Power Steering Pump problems of the 1999 Mercedes Benz ML430

The contact owns a 1999 Mercedes Benz Ml430. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 08v465000 (steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections). The dealer stated that the power steering pump was previously damaged to a loss of power steering fluid over time. The power steering pump would cost $1,050 to repair. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer did not assist. The failure and current mileages were 93,000.

The contact owns a 1999 Mercedes Benz Ml430. Immediately after starting the vehicle, the contact noticed a loud noise coming from the hood while driving 5 mph. The steering column became difficult to turn. Approximately ten minutes later, the steering began working again however, he still felt resistance when turning. In addition, the noise persisted. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign id number 08v465000 (steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections) and was advised to wait for the recall notice. The dealer performed the recall repair and stated that the hydraulic pump needed to be replaced. After the repair, the failure persisted. The contact has invoices to support his complaint. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current mileage was 188,200 and failure mileage was 186,000.

The harmonic balancer on the crankshaft of my mercedes Ml430 VIN# 4jgab72e7xa09375 failed w/o warning causing the fan belt to fail and the balancer started cutting a hole in the oil pan. This failure just by "luck" did not cause a moving accident due to loss of electrical and power steering, or an under the hood fire. This cost me $500 to get fixed when a $70 part could have been replaced if I had only been notified of this frequent failure on mercedes models like mine. The dealer was little help in solving this problem.