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Mercedes-Benz M-class (ML320, ML350, ML500 and ML55) 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    It's not too late to complain to the service manager. Then find a different dealer!

    Steve, Host
  • mark156mark156 Member Posts: 1,915
    Chigirl2, I have the Parktronic on my 2002 ML500. I would suggest to anyone to get this option. And yes, there is a button on the console to turn off the Parktronic.

    The Parktronic only activates when the car is in first gear or reverse (maybe there is a speed sensor too). Anyway, if there is snow, mud, or any other debris on the bumper, the Parktronic will not work properly. You have to keep the bumpers clean.

    A funny thing happened, when I was backing in my garage the other day, I noticed that the rear indicators lit up suddenly without warning me about what was behind the vehicle. I hit a wooden box in my garage and was shocked that the Parktronic didn't work (no damage to vehicle). Well, I found out why. A friend of mine who has an S500 with Parktronic parked in my garage and the same thing happened on that car... it didn't work.

    When I was at Costco I bought those electric bug things that gives off a signal that only bugs and rodents can hear.... well, it apparently effects Parktronic. Once I unpluged the "debugger", the Parktronic resumed normal operation.

    Mark
    2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
  • mac320mac320 Member Posts: 147
    That's ok. There's probably still more ML430s than S430s, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are fewer than 4,000 of them in the US.

    Currently, ML430 drivers are leading in their Class again in the 2003 Paris to Dakar race. And, things are looking good: they have won that race for the last couple of years and I read that about half of the entries in this year's race had already fallen out as of the stage 12 but all 14 or so ML430s were still in the race.
  • chigirl2chigirl2 Member Posts: 4
    thanks much mark, for the info. now i'm going to call my dealer and ask for the parktronic option for my future car. tahnks again...
  • mac320mac320 Member Posts: 147
    The recent split of the board now has 95 people in a problems group, leaving over 6,800 in this group who apparently must have been much happier with their ML purchases when they posted here. That would be a pretty good percentage in MBs favor it it holds up.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Here's the link if you have a problem :-)

    MB M-Class Owners: Problems & Solutions

    Steve, Host
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    I've got a 3-yr-old 2000 ML320 with 40K miles. I'm having routine service done by the dealer, bringing it in when the FSS says so. (Until 4-yrs or 50K miles, my understanding is that routine services are covered.)

    I just got it back from a B service and noticed that they didn't change either the brake fluid or coolant. I went back through the service records and it appears they haven't done either of these fluid changes in the two A and two B services since the truck was new.

    These are supposed to be done on calendar time rather than miles - I think one is every two years and the other is every three.

    Is anyone else having the dealer do these services under the free maintenance program?

    FWIIW, I got 25K out of the front brake pads and 40K out of the rear.

    - Mark
  • lumpmanlumpman Member Posts: 7
    Just purchased my first ever MB for my wife, and yes, she absolutely loves it. A certified 01 ML320 with 30K miles (a little high). Put two years extra starmark warranty on it after reading many of the complaints on this site.

    Did have two minor problems that the dealer corrected when I got it. The radio head was not sending a good "wake up" signal to the CD changer in back. You'd press CD and it would say "No CD player installed," which was wrong. So the dealer promptly put in a new MCD/radio. Works great now.

    The other problem was a little more interesting. Prior to my purchasing it, they had 'cannibilized' the antennae lead for the Teleaid ant to fix another car quickly. When they tried to get a new lead from MB, MB said no, they had to get the whole harness. Despite the dealers arguement with MB, MB insisted. So, they replaced the entire interior wiring harness this week. Seemed like the long way around, but everything seems to be working - for how long, we'll see.
  • mercaramercara Member Posts: 291
    Some of you might be aware that I moved from NY london and shipped my ML with me. I now need to get a local UK lisence plate and the form asked me for the Chasis and Engine Number. In the states we go by the VIN Number. Does anyone know where I can find the Engine and Chasis number?
  • mercaramercara Member Posts: 291
    I have done 53K miles on my 99 ML320. Still on the original Tires/Brake pads. Most of my driving is Motorway/Highway.
  • chigirl2chigirl2 Member Posts: 4
    hi. just curious, is there such thing as thick plastic/rubber strips that can be used on the bumpers to protect from light collision? i'm picking up my ml350 soon, and since i'm not used to suvs yet, i'm kinda afraid that i would scratch it or something... thanks!
  • 2003ml3202003ml320 Member Posts: 3
    Hi, this is my first post in this forum. Just found it last Friday. I got a great deal on 2003 ML320 (M1, M5, Bose, Desert Silver) about $5000 off MRSP. Will test drive Saterday. The dealer told me they will throw either a set of all weather mat or back seat cover. Hurry up, the 2003 ML320 is no longer in production.
  • doudoudiddoudoudid Member Posts: 76
    don't think you need to be hurry... it will be there for quite sometimes....

    http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e_article000105067.cfm
  • bon_bonbon_bon Member Posts: 20
    Mark Hi !! I have a 2002 ML 500 that has recently started giving some kind of squeak. It looks as if it comes from behind the GPS System. But we cannot put our fingers on the exact position. My wife has a feeling that this squeaking noise goes away after the car warms up a little say 20-30 minutes of driving. Which led me to believe that this might be coming from some rubber lining that squeaks when the weather is cold. We never had this problem in the summer when we got the car.

    Now your post has got me thinking if might be the board under the hood or something. Any further details that you can provide about the noise like where it was coming from, etc. would be very helpful. The dealership folks are dumb and are usually not very helpful.

    Thanks,

    --Bon Bon
  • bargamonbargamon Member Posts: 302
    I was wondering if any experienced similar:

    Hatch lock somehow locked itself when upright, in that the lock moved from the accepting position to it being locked. Thus the Hatch would not lock. A few tries with the fob to activate the lock did not work, and eventually quit activating the hatch, but the rest of the locks work. I figured carefully how to reset the lock and it closed and locks. Now it won't open, it stays locked. I noticed the solinoid is just to the left of the first aid kit, but Im not messing with it. When I lock (using the fob) the truck, the lights on the outside do not flash now, and the overhead light does not turn off automatically.

    It would appear the truck does not think the hatch is closed.

    Did I: Blow a circit or fuse? (I doubt one would be dedicated to such a small function, or part of the locking system)

    THe manual latch both inside and out are just dead. By that They just are limp when pulling on them. I thought I did not force anything at any time. I Perhaps a rod or latch un did itself, but one would think the motor would still try itself, unless it is just jammed?

    My ll year old simply put his book bag and closed it. 10 min later I put my briefcase in and when I closed it, it just would not latch itself. Amazing what children can do!

    Any ideas for self fix before I engage the talents of others at $75 per hour???
  • joeindenverjoeindenver Member Posts: 31
    Having recently purchased a 350, I am happy to say I find it easier to drive than my old 89 Toyota truck. In fact, it reminds me of driving a Jeep (Wrangler, that is). Easy to get into parking spaces and good visibility behind (once you remove that center headrest - I keep it in the back in case I need it). I expect you'll find yourself going wherever you want to go without having to worry about hitting anything in very short order : )
  • joeindenverjoeindenver Member Posts: 31
    Hi,

    After saying "no!" to the MB extended warranty (can still change my mind I suppose) because of its
    1. High cost - about 7% of the vehicle's retail and
    2. limited coverage - most of the electronics are not covered - e.g. radio head, etc.

    I'm wondering if anyone else on this forum has any recommendations of third party warranty companies. We have a "Royal" warranty on our mini-van and have had little issue with claims with them (over $2500.00 so far) but I'd like to hear about other options - or who I might want to steer clear of...
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You may want to check the Finance, Warranty & Insurance board too. Joeindenver - several warranty topics there plus some in the archives that may be of interest (search on "warranty").

    Steve, Host
  • poseidonposeidon Member Posts: 30
    I'm looking at the VW Touareg as a possible next vehicle. Any rumors about the next gen ML? If it's due soon I may wait to make a direct comparison before I purchase. Thanks.
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    Most rumor sources are saying that the new ML will debut in the 2005 model year, probably in late 2004.

    I'd strongly caution you to think long/hard about buying a Touareg in the first model year, especially if you are someone who doesn't want to deal with lots of service trips to get stuff fixed. It's got tons of strikes against it: 1) first year, 2) completely new platform, 3) extremely complex electrical systems, 4) German SUVs have a terrible history of first year problems, especially electrical (ML and X5), and 5) recent VW's have had sub-standard reliability in general.

    But I'd also be very hesitant about buying a new ML in 2005. Wait a year and the odds improve dramatically.

    Reliability wise, the state-of-the-art SUVs of choice today are (unfortunately) the GX470/4-Runner and Pilot/MDX. I say "unfortunately" because I much prefer the design of the German SUVs, but I would never buy a first-year model.

    - Mark
  • poseidonposeidon Member Posts: 30
    Thanks for the feedback. I'm aware of and agree with the concerns you mentioned about recent German and Japanese SUV's. I like the Toyota reputation for reliability and the German penchant for safety/performance. VW seems to be trying to replicate both in one package. It's my understanding that most of VW's problems are coming from those models made in Mexico. Likewise the problem riddled ML and X-5 are made here in the US. Not saying North America can't build high quality vehcles, but the track record doesn't support that position. Anyhow the T-reg is produced in Slovakia, not far from the Wolfsburg plant. Perhaps doubtful/hopeful, but maybe the close oversight will minimize those problems. I am considering the 4runner as well, but I like the blending of great on road handling and off pavement capability that the T-reg seems to offer on paper. Mostly I was hoping to gain feedback here about the direction of the next gen ML. Would consider it as well if it considerably improves it's reliability and modestly up's it's off pavement characteristics and appearance.

    Any talk of a hybrid power plant, or is Mercedes leaning more toward the fuel cell for the future power plants?

    All in all, time is on my side (I may not purchase for quite sometime), so I'll just sit back and see how things develop.
  • mvhansonmvhanson Member Posts: 14
    Got run into by another driver, while in my 98 ML 320, and finally got other driver's insurance company to recognize they needed to pay me the $ to which I was entitled under law. So, now am looking for a new ML, with no trade in.
    Considering several options:
    ML 350 looks nice but dealers are not discounting much - normal. They are saying about $1500.
    Still some ML 320's out there - both 2002's and 2003's and there is evidently hidden $1500 factory money, on top of what you could normally negotiate with dealer
    Currently in mix on my radar screen:
          2002 - ML 320 with and without Xenon
          2003 - ML 320 with and without Xenon.
    Local dealer has 2 cars which were driven as Rep and demonstrator cars, he is trying to sell as "new" with a little more discount.
              2002 ML 320 with Xenon lights and 16000 miles
              2003 ML 320 with Xenon lights and 9000 miles.
    I am about to make offer on the 2003, as a "used" auto and "used" pricing, on condition he Starmark Certify it, and give me 2 years extended warranty.
       Any thoughts on these cars, and this approach?
    If he doesn't take the offer, then I will look at "new" 2003 ML 320's at other dealers. Have selection of Xenon and not Xenon. Is the extra $ for the Xenon worth it? Or is it just about $850 for a gizmo to show off?
        Lastly I will look at 350's, but was looking more strongly at 320 because the pricing.
    Any thoughts would be appreciated.
    mvhanson
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    Get the bi-xenons. They're a safety enhancement, and you will find that $850 is a bargain, especially compared to what it could cost later on to replace the headlamp assemblies.

    Edmunds' Incentives page says the dealer incentive is $2,000 on the ML320, not $1,500.

    The ML350 will probably sell for only $500 above invoice in a lot of places soon if it isn't already -- any price spike is due to it being "new."

    Remember that the spread between invoice and MSRP for MB vehicles is not very much (especially compared with Lexus), so there's a bit less room to discount. But also remember that you're dealing with a vehicle in its last model year, whose supply is good and sales have been weakening, and incentives have been readily available. Thus you should get an excellent price on a still-excellent vehicle.

    Good luck.
  • mvhansonmvhanson Member Posts: 14
    What are people seeing out there for discounts off list for a 2003 ML 320?
    I am centrally located to be able to trade anywhere from Minneapolis, to Chicago, Kansas City, Omaha and Lincoln, as well as good old Des Moines - whose dealer has a reputation for not negotiating much at all because he thinks he is the only game in town.
    thanks
    mvhanson
  • mvhansonmvhanson Member Posts: 14
    Thanks for your thoughts, wmquan

    mvhanson
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    Most sources I've seen don't think the country of mfg is a significant factor in vehicle reliability. This is based on vehicles which are produced in multiple locations such as Japanese and American Accords or German and American MLs. So I'd expect the Touareg to be as reliable/unreliable as you'd expect from any 1st year VW and first year SUV.

    But we really don't know and maybe the Touareg will break the pattern. It would be too risky for me, but what is life without some risks? It's just a car and the warranty and lemon laws give you something of a safety net. Certainly the initial reviews of the Touareg sound like it is a great SUV.

    When I bought my 2000 ML320, I based my decision on getting the SUV I wanted, and was willing to put up with some glitches. With 40K, the truck has settled down without any recent problems, although I'm still hesitatant to take it out of the warranty period. I'll probably get a Pilot in the next year, but if the truck has another good year, maybe I'll solider on - I really, really like design of the ML and the way it bridges between a rugged, tow-worthy, off-road worthy truck and a well-mannered highway car.

    Good luck with your decision.

    Here is a site that has some shots of the new ML. I have no idea if they're accurate or not.

    http://www.whnet.com/4x4/w164.html

    - Mark
  • mark156mark156 Member Posts: 1,915
    Bon Bon, I've been out of town, sorry the delay in responding.

    The squeak started a year after I took delivery. So, I was surprised that it came after 12,000 miles of driving. My selling dealer told me there was a bulletin on the dash squeak that required some welding to be done under the windshield wiper area. He told me that it was located where the A pillars meet the fenders and the metal from the lower windshield area.

    The squeak sounded like it was the rubber part all across the bottom of the windshield. I too, couldn't pin point the exact spot.

    After the fix was done, I drove back to my other home 1,800 miles away for the winter. To my surprise, it squeaked again but not as bad and more towards the passenger lower windshield. I was livid!!

    Once I reached my winter destination, I called my local dealer and explained what my purchasing dealer did to the vehicle. They seemed unaware of the bulletin. Also, the squeak only happened when I was on the interstate and not in the city. I thought I was going to pull my hair out driving on long stretches of concrete pavement. It was worse when I drove over the expansion joints. It made a nice rhythem though!!!

    The second dealer kept my ML for about 3 days and could not duplicate the squeak. (how frustrating is that!) So, they suggested I take the service manager for a ride to see if I could make it happen. We drove for over 50 miles on all kinds of pavement/bumps, etc. It didn't make one single squeak. So, my guess is, is that it settled down and hopefully will not come back.
    2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
  • mark156mark156 Member Posts: 1,915
    Just a suggestion, if you do get the Bi-Xenon lights (which I really like), they can be adjusted if you find on coming cars flashing you.

    People were flashing me all of the time so I took my ML back to dealer where they were adjusted. No flashing since.

    Mark
    2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
  • bon_bonbon_bon Member Posts: 20
    Mark 156 Thanks for the info. Well I am sort of going through the same thing. I took the car to the dealership and they had the service manager sit with me for a about half hour. The damn squeak did not appear. But I mostly happens during the mornings or evenings when I do a cold start and then consistently on the regular bumps on the city roads. I have scheduled another apointment (at 7:00 AM) with the dealer. Let's see if it reproduces itself this time.

    Has anyone else on the board experienced this squeaking problem ? It seems as if it comes from behind the NAV LCD but could be somewhere else too in that area. It drives me nuts that constant sqeak, squeak, squeak... all the time. It sounds as if there are two rubber parts rubbing against each other.

    One other member (Thor, I guess) suggested that we should ignore these noises and focus on the quality of the vehicle. Sorry but I cannot. It drives me nuts and I would like to get it fixed if I can. I also own a lexus RX 300 and it is now four years old but still puts ML 500 to shame when it comes to noise level inside the vehicle. Otherwise I have no other complaints with the ML and its a 02 ML 500 with 9000 miles on it now.
  • cassiricassiri Member Posts: 40
    Bon Bon,

    I too have a 99 RX300 (wife's) and a 99 ML430. The RX's quality is far superior, but I tolerate my squeaky, quirky ride because it far outperforms the Lexus in accelerating, handling and fun to drive categories.

    I tried relentlessly to get the dash fixed by the dealer and had them take it apart on several occasions. They lubricated and attached felt on several contact points. It has improved, but on a really cold morning, any decent bump at low speed will bring it out.

    Like many here, I am probably more frustrated with the Dealership and Mercedes response than the actual vehicle. I expected some quirks, but thought I would have a reputable company to back up the vehicle. No such luck.
  • mvhansonmvhanson Member Posts: 14
    Mark156 - thanks for your thoughts.
    I shot an offer on the 2003 ML320 Rep driven car with Xenon. Ball is in his court. We'll see.
    mvhanson
  • wnielwniel Member Posts: 97
    I have heard about this dash squeak ever since the 1998 ML came out. In reality the problem is not the dash. In the past, the problem was with the perforated grill outside, underneath the back of the hood and the windshield. This keeps the leafs, etc. out of the vetilation system. The grill has a rubber edge that rides against the bottom of the windshield. On the far outer edge near the top edge of the fender, take and raise the grill slightly and either place a small piece of felt between the rubber edge and the windshield or spray some silicon in the area. The felt is the best fix. I think that you will find that this fixes the problem.
    Wally
  • lumpmanlumpman Member Posts: 7
    Anybody had any bad experiences with after market towing kits for ML320? It's not the hitch I'm worried about. A hitch is a hitch. But after viewing the wiring harness that MB supplies for the 7 pin hookup, and knowing just how "electric" the car is, I can't help but think the extra $100 now is worth saving a lot of trouble later.

    After market wiring just for 4-pole would be one of the directly battery driven relays. But I wonder if there would be trouble in electric feedback and sensor systems.
  • mvhansonmvhanson Member Posts: 14
    When I purchased my 98 ML in 00, as part of the deal I required they install a hitch. At that time I don't think there was aftermarket available for the ML. Anyway it was the MB variety. The wiring connection on the ML was round, but the wiring connection on my trailer was flat. The lights just were not working correctly. So, I spent an afternoon tracing the color coded wires through the conversion plug to see if they were in the right location to appropriately run the brakes, lights, and turn signals. Then I don't know why, but I removed the hatch cover into the left rear fender area - where the first aid kit is stored. I felt around for the wiring that came from the plug, went into the fender and forward in the car. I found a relay box of some sort by feel. It seemed to have an open socket hole. I felt around some more and found a wire with a plug, loose. I thought, well why not insert the plug in the open socket. And low and behold, the lights on the trailer now correctly performed their function.
    I'm picking up a 2003 ML 320 on Sat, with a dealer installed hitch. I just couldn't get excited about an after market job.
    mvhanson
  • pathdocpathdoc Member Posts: 126
    I would be interested in your experiences towing with a ML. What sized trailer/weight have you been towing? With a ML 500 what would be reasonable? Has anyone tried a horse trailer? We just bought a horse and although I don't have an immediate need to trailer if my daughter keeps on training I might have to face it in the future. Since we just got a 2003 500 ML I'd be interested in any comments.
     Thanks
  • thor8thor8 Member Posts: 303
    In answering your question, I have a 99 ML430, I tow mainly two things, a pair of three seaters jetskies and a lot gear on the trailer, close to 3000lbs, no problem at all.
    The other item is a 22ft fishing boat on tandem axles, is over 5000lbs no problems either, many times I get in a steep boat landing I use the low range, the truck handles beautifully, one good thing about the ML is that short overhang on the rear placing the hitch close to the axle, as you know the closer you are to the axle the less swaying a trailer will do, providing you trailer and load is properly balanced.

    The ML 500 has a bigger and torquier engine and bigger disks in the brakes. I used to be into horses, I will go by memory and say a tandem axle two horse trailer depending on the build and brand is between 1200 and 1500lbs and a horse is between 900 to 1100lbs for a big horse, everything below tow rating.

    To summarize you have a vehicle that is more than what is needed.

    If it makes you feel better I took this picture at the factory, very few SUV's will have a beefy transmission like this. Press HI RESS for better viewing.

    http://www.funtigo.com/MLtransmission
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    I use a ML320 for light- to medium-duty towing, typically a utility trailer weighing 1000-lbs with perhaps 1000-lbs of motorycycles and gear in it. One time I borrowed a larger trailer and loaded up three big street bikes, so I was probably at 3K or so.

    The ML does well. I'm especially impressed with the flexilbility of the engine and transmission. The body-on-frame construction lends a little peace-of-mind as well.

    As you approach the towing limit of 5K lbs, I'd start getting a little nervous - I'd really prefer something like a Suburban or heavy-duty pickup based platform for this. But if you are conservative in your driving, have good trailer brakes and hitches, etc. you should be fine.

    I'd never go over 5K though and I don't think the V8 buys you the ability to tow more - just tow with less effort and strain by the engine.

    - Mark
  • jcat707jcat707 Member Posts: 169
    I'm looking to buy a SUV and I would like to see what the monthly payments might look like. If any of you all could share your monthly payments, it would be greatly appreciated.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    There's also a Calculate Monthly Payments link on the main edmunds.com page you can experiment with.

    Steve, Host
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    BTW - asking once is adequate!

    tidester, host
  • pathdocpathdoc Member Posts: 126
    Thanks for the info it is reassuring.
  • lamkenlamken Member Posts: 19
    My ML have 2 near stall on the highway in one month. It loss power during acceleration and the engine start to shake and the check engine light came on. The shaking only stop after I turn off and turn on the truck again. The first time the dealer said cylinder 4 misfire and replaced all the spark plugs. When it happen again they said the code suggest multiple misfire and proceeded to replace the catalytic convertors. Any one with similar problem before? I am not sure why the dealer think the catalytic convertor is the problem instead of looking at the ignition system. I have 140000km(approx 90000miles on my 1999ML). Thanks for any advise.
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    I have no idea why a bad convertor would cause misfire. Especially suddenly.

    Do you have another dealer to go to? This one sounds incompetent.

    - Mark
  • joeindenverjoeindenver Member Posts: 31
    Lamken,

    You mention that your dealer "proceeded to replace the cat converters..." did this help the situation?

    As far as other comments posted, clogged converters can cause trouble in the engine. Too much backpressure in the exhaust will cause less than ideal clearing of the gasses in the chambers which could result in some misfiring or other trouble. A friend of mine had a T-bird that was running reliably and then over a week's time it became almost impossible to drive. Interestingly it idled OK - just did not want to accelerate. Replacement of the converter solved the trouble right away. The mechanic said the issue might have been some "bad" gas or simply that the converters got too clogged for the engine to run any more. The car in question was at 102K at the time.
  • joeindenverjoeindenver Member Posts: 31
    I DO hope someone from MB reads these boards...

    I have a ML350 and I am finding it difficult to get the gas nozzle into the filler neck properly in cold weather. I'm currently on a trip in Ohio and they, as do other states, have emmission control gas pumps as well as pumps with the "splash-back" protector on the nozzle. In cold weather these rubberized plastic devices might as well be made of steel as they are difficult to bend and sometimes will just not allow you to put in the pump's nozzle all the way into the filler neck. And if you do manage to get it in all the way, getting it back out can be harder. When it's 3 degrees F with a 20mph wind blowing the last thing you want to do is take your gloves off to bend back the pumps splash-back protector so you can put gas in the truck.

    I'm thinking all of this stress on the fill neck housing can't be good for it and I'm wondering if other's have had this issue and if so, what they could suggest to help mitigate the problem - if anything.

    As much as this beast wants to go to the gas station : ) one would have thought access to filling the fuel tank would be a little easier. To me, it looks like tilting the angle on the filler-neck outboard just a couple of degrees would help a lot - but I'm sure there is more to it than that.
  • lamkenlamken Member Posts: 19
    So far the engine is running fine but it also ran fine for one month after all the spark plug has been replaced. I'll just have to wait to see. BTW i found a mayonnaise like deposit on the oil cap. Some say this is normal because of our frigid canadian weather, some say it might be coolant getting into the oil. The oil on the dipstick loks OK. I'm not runnig low on coolant and the coolant in the reservoir looks fine. Any thoughts on that.
  • djdjdjdj Member Posts: 111
    The poor fit ceases to be an issue once you break off the plastic ring that is part of the gas door locking mechanism. That isn't the 'factory approved' solution but functionally it solves the problem.

    The first time it snapped off I didn't know why. After the dealer fixed it under warranty I noticed it was much harder to get the gas nozzle in. When I really pushed it in one time, I watched the tab break off and realized the car isn't built to accomodate that nozzle collar.

    Losing the tab does not reduce the gas door locks efficiency so I didn't have it fixed again. I am sure many others have broken it off without realizing what they did.
  • wnielwniel Member Posts: 97
    I would guarantee you that this deposit on the gas cap is not from coolant in your oil. More than likely, the dealer put some lubricant on the threads of the filler cap. They typically use a white grease for this function and for many other lubrication uses in the car. Ordinary grease tends to rot rubber and other materials, the special white grease doesn't.
    I hope that this helps.
    Wally
  • nedzelnedzel Member Posts: 787
    "It's my understanding that most of VW's problems are coming from those models made in Mexico." Nope. I've had more than my share of problems on GTI and it was made in Germany. Many of the problems are design issues that VW has known about for years but either not done anything about or only fixed belatedly. For example, on the 12valve VR6 engine, a number of parts tend to fail early -- coilpacks (I'm not talking about their current coilpack fiasco that affects the 1.8T engine which uses a different coilpack design), starters. The rear brake rotors are undersized and wear prematurely. The whole window regulator fiasco.

    A bigger problem than VW quality is their dealer network. More than a few of the VWOA dealers are very substandard and have very poor service departments.

    The Touareg is a very interesting looking vehicle, but I'd wait a year at least. Let them get the bugs out first. And maybe by then VWOA will have improved the dealers.
  • sencsenc Member Posts: 44
    These warning lights on the dash of my '99 ML320 have started to come on sometimes. They always go off after I turn motor off and restart vehicle. I know thisi indicates a malfunction, but has anyone had this problem yet, and if so, what was problem and how much $$$ did it set you back to repair? Current mileage is 70k. Thanks
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