Hi guys, Wanted to get some impressions on this SUV. Purchased a used 2008 from a dealer with about 35,000 miles on it. Three years later, we're just over 100,000 miles. No major problems with the car. All service intervals met. Car was purchased with the plan to drive it to high miles, pass it on to a child in a few years. Now, despite no major problems, my current mechanic and several of his associates who work on this model state we should be thinking of getting rid of it soon. Allegedly, these cars, and this model in particular, tend to start having problems with engine and transmission and that there are no longer replacement parts available to fix them aside from the high costs to do so.. Is this true? So we need to make a decision before it's too late to turn back--drive it until it dies (at high mileage) or trade it in now before the worst. Experiences and thoughts welcomed. Mike
The 722.9 transmission is "sealed" and isn't really a DIY job. The dealer will probably charge a decent chunk of change to flush the fluid, but it would go a long way to ensure the life of the transmission. I think they have to fill it and check with their computer system rather than a dipstick. The ML is popular, so I would think if a transmission or engine fails and new parts are not available (unlikely because manufacturers have to provide parts for 10 years IIRC), you could source a used unit. You could get more experienced responses from a site like mbworld
Find a decent indy shop. We work on tons of ML's with transmission problems. I'll ask my mechanic what the average cost is, as well as what typically fails. I have not followed the ML's much myself.
thanks for the reply. I was told this specific model had more problems than others esp with unavailability of parts. Any info greatly appreciated.
