poor tail light fitment
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 787
Likes: 110
From: BNE, Australia
W205 C250BT
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,822
Likes: 33
From: Whitefield, NH
2015 C300 Sport: Palladium, Premium, Multimedia, Leather, BLIS
I still find it hard to believe that stuff like this can get through whatever testing is done before production starts. It's just inexcusable and isn't doing much to instill any sense of customer loyalty with me. I sure hope MB steps up and makes this right.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,975
Likes: 1,343
From: Cincinnati
2010 E350 4Matic
I thought about the same thing. Given that the car is tested in cold climates there must be a difference in the seat material processing between what was tested and what has found it's way into your car.
Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 101
Likes: 3
C-300
Damn, I wish I had seen this thread and the MB-TEX thread before buying my C300 last week. After going through this thread, I went to check my rear tail lights and what do I find:
1) The left tail light sticks out towards the trunk and towards the bumper is recessed. (See Pics Below)
2) The right tail light just sticks out like the original poster. (See Pic Below)
Man I wish I had taken possession of the car during the day as I would not have accepted this.
Also, I have a question for you guys: I noticed the night I took possession of the car (presumably it was washed by them) while it was cold out (but clear) that the plastic casing for the front headlights were fogging up a bit. With the holidays I have not driven the car much since last Tuesday. Is this normal to see that fogging? It was gone the next morning. Should I bring this up as an issue as well (I don't recall seeing this issue with our 2014 BMW X5).
Now I just want to see if there are any cold days to see if the MB-Tex issue pops up. I'm more stressed out about this car purchase AFTER buying it rather than before. Not cool Zeus.
1) The left tail light sticks out towards the trunk and towards the bumper is recessed. (See Pics Below)
2) The right tail light just sticks out like the original poster. (See Pic Below)
Man I wish I had taken possession of the car during the day as I would not have accepted this.
Also, I have a question for you guys: I noticed the night I took possession of the car (presumably it was washed by them) while it was cold out (but clear) that the plastic casing for the front headlights were fogging up a bit. With the holidays I have not driven the car much since last Tuesday. Is this normal to see that fogging? It was gone the next morning. Should I bring this up as an issue as well (I don't recall seeing this issue with our 2014 BMW X5).
Now I just want to see if there are any cold days to see if the MB-Tex issue pops up. I'm more stressed out about this car purchase AFTER buying it rather than before. Not cool Zeus.
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 600
Likes: 4
From: Sunshine State
2015 C300 RWD
Damn, I wish I had seen this thread and the MB-TEX thread before buying my C300 last week. After going through this thread, I went to check my rear tail lights and what do I find:
1) The left tail light sticks out towards the trunk and towards the bumper is recessed. (See Pics Below)
2) The right tail light just sticks out like the original poster. (See Pic Below)
Man I wish I had taken possession of the car during the day as I would not have accepted this.
Also, I have a question for you guys: I noticed the night I took possession of the car (presumably it was washed by them) while it was cold out (but clear) that the plastic casing for the front headlights were fogging up a bit. With the holidays I have not driven the car much since last Tuesday. Is this normal to see that fogging? It was gone the next morning. Should I bring this up as an issue as well (I don't recall seeing this issue with our 2014 BMW X5).
Now I just want to see if there are any cold days to see if the MB-Tex issue pops up. I'm more stressed out about this car purchase AFTER buying it rather than before. Not cool Zeus.
Attachment 301489
Attachment 301490
Attachment 301491
1) The left tail light sticks out towards the trunk and towards the bumper is recessed. (See Pics Below)
2) The right tail light just sticks out like the original poster. (See Pic Below)
Man I wish I had taken possession of the car during the day as I would not have accepted this.
Also, I have a question for you guys: I noticed the night I took possession of the car (presumably it was washed by them) while it was cold out (but clear) that the plastic casing for the front headlights were fogging up a bit. With the holidays I have not driven the car much since last Tuesday. Is this normal to see that fogging? It was gone the next morning. Should I bring this up as an issue as well (I don't recall seeing this issue with our 2014 BMW X5).
Now I just want to see if there are any cold days to see if the MB-Tex issue pops up. I'm more stressed out about this car purchase AFTER buying it rather than before. Not cool Zeus.
Attachment 301489
Attachment 301490
Attachment 301491
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 787
Likes: 110
From: BNE, Australia
W205 C250BT
To see a growing list of issues and inconsistencies with how the bumper & tail lights meet up, you'd be forgiven for thinking there's a bit of a design fault in the way that the bumper clips onto the back. It hopefully isn't all just down to sloppy assembly processes. At least that way they may actually design a proper fix for the problem.
I'm glad these things are being pointed out - will definitely help for when I take delivery of the car.
I'm glad these things are being pointed out - will definitely help for when I take delivery of the car.
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 64
Likes: 3
2023 EQS 580 SUV
Damn, I wish I had seen this thread and the MB-TEX thread before buying my C300 last week. After going through this thread, I went to check my rear tail lights and what do I find:
1) The left tail light sticks out towards the trunk and towards the bumper is recessed. (See Pics Below)
2) The right tail light just sticks out like the original poster. (See Pic Below)
1) The left tail light sticks out towards the trunk and towards the bumper is recessed. (See Pics Below)
2) The right tail light just sticks out like the original poster. (See Pic Below)
This is a toss up. Do I leave it as is? It does not appear to be allowing water to leak in as far as I can tell. Or....do I take it in and hope the dealership doesn't do more damage than good - even if they accept this as an issue? My guess is they will need to completely remove the bumper and shim it out or adjust a bracket (if possible). My fear is they do something to chip paint or remove undercoating (hidden under the bumper) causing rust issues later. What to do? What to do?
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 42
Likes: 5
From: NJ
2015 C300, 2008 C300(sold)
Damn, I wish I had seen this thread and the MB-TEX thread before buying my C300 last week. After going through this thread, I went to check my rear tail lights and what do I find:
1) The left tail light sticks out towards the trunk and towards the bumper is recessed. (See Pics Below)
2) The right tail light just sticks out like the original poster. (See Pic Below)
Man I wish I had taken possession of the car during the day as I would not have accepted this.
Also, I have a question for you guys: I noticed the night I took possession of the car (presumably it was washed by them) while it was cold out (but clear) that the plastic casing for the front headlights were fogging up a bit. With the holidays I have not driven the car much since last Tuesday. Is this normal to see that fogging? It was gone the next morning. Should I bring this up as an issue as well (I don't recall seeing this issue with our 2014 BMW X5).
Now I just want to see if there are any cold days to see if the MB-Tex issue pops up. I'm more stressed out about this car purchase AFTER buying it rather than before. Not cool Zeus.
Attachment 301489
Attachment 301490
Attachment 301491
1) The left tail light sticks out towards the trunk and towards the bumper is recessed. (See Pics Below)
2) The right tail light just sticks out like the original poster. (See Pic Below)
Man I wish I had taken possession of the car during the day as I would not have accepted this.
Also, I have a question for you guys: I noticed the night I took possession of the car (presumably it was washed by them) while it was cold out (but clear) that the plastic casing for the front headlights were fogging up a bit. With the holidays I have not driven the car much since last Tuesday. Is this normal to see that fogging? It was gone the next morning. Should I bring this up as an issue as well (I don't recall seeing this issue with our 2014 BMW X5).
Now I just want to see if there are any cold days to see if the MB-Tex issue pops up. I'm more stressed out about this car purchase AFTER buying it rather than before. Not cool Zeus.
Attachment 301489
Attachment 301490
Attachment 301491
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 42
Likes: 2
2018 GLE 43 AMG Coupe
The dealer replaced my headlights. but I somehow feel the range of my headlights are very short. is the angle of the projector adjustable or fixed? Maybe I should bring the car back to have them re-aligned?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,822
Likes: 33
From: Whitefield, NH
2015 C300 Sport: Palladium, Premium, Multimedia, Leather, BLIS
The low beams on my car were off ... had to have the dealer re-adjust them. High beams were okay though.
Member
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 161
Likes: 1
From: USA
W205
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,015
Likes: 96
From: Northeast USA
AMG CLE 53
I checked my car last night and saw the same as pictures #1 and #2 - but on both sides. At the top of the bumper it appears to be pushed in and does not meet the quarter panel flush - which then lends itself to making the tail light appear to be sticking out. In reality, the bumper is not aligned correctly.
This is a toss up. Do I leave it as is? It does not appear to be allowing water to leak in as far as I can tell. Or....do I take it in and hope the dealership doesn't do more damage than good - even if they accept this as an issue? My guess is they will need to completely remove the bumper and shim it out or adjust a bracket (if possible). My fear is they do something to chip paint or remove undercoating (hidden under the bumper) causing rust issues later. What to do? What to do?
This is a toss up. Do I leave it as is? It does not appear to be allowing water to leak in as far as I can tell. Or....do I take it in and hope the dealership doesn't do more damage than good - even if they accept this as an issue? My guess is they will need to completely remove the bumper and shim it out or adjust a bracket (if possible). My fear is they do something to chip paint or remove undercoating (hidden under the bumper) causing rust issues later. What to do? What to do?
My C400 has the same bumper/taillight alignment issue on both sides. I stopped by the MB dealer this morning. ALL 20 or so C Classes on the lot(300 and 400) have the same issue. None of them were lined up correctly. I have an appointment in 2 weeks for the drivers door LED light malfunction repair. I'll bring this up too.
I have the same concern that attempting to repair this may cause other issues, especially related to the Drivers Assistance Package sensors/radar in the bumper area.
Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 154
Likes: 4
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2015 C300W4, 2011 G37, 1998 528i Sport 5MT
Anyone had this problem repaired?
I know the oozing seats have taken the limelight away from this issue (probably a MB trick to distract us), but I still find this tail light/bumper issue irritating and want MBUSA to fix it. Has anyone had this issue resolved yet? How did it turn out? How receptive/supportive was your dealer? thanks!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,015
Likes: 96
From: Northeast USA
AMG CLE 53
Does anyone have a C Class with proper fitting rear bumper and taillights? Do they exist? Maybe someone with a car built somewhere other than Alabama. I'd like to have photos of what the proper bumper and taillight alignment looks like to show the dealer when I bring this up. I want to be ready for the possible "that's the way it's supposed to look" and "see, all the cars on our lot look like that, it's normal." response.
Last edited by BenzC400; Jan 7, 2015 at 09:47 PM.
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
'15 C300 RWD Luxury
Here's a video from Alabama covering how the biggest upgrades to the factory to build the C was in the body shop, and how this car is assembled using techniques the factory was previously unfamiliar with. Clearly they have more to learn on the assembly side. We have a new C on order and I'm hoping they either resolve the issues over the winter factory break, or we'll have to reject the car upon delivery.
http://archive.courier-journal.com/V...Assembly-Plant
http://archive.courier-journal.com/V...Assembly-Plant
Last edited by mplex; Jan 8, 2015 at 09:00 PM. Reason: Link
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 356
Likes: 13
From: San Francisco, CA
'16 GL550, '12 C350
Here's a video from Alabama covering how the biggest upgrades to the factory to build the C was in the body shop, and how this car is assembled using techniques the factory was previously unfamiliar with. Clearly they have more to learn on the assembly side. We have a new C on order and I'm hoping they either resolve the issues over the winter factory break, or we'll have to reject the car upon delivery.
http://archive.courier-journal.com/V...Assembly-Plant
http://archive.courier-journal.com/V...Assembly-Plant
Amazing.
Thanks for the video.
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 600
Likes: 4
From: Sunshine State
2015 C300 RWD
Here's a video from Alabama covering how the biggest upgrades to the factory to build the C was in the body shop, and how this car is assembled using techniques the factory was previously unfamiliar with. Clearly they have more to learn on the assembly side. We have a new C on order and I'm hoping they either resolve the issues over the winter factory break, or we'll have to reject the car upon delivery.
http://archive.courier-journal.com/V...Assembly-Plant
http://archive.courier-journal.com/V...Assembly-Plant
Does anyone know if that's 'normal' that they would resolve many issues while the factory was shut down during the break?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,822
Likes: 33
From: Whitefield, NH
2015 C300 Sport: Palladium, Premium, Multimedia, Leather, BLIS
Here's a video from Alabama covering how the biggest upgrades to the factory to build the C was in the body shop, and how this car is assembled using techniques the factory was previously unfamiliar with. Clearly they have more to learn on the assembly side. We have a new C on order and I'm hoping they either resolve the issues over the winter factory break, or we'll have to reject the car upon delivery.
http://archive.courier-journal.com/V...Assembly-Plant
http://archive.courier-journal.com/V...Assembly-Plant
Member
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 99
Likes: 2
2015 C300 Sport Package
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,822
Likes: 33
From: Whitefield, NH
2015 C300 Sport: Palladium, Premium, Multimedia, Leather, BLIS
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 667
Likes: 8
From: Boston 'burbs
2018 E300 Lux, 2006 Corvette Z51, 2015 Mercedes ML350 (wife's)
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,822
Likes: 33
From: Whitefield, NH
2015 C300 Sport: Palladium, Premium, Multimedia, Leather, BLIS
I wonder if they even have someone doing final fit and finish QC.
