mei_hawa

I discover the tail lights are sticking out leaving 1/8" gap. Or maybe the bumper cave in too much? Does anybody have the same issue? If you do, would you please share how does MB service handle this issue?





tail light sticking out by 1/8"





too much gap between bumper and tail light





Same gap on passenger side

PeterUbers

Same thing at the dealership on other w205's?

Glyn M Ruck

There are two different tail light styles fitted to the W205 but that does not look normal.

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mei_hawa

No, I haven't been back to the dealer to check on other vehicles. But I did searched rear end photos of New C Class, the tail lights should be flush to the bumper. Besides, the gaps look ugly. I expect MB to be manufacturing cars at much tighter tolerances.

mei_hawa

"There are two different tail light styles fitted to the W205 but that does not look normal."

I do have the Premium Package which comes with LED lighting.

rookiezxc

Bring it to the dealer and request them to fix that issue. Tell them that you're worried for any debris or moisture that could get inside your car

mei_hawa

Yes, I will. I just hope it is only matter of adjusting the bumper position.

I'm also wondering if this has happened to other C Class owners.

rookiezxc

And also try to get them to do a free car-wash for you

It's a brand new car, you should take advantage of that stealership while you can!!

I've always amazed by how the tail lights of a benz designed anyway, starting the W204, those "wind tunnels" that should help down forcing your tail idea seems pretty cool to me.

We will see in time how many and what kind of factory defects are happening to other oncoming W205 then

mei_hawa

I think car wash is standard at my dealer and they suck anyways. How can I take advantage of it? The dealer didn't manufacture the car, they are just fixing the QA issue from the factory.

rookiezxc

I'm telling you to go to another dealer then. I found myself not able trust the local dealer many times. There was one time I got a regular 35k maintenance on my 06 VW GLI and they forgot to bolt in the air filter, the oil filter cap was also way over-torqued

Don't go to that dealer, sometimes people that were working for benz and now opened their own shop are far better. Why? They have the knowledge, the skill, and also the courage to start their own shop

I used to do my regular VW maintenance with an ex-volkswagen mechanic with far better results than the dealer itself

Alright, I apologize for being I just couldn't resist on not showing my experience LOL

StanNH

In general, with my car and others I've seen on dealer lots, panel fit has not been perfect. Just not as tight or consistent as I would have expected.

My car had a really badly fit fuel filler door, which stuck out about 1/2" at the top. That was replaced by the dealer, and now it's only off by 1/4" on the bottom. Better, but certainly not perfect. Other cars I've seen ranged from a perfect fit to even worse than mine, so consistency doesn't seem to be a strong point of the US produced cars.

Glyn M Ruck

Benz has a spec for every gap on the car. They vary from no tolerance to a max 1mm on less visible gaps.

The Vietnamese, as an example, use purpose built dial gauges to check every gap.

EDIT: The Vietnamese plant is a CKD plant. Tuscaloosa & East London SA depend on many local component suppliers. Tuscaloosa might be having trouble with some suppliers.

vic viper

Remove the trunk panelling and adjust it yourself, My guess is that the light unit has missed a guide tab, vey easy to fix.

Glyn M Ruck

It's a new car. The dealer must fix it under warranty.

NYC-Style

My dealership offers free car washes as long as you have an MB. I would bet that it would be no better than taking it to your local car wash...and that's where the majority of your swirl marks and scratches come from. I have a sign I hang from my mirror that says..."Do Not Wash or Detail". Do it yourself or take it to a trusted detailer...

StanNH

My dealer does a wash and interior vacuuming and cleaning every time the car is in. So far, they've been pretty good with no negatives.

The only scare I had was the last time, when I noticed large blotches all over the rear seats and headrests. It rubbed right off and felt slippery, so I think they sprayed a treatment on the MB-Tex and it got blotchy as it dried. It was more than a little disconcerting when I first saw it.

Jinzen

I think ALL C300/C400 have this tail light sticking out a bit. Mine does too. And all of the cars on the dealer lot.

Jinzen

They don't... I looked at S-Classes on the showroom floor and nope, slight differences in every car especially headlight fitment.

vic viper

It is NOT supposed to look like this, I havnt seen this in any W205 since it was launched.

Glyn M Ruck

+1^ None of the SA built cars look like that

mei_hawa

So this could be the "American Built Standard"?

mei_hawa

I don't trust my dealer on car washing. When I took delivery of my new car last week, I saw water spots and smudges all over the place. I'd rather do the wash and detailing myself. I'll just let them vacuum the interior.

mei_hawa

Agreed! it can't be like that by design. Even if other W205 are like this, it only means there is something wrong in their production line.

c4004matic

My thoughts exactly.

c4004matic

My thoughts exactly.