[] Hello fellow merc owners,

I need your help advise. I have just bought a E-Class 270 diesel in obisidan black 03 model. I bought it from a trader as it was an ex-company car. The problem is that I bought it at a good price as the front bumper just to the side of the headlights has a paint peel. Basically a small area of paint as completely peeled off leaving the white bodywork visible. Apparently this was caused by gradual peel through driving. Does anyone have a similiar problem OR know if this is covered by any mercedes guarantee....

thanks

regards

Nick

 

Dependent upon local market policy MB would most likely cover SUBJECT to the paint peel being OE paintwork.

It appears that the problem is on the plastic bumper. Getting paint to stick to plastic is not that easy and many after sales repair paint jobs do not gey the process correct.

Can you be sure of the car/part history? MB will likely review the paint finish and thickness to verify OE paint. If it is not OE then my view is that they will not be interested.

MB will also trace history of car. It may well be a "sub standard" car or a MB in house repair which has been traded out in order to avoid warranty issues. This sort of history should behave been made known at the point of sale.

Stuart

 

I have a 2003 S480 with a similar problem I've owned the car for 6 years and I purchased it from my local Mercedes dealership. The paint is pealing off the front bumper and I want to know if MBUSA will warranty the paint and or the dealer.

 

I have a 2010 S550 (with absolutely every option the car can come with). The new car warranty will end in the middle of November this year (2013). I realized that the (original factory) paint is starting to peel off the right front wheel, so I took the car in for service, see if they would change the wheel due to defective paint application. Service said it's curb rush. I argued that the paint is starting to peel off FAR from where it could be a curb rush, besides there is absolutely no indentation or scratch of any kind on the rim, it's otherwise flawless, never been repaired or re-painted. The start of the paint peel is where the tire meets at the very edge of the rim, about ½-inch away from any location that could be reached by any curb... therefore no curb rush damage could cause the paint peel.

Service Manager of Mercedes-Benz London (Ontario, Canada) said: "Maybe you drive your car too fast." and "Maybe your wheel JUST touched the curb where ONLY the paint touched the curb, but not the rim"

I said to him: "Are you serious? can you show me another example where ONLY THE PAINT would be touched by a curb rush, and to top it off, ALL AROUND THE WHEEL?" He said it's possible!!! (Can you believe he actually said that?) I told him that's simply impossible, plus the paint is starting to peel where nothing can touch it, unless it's a knife or a flat-heat screwdriver, the location is about ½-inch off where a curb rush could do any damage.

He wouldn't budge, and he stated it is simply NOT a warranty issue. I turned to him and said this: "I thought the S-Class Mercedes-Benz is the BEST car in the world. How can THIS happen to a vehicle that costs over $152,000???!!!

This is starting to turn me off the entire Mercedes-Benz brand! I mean I HAD loved the car, I've been head over heels over the S-Class, this is the third generation of the S-Class I own... but I am starting to feel that if THIS is how the warranty is handled... maybe Mercedes-Benz is not such a great vehicle, after all. I mean getting the rim painted is not going to make me bankrupt, BUT it's the principle! I thought I am buying a QUALITY vehicle when I bought it!

I am about a month away from buying a new ML63 AMG for my wife... but, after all this, maybe I should look elsewhere for another brand that satisfies its LOYAL long time customers.

I even thought of drawing a very detailed diagram, explaining where the paint is peeling and perhaps approach someone higher up... but I am at a loss and truly disappointed with how Mercedes-Benz is handling warranty issues.

It's one way for Mercedes-Benz to say goodbye to a quarter of a million dollars in sales every 7 years. (I was about to formulate an idea of buying an ML63 AMG and an S550 every 7 years... but I am starting to change my mind now.)

Any ideas, anyone?