Carsieve All versions
| Variant | Running cost per month | Median price | Listings | Fuel | Engine codes | Gearbox | Production years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ML 320 CDI DPF, 224 PS, 7-speed automatic, all-wheel drive Research | €675 | €6,500 | 295 | Diesel | 642940 | Automatic (7) | 2005–2008 |
| ML 280 CDI DPF, 190 PS, 7-speed automatic, all-wheel drive Research | €669 | €5,950 | 151 | Diesel | 642940 | Automatic (7) | 2005–2008 |
At a glance
- Years and engines: 2005 to 2011, with a facelift in 2008. Diesel V6 (OM642) and V8 (OM629), petrol V6 (M272), V8 (M113, M273) and an AMG V8 (M156). All are 4MATIC with a 7-speed automatic.
- Reliability: 2/5. Engine drive faults, oil seal leaks and air suspension failures recur, and several need workshop time.
- DIY: 2/5. Owner checks are simple, but the engine and air suspension repairs need a workshop.
- Prefer: cars with proof of the M272 balance-shaft work, or diesels with records of oil cooler and intake flap repairs.
- Avoid: early M272 cars with no proof of timing work, and cars that sag overnight.
Engines and gearboxes
- OM642 3.0 V6 diesel (ML 280-320 CDI, 350 CDI): oil cooler seal leaks and intake flap faults. See oil cooler seal leaks and intake flap faults. Also reported: exhaust manifold wear that sends pieces into the turbo, and coked EGR and turbo vanes.
- OM629 4.0 V8 diesel (ML 420 CDI): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
- M272 3.5 V6 petrol (ML 350): early cars have balance-shaft gear wear. See balance-shaft gear wear.
- M113 5.0 V8 petrol (ML 500, to 2007): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
- M273 5.5 V8 petrol (ML 500, from 2007): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
- M156 6.2 V8 petrol (ML 63 AMG): camshafts and tappets are reported to wear, by a German and a Russian site.
- 7G-Tronic 722.9 automatic: see the 7G-Tronic guide.
Known issues
| Issue | Affects | Typical km | Repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| M272 balance-shaft gear wear | M272 V6 petrol, cars built to about 2006 | Not stated | No confirmed price |
| OM642 intake flaps and EKAS actuator | OM642 V6 diesel | Not stated; kfz-dietrich.com advises checks from 150,000 km | Just under 2,000 EUR for the EKAS actuator (Germany, gebrauchtwagenberater.de on the E-Class W211, year not stated) |
| OM642 oil cooler seal leaks | OM642 V6 diesel | Not stated | No confirmed price |
| Airmatic air suspension faults | Cars with optional Airmatic | Bellows about 100,000-140,000 km | No confirmed price |
| Rear water ingress, SAM module and tailgate | All cars | Not stated | No confirmed price |
| Alternator and battery | All cars | Not stated | 1,230-1,490 EUR for an alternator (Germany, ADAC, year not stated) |
| Chassis, steering pump and brake hoses | All cars | About 100,000 km for tie rods and the steering pump (Russian sites) | No confirmed price |
Before you buy
- Check the OM642 intake flaps. A scanner reads fault codes P2004 and P2005, and an actuator test shows whether the flaps move. Bad result: those codes, rough running or lost power. Needs a scanner.
- Ask for proof that the M272 balance-shaft gear was checked or replaced, and listen for a rattle on a cold start. Bad result: no proof, or a rattle or fault codes. The repair usually means taking the engine out.
- Look for oil in the V of the OM642 engine and at the back where the engine meets the gearbox. Bad result: fresh oil, or oil in the coolant.
- Park the car overnight and check its height in the morning. A sag or an air suspension warning points to a leak. A scanner reads how often the compressor runs; bad result: it runs very often.
- Look at the rear light seals and boot for damp, and at the rear light area for water marks. Test the electric tailgate: open and close it and listen for a whine or a knock. Bad result: water in the boot, or lights, wipers or displays that fail.
- Check the charging warning light and the battery. Bad result: a warning light while driving, or a battery that is flat in the morning.
- Turn the wheel lock to lock and drive over bumps. On a lift, look at the brake hoses for wet patches. Bad result: play or knocks in the steering, or damp brake hoses.
- Ask a Mercedes dealer to check the VIN for open campaigns, including the brake booster campaign 011819. Bad result: the campaign is still open and the booster has not been checked.
Running costs
| Operational | €341 |
|---|---|
| Workshop | €191 |
| Fixed costs (tax, insurance) | €198 |
| Total per month | €730 |
| New-car depreciation (not included) | €96 |
ADAC figures for 15,000 km a year over 60 months
Market
Listings on mobile.de priced up to 50,000 EUR, 29 October 2026.
- Listings
- 636
- 25th percentile
- €5,000
- Median price
- €6,500
- 75th percentile
- €8,799
- Median mileage
- 261,808 km
- Median first registration
- 2007
- Dealer share
- 39.3%
- Price at 100,000 km
- €12,076
To check a listing's price, open its variant in the table above. Each variant page has a price check.
In detail
M272 balance-shaft gear wear
Symptoms: the sources give none for this wear on its own. Metal debris from the gear can reach the oil pump.
Cause: the balance-shaft drive gear wears early, and the press says the repair is costly.
Which cars: early M272 V6 petrol engines, built to about 2006 (gebrauchtwagenberater.de).
Fix: the gear is replaced when worn. The repair usually means taking the engine out (zr.ru). The press calls the repair expensive, but no EUR or GBP price is given.
Sources: gebrauchtwagenberater.de: W164 problems, zr.ru: Mercedes-Benz ML, kolesa.ru: W164 engines and air suspension
OM642 intake flaps and EKAS actuator
Symptoms: the engine warning light, rough running and lost power. Fault codes P2004 and P2005. Broken plastic flap pieces can enter the intake.
Cause: the plastic swirl flaps (Drallklappen) in the intake can break or coke up. The EKAS intake shut-off actuator is damaged when oil from a turbo leak drips onto it.
Which cars: OM642 V6 diesels (ML 280-320 CDI, ML 350 CDI). The sources give no build years.
Checks: an actuator test with the diagnostic tool shows whether the flaps move freely. An endoscope at the intake manifold shows broken pieces. kfz-dietrich.com advises checking from 150,000 km. A broken flap is not heard while driving.
Cost: the EKAS actuator repair costs just under 2,000 EUR (Germany, year not stated; gebrauchtwagenberater.de on the E-Class W211 with the same engine).
Sources: kfz-dietrich.com: OM642 V6 diesel problems, gebrauchtwagenberater.de: W164 problems, gebrauchtwagenberater.de: W211 problems
OM642 oil cooler seal leaks
Symptoms: oil in the V of the engine, oil at the back of the engine, and possibly oil in the coolant. Oil loss is a common TÜV topic for this car (AUTO ZEITUNG).
Cause: the rubber seals of the oil cooler harden with age and leak.
Which cars: OM642 V6 diesels. The seal gets worse with age, so older cars are more likely to leak.
Fix: a new seal is labour-intensive, because the intake section has to come off. No price or part number is given.
Sources: kfz-dietrich.com: OM642 V6 diesel problems, gebrauchtwagenberater.de: W164 problems, zr.ru: Mercedes-Benz ML
Airmatic air suspension faults
Symptoms: the car sags overnight or after parking, and the compressor runs often. Warnings can come on.
Cause: the rubber air bellows (air springs) wear and crack. Dirt and road salt wear the sleeve of the front struts. A connector on the valve block can also fail; one owner had the car drop and then lose the suspension.
Which cars: cars with optional Airmatic.
Life: bellows about 100,000-120,000 km (a garage post on DRIVE2). Rear air bags fail at about 120,000-140,000 km (zr.ru). The winter halves the life of the bellows, says the same garage post.
Checks: wash the air springs, because road salt and dirt wear the sleeve.
Cost: no EUR or GBP price is given.
Sources: gebrauchtwagenberater.de: W164 problems, kolesa.ru: W164 engines and air suspension, zr.ru: Mercedes-Benz ML, DRIVE2: air suspension
Rear water ingress, SAM module and tailgate
Symptoms: rear lights, wipers and displays fail. The electric tailgate can whine or squeal, or stop when misaligned.
Cause: the rear light seals shrink, and water gets into the boot and onto the rear SAM module. The SAM is the body electronics box, low in the boot side niche, and it is very sensitive to water. The tailgate control unit can fail after moisture gets in through the rear lights (gebrauchtwagenberater.de). A misaligned tailgate can burn out its motors (Auto Express). A broken reducer or housing causes the whine (kolesa.ru).
Which cars: all cars.
Fix: the water source comes first. Renew the rear light seals as a precaution. Relocating and coating the SAM, or re-soldering early corrosion, are options (kolesa.ru). Tailgate repairs are costly, but Auto Express gives no figure.
Cost: no EUR or GBP price is given.
Sources: gebrauchtwagenberater.de: W164 problems, kolesa.ru: W164 body and electrics, Auto Express: used Mercedes M-Class review, DRIVE2: M272 maintenance costs
Alternator and battery
Symptoms: a battery that goes flat or discharges early, and a charging warning.
Cause: the generator (alternator) fails more often than average on the W164 (CarWiki). AUTO ZEITUNG names defective generators for build years 2005 to 2008.
Which cars: all cars. The press places the generator faults in 2005 to 2008. ADAC lists alternator breakdowns for 2005 and 2007 to 2011, and starter battery breakdowns for 2005 to 2010.
Cost: an alternator costs 1,230-1,490 EUR (Germany, ADAC workshop prices for parts and labour, year not stated).
Sources: CarWiki: M-Klasse problems, AUTO ZEITUNG: used-car test ML W164, ADAC: used M-Class guide
Chassis, steering pump and brake hoses
Symptoms: play in the steering, knocks over bumps, a steering pump that loses power and whines, and damp brake hoses. The TÜV often flags a worn chassis (CarWiki).
Cause: tie rods and shocks wear, and the car is heavy (up to 2.3 tonnes, CarWiki). The power-steering pump wears. Brake hoses and lines are weak, and rust is named (CarWiki).
Which cars: all cars. Older cars are more likely to have leaking brake hoses (AUTO ZEITUNG).
Life: tie rods wear at about 100,000 km (zr.ru). The steering pump loses power after about 100,000 km (kolesa.ru).
Cost: no EUR or GBP price is given.
Sources: CarWiki: M-Klasse problems, zr.ru: Mercedes-Benz ML, kolesa.ru: W164 engines and air suspension, AUTO ZEITUNG: used-car test ML W164
Recalls
| Country | Code | Years | What is done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 011819 (KBA reference per press; Mercedes codes 4290005 and 4290006) | 2004 to 2015 (press range) | The brake booster can corrode and leak, which cuts brake assist. In the worst case the link between pedal and brakes breaks. Owners are written to; the booster is checked and replaced if needed. |
No other recall was confirmed by two sources in the pages read. Check open campaigns for your VIN with a Mercedes dealer.
Maintenance
- Renew the rear light seals as a precaution, so water stays out of the boot and the SAM module. kolesa.ru advises this every year or two.
- Wash the air springs when you wash the car, because road salt and dirt wear the sleeves (zr.ru, DRIVE2).
- Inspect the brake hoses at each service. They can leak, especially on older cars (AUTO ZEITUNG, CarWiki).
Sources
English
German
- gebrauchtwagenberater.de: W164 problems
- gebrauchtwagenberater.de: W211 problems
- CarWiki: M-Klasse problems
- kfz-dietrich.com: OM642 V6 diesel problems
- ADAC: used M-Class guide
- inside-digital.de: brake booster recall
- qualitaet-ist-mehrwert.de: Mercedes recalls
- AUTO ZEITUNG: used-car test ML W164