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Stan should get a new car since he's basically the initiator of the complaint that's getting the most attention. His case is truly extreme! Everyone else can get new seats. Not covers.
God only knows why kind of unhealthy, possibly cancerous toxins are in that chemical soup. I would NEVER want my children near that stuff. Or back in the car, even if cleaned. So bad...
This is as bad if not worse than the poisonous toys and milk that affected China and the US a few years ago.
I guarantee that crap oozing out of those seats isn't organic or safe at all.
agreed. not safe. and not a new car experience either. sucks all around, pics like that shouldn't exist...that's like photoshop land. so sorry dude
Stan should get a new car since he's basically the initiator of the complaint that's getting the most attention. His case is truly extreme! Everyone else can get new seats. Not covers.
Oh no.. not covers! Don't give MB any ideas. Stan might return to find his car 'modified' with a temporary fix..
The thing that is really strange is how these patterns will change with the temperature. Don't be surprised if it looks almost normal tomorrow morning, then even worse than it is now later in the day. Sometimes it's only oily smudges, other times it's a gross display of that white stuff, other times a bunch of white splatter.
At least we have the TSB so they can't say they don't know what it is.
Lol thanks...it's a club I want no part of! Will someone please revoke my membership? What is the production date of your car? Mine is 11/14, I took possession on December 13th. Just wondering if the issue is limited to a certain run.
I'm interested in ordering a w205 (in fact, I had already ordered a C400, but the dealer made a mistake, so I know have to wait for a C450). The problem here is certainly a concern, but I have another. I have a W204 with MBTex which is cracking on the driver's side left bottom seat bolster. I have had other Mercedes, along with 7 Audis which never had a problem, and I thought that MBTex was pretty much indestructible. However, my seat developed a two-three inch crack within a few months of the warranty expiring at only ~40,000 miles, so I am worried about ordering another. Have others experienced cracking with MBTex? Also, I ordered from a small dealer (as I have for my last four Mercedes) because I like the good service and knowledgeable salespeople, but they said that there was nothing they could do about it since I was out or warranty. However, should I order form a big metropolitan dealer with cheesy, dumb salespeople, but more clout with the factory? Have others experienced this isse with MBTex, or is this unheard of? Should I switch back to Audi or BMW if I don't want leather, or want better support? I'd be interested in the experience of others, let me know what you think.
Thanks!
Got a W245 B class with Artico (MBTex), also with cracks (started happening into its 5th year, I believe). Read elsewhere that it's a fairly-common problem in colder climates, as Mercedes' vinyl just doesn't handle the colder weather too well (not sure if there's a difference between what they made then and what they make today, excretions aside).
Next Mercedes will be clad with leather as a result (since fabric isn't an option in North America).
Lol thanks...it's a club I want no part of! Will someone please revoke my membership? What is the production date of your car? Mine is 11/14, I took possession on December 13th. Just wondering if the issue is limited to a certain run.
Mine was an early build in late August ... VIN is in the 27xx range ... and I picked it up September 22nd, so it looks like it is an ongoing problem that only became apparent as the cold weather moved in.
As this really hits the fan, and it's just starting, the US supplier of MB-Tex is going to be in big trouble. Our posts on MBWorld are the first to publically recognize the problem, but this will be picked up and circulated all around the world now. The question is not about whether there is a major problem with US made MB-Tex, but rather what MB-USA can do to keep their customers from abandoning ship.
Looks like I have this problem too. It was text book conditions to have this issue crop up...parked in an airport parking garage for two days in 10-15 degree weather and then quickly heating the car on my drive home. Within 10 minutes or almost every inch of seating surface was coveraged in a thick, shiny oil. I checked this morning, and some has dried clear, some is still oily, and some areas have the typical white stains.
Interestingly the MB Tex on the rear center arm rest was fine, so one of these pics shows the initial contrast between the oily areas and what it should look like. I also did not notice any oil on the MB Tex on the front armrest of the dash trim.
Looks like my dealer and MBUSA will be hearing from me today. Very unfortunate...this is my first MB and I've had it for 2 weeks. Coming from Lexus my biggest concern was reliability, but I certainly never expected anything like this!
Same thing here. My dealer is aware of the issue on my car, and is addressing it next Monday. I want to give them a chance to fix it, but someone brought up a good point about health concerns regarding what is leaking out of the seat. Not sure what the best course of action is right now. Contact MBUSA as well?
I'm afraid that many of us in colder climates will be affected by this.
The problem seems to be only on the seats and headrests. Front and rear armrests are unaffected, dash trim looks fine, and all the door panels are normal. Apparently the MB-Tex used on affected surfaces is not what's being used for the rest of the trim.
This stuff does not seem to get onto clothing. I've checked, and can find no signs of staining or discoloration on any of my or my wife's clothes. I don't think there would be a health issue, since the plasticizer in the vinyl normally out-gasses anyway ... just not to this degree.
Any way you look at it, this is a major disaster for Mercedes. They can't start replacing the thousands of cars likely to be covered by the TSB, but even the repair and/or replacement involved will cost a fortune. What a way to introduce a new car.
It would be interesting to know who the subcontractor making the covers are, the fact that this issue seems to be non existent in EU indicates that it is a US subcontractor.
It would be interesting to know who the subcontractor making the covers are, the fact that this issue seems to be non existent in EU indicates that it is a US subcontractor.
It has to be a US supplier. I haven't heard of a single non-US build reporting this issue.
Richard and gnus, please confirm your MB-Tex color? So far, I only saw black MB-Tex that is affected. Another question, how many C300 MB-Tex colors are there? MBUSA has three today but I thought there were more colors.
Richard and gnus, please confirm your MB-Tex color? So far, I only saw black MB-Tex that is affected. Another question, how many C300 MB-Tex colors are there? MBUSA has three today but I thought there were more colors.
Thanks.
Mine is black sport MB Tex. StanNH didn't have sport seats, so sounds like it spans both kinds. My build date was 11/14.
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Originally Posted by StanNH
It has to be a US supplier. I haven't heard of a single non-US build reporting this issue.
Sadly it would seem so. I've made some enquiries here & we have had zero issues to date. Sent a couple of Stan's pics to a Benz friend here and his shocked retort was enough to blister paint. Followed by an ugly rant.
Harks back to the Siemens VDO conductor plate issue on early 722.9 transmissions. Siemens reportedly settled out of court.
Wow, this is simply amazing. Just googled MB Tex and Artico Leather problems/issues and nothing came up specific to all of this. Won't be long though before media like Jalopnik or Autoblog pick up on this. If Mercedes thinks it's stormy across North America now, wait until the social media hits. Probably won't be pleasant.
Black MB-Tex as well. How do I find the manufacture month?
Originally Posted by miketc
Richard and gnus, please confirm your MB-Tex color? So far, I only saw black MB-Tex that is affected. Another question, how many C300 MB-Tex colors are there? MBUSA has three today but I thought there were more colors.
Mine is black sport MB Tex. StanNH didn't have sport seats, so sounds like it spans both kinds. My build date was 11/14.
Question: does this affect how the seat feels? I have Ash ("Crystal Grey") and just went from a parked car that had been in 10 degree F weather for about 3 hours to full blast heat and seat warmers and cant visibly see anything after about 20 mins of driving. Would I be able to feel the oil?
Question: does this affect how the seat feels? I have Ash ("Crystal Grey") and just went from a parked car that had been in 10 degree F weather for about 3 hours to full blast heat and seat warmers and cant visibly see anything after about 20 mins of driving. Would I be able to feel the oil?
Thanks!
It feels slick, but if you don't see anything odd then I wouldn't worry about it.
Here's some correspondence from two chemists I know:
"I'm a chemist and I currently run IT for a large company that is involved in the plastic industry logistics business. Does the ooze have any smell to it? There are some nasty chemicals that are used in the plastics (vinyl) manufacturing process. This may be an unhealthy situation for humans to be exposed to."
"You should find out what that "oily substance" is from M-B. If it's what I suspect it might be (one of the ortho-phthalates) you should know that it could be both an endocrine disruptor (keep children away) and potential carcinogen. Some plasticizers are OK, but the low molecular weight phthalates are nasty and banned in children toys and juvenile products. These chemicals are used in plastic to make it feel more flexible - they don't bond on a molecular level with the polymer and thus can leach out. For that kind of "leaking" the chemical could be all through the seat padding. So, depends on what the substance is to determine the amount remediation that should occur."
I had not really considered the health issue to be a factor, and it may not be, but this is something worth pursuing if for no other reason than to assure those of us affected that this is not a health issue.
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Not covers. 
