ML DRIVERS: WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE CAR JUST STOPS AND HERE IS WHAT MERCEDES SAID AND WHAT HAPPENS ACCORDING TO MB RESEARCH: THE GAS INSIDE SOME UNDERGROUND TANKS DISSOLVES THE PROTECTIVE LINER. THE LINER ENDS UP AS A GOOEY SUBSTANCE IN OUR TANKS. AS LONG AS THE PUMP IS RUNNING THERE IS NO PROBLEM. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN, THE SUBSTANCE HARDENS INSIDE THE PUMP AND FREEZES IT. HAVE SOMEONE HIT THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK WITH A BIG HAMMER WHILE SOMEONE ELSE IS STARTING UP AT THE SAME TIME AND MOST LIKELY YOU'LL …

Owner-reported narrative. 61,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10062222 at NHTSA ↗

A YEAR AGO I WAS TURNING A CORNER IN MY MERCEDES ML320 WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL "LOCKED." IT HAD LOST THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND FOR ME, THE WHEEL WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CLAMP. IT WAS UNDER WARRENTY AND REPAIRED AT SIMONSON MERCEDES, 1626 WILSHIRE BLVD, SANTA MONICA , CA 90403. ONE MONTH AND ONE THOUSAND MILES LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THAT MERCEDES HAD SENT A MODIFIED CLAMP TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH THE ORIGIONAL HOSE CLAMP. APRIL 20, 2003, AT 30,000 MILES THE PO…

Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10070225 at NHTSA ↗

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW FAILURE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10091246 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE IS A 2000 ML 320 MADE BY MERCEDES. THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING 60 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE DIED. LUCKILY, WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE OVER TO A SAFE PLACE AND STOP THE CAR SAFELY. I CONSIDER THIS A VERY DANGEROUS FAILURE MODE. SINCE THE CAR WOULD NOT START, IT WAS TOWED TO SACRAMENTO MERCEDES. THE SECOND, AND PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANT, ISSUE IS THE WAY THE DEALER INSISTED ON DOCUMENTING THE PROBLEM. I TOLD THE DEALER THAT NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, ?THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED?. AFTER READING WHAT THE DEALER WRO…

Owner-reported narrative. 76,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10114385 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2000-07-26 (July 26, 2000)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." AN AUDIBLE SEAT BELT BUZZER WARNING SOUNDS FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO SECONDS WHEN THE VEHICLE IGNITION IS TURNED TO THE ON OR START POSITION AND THE DRIVER SEAT BELT IS FASTENED. THIS BUZZER ACTIVATION EXCEEDS THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH IN THE STANDARD.

Consequence: DRIVERS MAY BECOME CONFUSED REGARDING THE PURPOSE OF THE CHIME.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE SEAT BELT WARNING CHIME SYSTEM.

Reported: 2000-10-30 (October 30, 2000)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SEAT BELT ANCHOR IN THE REAR FOLDING MIDDLE SEATING POSITION MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH OUT-OF-TOLERANCE HARDWARE.

Consequence: IF THIS IS THE CASE, THE SEAT BELT ANCHOR MAY NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT ANCHOR PLATE.

Reported: 2003-03-27 (March 27, 2003)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE HOSE CLAMP USED TO SECURE THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLING HOSE TO THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLER MAY NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CLAMPING FORCE FOR THIS CONNECTION.

Consequence: THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID MAY RESULT IN DIMINISHED POWER STEERING OVER TIME AND ULTIMATELY CAN DAMAGE THE POWER STEERING PUMP.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW HOSE CLAMP ON THE POWER STEERING HOSE TO THE POWER STEERING COOLER. DURING CLAMP REPLACEMENT, THE POWER STEERING COOLING HOSE WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED AS NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 16, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.

Reported: 2008-09-17 (September 17, 2008)

MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING 125,228 MY 1998-2004 M-CLASS VEHICLES. THE HOSE CLAMP USED TO SECURE THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLING HOSE TO THE POWER STEERING FLUID COOLER MAY NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CLAMPING FORCE FOR THIS CONNECTION.

Consequence: THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID MAY RESULT IN DIMINISHED POWER STEERING OVER TIME AND ULTIMATELY CAN DAMAGE THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: AN EARLIER RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED ON THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT A FUTURE LEAKAGE OR FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING HOSE CONNECTION (PLEASE SEE 03V121). SINCE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE THROUGH INSPECTION TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC VEHICLES THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY REPAIRED, ALL VEHICLES REPAIRED PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 15, 2003, WILL BE REPAIRED AGAIN. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING NOVEMBER 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.

Reported: 2011-03-31 (March 31, 2011)

MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1999-2002 M-CLASS AND MODEL YEAR 2000-2003 M-CLASS AMG VEHICLES. THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES ALLOWS THE DRIVER TO DISENGAGE THE SYSTEM IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, INCLUDING TAPPING THE BRAKE PEDAL, USING THE CRUISE CONTROL STALK, OR BRAKING THE VEHICLE ENOUGH TO REACH A CERTAIN RATE OF DECELERATION. MERCEDES-BENZ HAS DETERMINED THAT UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES USE OF THE BRAKE PEDAL MAY NOT AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGE CRUISE CONTROL AS EXPECTED BY THE DRIVER, ALTHOUGH THE OTHER MEANS OF DEACTIVATING CRUISE CONTROL REMAIN FULLY OPERATIVE. SPECIFICALLY, WHERE THE DRIVER PUMPS THE BRAKES RATHER THAN APPLYING CONSISTENT PEDAL FORCE, THE LEVEL OF FORCE REQUIRED MAY BE UNUSUALLY HIGH.

Consequence: DIFFICULTY OR DELAY IN DISENGAGING CRUISE CONTROL CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN DURING OCTOBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.