2006 Mercedes Benz M-CLASS

TWO PROBLEMS - FIRST, TRANSMISSION DO NOT SWITCH HIGHER THAN SECOND SPEED. UPON ENGINE RESTART, VEHICLE DROVE PROPERLY. SECOND, ON ANOTHER OCCASION, I WAS SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PULL OFF, THE VEHICLE STARTED DRIVING VERY SLOW AND ROUGH. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD; TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WAITED FOR A FEW SECONDS. WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE AWAY, THE VEHICLE DROVE PROPERLY. MERCEDES DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THESE ISSUES, AND ALSO MANY OF PEOPLE I KNOW WHO HAVE MERCEDES WITH SAME TRANSMISSION TYPE - VALVE BODY/ELECTRIC PLATE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN AUTO TRANSMISSION. *TR

2006 ML350 TRANSMISSION FAILURE: WHILE EXITING FROM INTERSTATE, I NOTICE THAT THE CAR WAS JERKING/KNOCKING WHEN I WAS SLOWING DOWN. A COUPLE OF MILES ON THE SURFACE STREETS AT 30-40 MPH I NOTICED THAT THE JERKING BECAME WORSE AND FINALLY THE CAR WENT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR WITHOUT ANY POWER DELIVERED TO THE ENGINE. THE CAR STOPPED ON THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. LATER THAT EVENING I GOT IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BLOWN OUT AND NEED TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED WITH AN ~$8000 BILL. THE CAR HAS 58K MILES WITH ALL SERVICE RECORDS AND NOT MISSING A SINGLE SERVICE. I AM TOLD THAT THIS IS OUT OF THE WARRANTY ZONE. I FOUND THAT THERE IS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE IN MOST OF ML3500 FOR 2006 MODELS. I THINK THAT I AM BEING RIPPED OFF AND THE MERCEDES SHOULD FIX THIS VIA RECALL. *TR

THE VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS FAILURES ARE DETAILED BELOW: DOT SAFETY RECALL FOR POWER STEERING CLAMP REPAIRED BY MBM IN JULY CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF POWER STEERING SYSTEM OCCURRED ~ 2 WEEKS LATER WHILE ROUNDING A CORNER WITH 4 OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, BARELY AVOIDED A HEAD-ON COLLISION. VEHICLE TOWED TO MBM FOR REPAIRS. I INDICATED TO THE SERVICE REP THAT I WAS ALSO EXPERIENCING ABRUPT SHIFTING. A PROMISE BY NATIONAL SERVICE CENTER OF CLEAN UP OF GARAGE AND DRIVE FROM PS FLUID DID NOT OCCUR. POWER WASHING AND 4 HOURS AND $50 IN CLEANERS WERE NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE CLEAN UP. MBM INDICTED PERMANENT REPAIRS WOULD BE MADE AT A LATER DATE, AND I WOULD BE CALLED WHEN A NEW PART ARRIVED. NO SUCH CALL OR CONTACT FOR THE THIRD SAFETY SYSTEMS SERVICE WAS EVER RECEIVED. THROUGHOUT JULY AND AUGUST 7-SPEED ELECTRONIC AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DETERIORATED, EXPERIENCED ABRUPT DOWNSHIFTS PRIMARILY AT SLOW SPEED AND ON INCLINES. ON FIVE OCCASIONS EXPERIENCED COMPLETE DISENGAGEMENT OF TRANSMISSION, ALL OCCURRED AT ~20-45 MPH. 4 TIMES IT REENGAGED AFTER JERKING AND LURCHING MOTIONS OVER SEVERAL SECONDS. 1 OCCASION IT WAS NECESSARY TO SHUT OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MBM IN AUGUST DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING REPROGRAMMING. RIGHT OUTSIDE MIRROR IS NOT OPERABLE RESULTING IN AN UNCORRECTABLE (NO MANUAL ADJUSTMENT WAS POSSIBLE) BLIND SPOT. REPAIRS IN PROGRESS. I DROVE THE ML 350 INTO MY GARAGE ~9AM SATURDAY MORNING, PUSHED IN THE TRANSMISSION BUTTON, HEARD TYPICAL TRANSMISSION SOUND AND STEEPED OUT OF VEHICLE TO UNLOAD BEFORE HEADING FOR ADDITIONAL ERRANDS LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN AND ENGINE RUNNING. I PROCEEDED TO THE REAR AND NOTICED IT MOVING REARWARD, IMMEDIATELY JUMPED BACK IN DRIVERS SEAT, AND SHUT OFF ENGINE. THE VEHICLE IMPACTED ON APPLIANCE IN GARAGE AND RESULTED IN ~$3,000 IN DAMAGE PRIMARILY TO DRIVERS DOOR. NO FINAL RESOLUTION OR REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *NM