2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class - Consumer Reviews

Very good first impression with a few minor outages

Vehicle

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML550 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (4.7L 8cyl Turbo 7A)

Review

Bought it from MB London (ON) Nov-12, with good discount: I didn't plan on 550, but it turned out it was hard to find a bargain 350 with the upscale interior - genuine leather, cooling seats, leather dash (plastic seats as basic can be practical - but shame to have it on a luxury SUV !) I test drove 2011 ML 63 AMG prior to that - got somewhat puzzled/disappointed with it, but 2012 upgrade seems to make a good performance difference: it's so smooth & powerful, quiet engine, good steering.. It's just flying on highway speeds, great to do maneuvers.. Just 3K km on odometer - cannot comment on reliability yet
Read the full review

---

Mercedes is not of the quality it used to be

Vehicle

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 7A)

Review

For the last 35 years I always had at least one Benz in the garage. Currently have a 2007 550s and a 2012 350ML. Bought both new/first owner. 550 s -19,000 miles - Air Condition not working. 350ML - 6,000 Miles - electronics defect: give wrong error messages and no error messages. Now, the ML is at the shop because the engine may have to be replaced. Local dealer in Palm Beach says MBUSA asked them to perform "more tests to identify the problem". (Car is in the shop already 3 days.) Two issues here: (1) MB now sells cars that do not work properly, even after short use. (2) How MBUSA deals with the problem: They make little/no effort to make things right. This is no longer a good make.
Read the full review

---

Terrible Service from Mercedes

Vehicle

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 BlueTEC 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 7A)

Review

In 2012 I researched purchasing either a Mercedes or Acura. I had exceptionally great service with Acura in the past but chose Mercedes and assumed their service would meet the same expectation. I was wrong. I ordered running boards over a year ago and still have not received them. I now had to take my rubber drivers side mat into dealership due to a recall and am told not to hold my breath for the new one. Mercedes called me to say I would be put on their "preferred" list...but still have not received these items and they could not give me an eta on them. Waiting over a year for parts is insane. I wonder what the future will hold when I need service/parts ordered. I looked at Acura today..
Read the full review

---

The worst vehicle I ever own.

Vehicle

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 BlueTEC 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 7A)

Review

I purchased my 2012 ML350 Bluetec back in November 2011. After 2 weeks, the first problem I had was car was pulling to the right at highway speed. After left it with the dealer for about a week, they finally realized that it was bad tire which took them a few more days to get replacement. Next, I was having problem with car loosing power when driving over a long distance or for a few hours. There is no error message on the dashboard nor that the dealer can replicate. Anyway, I start documenting them on video using my phone. They finally acknowledge but still no solution for it. Along with the car loosing power, I was getting error with PRE-SAFE Inoperative error and Ad-Blue low level
Read the full review

---

This is a Great SUV-It is NOT an E-Class!

Vehicle

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 7A)

Review

Leased this vehicle for my wife. I drive a BMW 550i which I much prefer. I always laugh reading other reviews on here and people complain it isn't sporty. It is an SUV, of course it is not sporty! The ride is phenominal and at 80 mph you can whisper to someone in the backseat. Great fuel economy, my wife only drives around town and gets 21 mpg! Good acceleration, just no low end torque, but come on, it is way fast enough for 99.9% of the people buying it. Fit and finish is amazing, nice materials. One year later, my wife still can't figure out the Navigation, so is it confusing or is it her (hmm). Steering is too light for my tastes. Overall, a great vehicle-it is what it is!
Read the full review

---

Love our ML

Vehicle

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML550 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (4.7L 8cyl Turbo 7A)

Review

Bought the ML after testdriving X5, Lexus 470, LR4, and QX56..were actually on way to buy QX when we decided to just look at the ML. Test drove the 350 and took it home to see how it would accommodate our family roadtrip needs..perfect. When we ordered, only the 350 was available but was able to upgrade to the 550 a day later. It's awesome..a real sleeper. Steering not nearly as precise as the X5 but better than the QX. The safety features by far exceed any of the other SUVs we tested. Exterior not very sexy..would prefer a Cayenne or X5 or even the QX but for a family tourer with performance the ML550 is hard to beat! And we get 19.5 mpg average.
Read the full review

---

The jury is still out.

Vehicle

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 7A)

Review

I leased the 2012 ML 350 about 2 wks ago. This is my first MB. So far, it's been in the shop twice at 2 different dealerships. After several days of driving, I noticed the vehicle would start to shake when I reached 65mph. Also, the windshield wipers chatter horribly and are very loud. So I took it in. They worked on it for an entire day. The same problems persisted. I took it back in a week later to another dealership. The shaking seems to be much better, however, the wipers are chattering worse than ever as I discovered today during a rainstorm. Yes, the vehicle is beautifully appointed and looks great etc. but it is very irritating to be in and out of the shop with a brand new vehicle.
Read the full review

---

Traded in 2010 Infiniti FX35 for 2012 Mercedes ML350

Vehicle

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 7A)

Review

Miss my FX35! After Infiniti, ML350 feels like a big bulky bus - plush and comfortable yet a bus. There is nothing fun or sporty about driving it. The engine is powerful and the car drives well but it's just lacking that sporty feel you get from driving FX. On the plus side, visibility is a lot better than FX and the cabin gets a lot more light. On the down side, my 4 yo keeps pointing at Honda minivans and yelling - look, that's Mommy's new car. The backup camera view is fuzzy compared to Infiniti - don't know if mine is defective or that's how it is. Not too thrilled with my purchase so far but hope it will grow on me.
Read the full review

---

Nu-Blu

Vehicle

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 BlueTEC 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 7A)

Review

I recently have purchased this nu ML-Bluetech after having 3 E-class benz's 2-350s 1-550 models 2007,2008 and 2010. My plan was to keep my 2010 E-550 for another year or so but during the past few months I had been looking at Suv's:Ford Edge,Jeep Grand Cherokee,BMW X5 Diesel and VW Toureag TDI/Audi Q7 TDI. Having shopped these others 1st, I took a chance a drove the 2012 Bluetech and I was presently surprised. The upgraded new interior and added torque really raised the bar against the others I was considering. Edge my ford touch?..Jeep Great Drive not efficient, X5 Sporty but too pricey w/options desired near 70k and VW Group Great overall but MB has a long/proven diesel history undisputed.
Read the full review

---

An brief unbiased review

Vehicle

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 7A)

Review

Pros: *Very nice fit and finish for the exterior and especially, the interior. *Smooth ride, quiet cabin, no vibration noises. *Excellent Harmon Kardon sound system *Good driver all around visibility. *Good head room and leg room. *High resolution command or navigation screen that maintains readability even with sunlight shining directly on it. *Quick and effective blindspot warning system(a must have option) *Bluetooth connectivity is easy for the use of phone and audio devices. Cons. *Average performance: engine works hard for acceleration, heavy car feel during quick maneuver. *Time consuming use of the MB command controller(address entry for navigation)
Read the full review

---