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Has your car been affected by the MB-Tex bleeding issue?
Well, now that we know there's a large batch of MB-Tex that was improperly formulated, it might be time for us to further narrow down the scope of the problem.
The plasticizer used in the manufacturing process has been leaching out of the MB-Tex material, resulting in an oily or glossy coating on the surface of the seats and headrests. This can also cause a white residue to form. The appearance is not at all stable, can come and go, and varies with temperature. It looks something like this:
The questions still unanswered are:
1. How common is this? MB-USA thinks it is not common at all.
2. Is it limited to US built cars, or have non-US builds seen this issue as well?
3. Can it damage clothing that has been in contact with it?
This poll will not deal with health issues, since that now seems unlikely to be a valid concern. MB-USA says there is no health issue, and there is no evidence to show otherwise.
Please only take part in this poll if you have MB-Tex on your W205. Leather is not affected by this.
I think we need a northern climate indicator in the poll
We know it's related to cold temperature, so I think we can assume most of the reports will come from regions that experience cooler temperatures. What that temperature range actually is though, has still not been determined.
We know it's related to cold temperature, so I think we can assume most of the reports will come from regions that experience cooler temperatures. What that temperature range actually is though, has still not been determined.
Non the less there are some people who may just vote No even though its not expected for their car to have this issue.
You just need to edit one line to say ...
US Build operating in sub zero climate: No signs of it at all.
Or make it loud and clear in the thread's opening post. You cant run polls based on assumptions.
This poll will not deal with health issues, since that now seems unlikely to be a valid concern. MB-USA says there is no health issue, and there is no evidence to show otherwise.
Please only take part in this poll if you have MB-Tex on your W205. Leather is not affected by this.
StanNH: Given that plasticizers are known to be composed of potentially toxic chemicals, your statement may be premature. I would not accept MBUSA's opinion about non-toxicity unless it was corroborated by a published independent laboratory testing of the affected seat vinyl and the surface precipitates.
What is very clear here is that sub-freezing temperatures, combined with warming up and cooling off cycles, is causing chemical instability of the vinyl material, resulting in unsightly oily and pasty residues on the surface.
I'm in southern California and the car has been always in the garage. So, no extreme heat or cold. Yet, yesterday, I discovered that the back of the front seats look like water spots. Nothing on the seats though, but maybe because it hasn't been exposed to the elements yet. Mine is also black mb tex
I'm in southern California and the car has been always in the garage. So, no extreme heat or cold. Yet, yesterday, I discovered that the back of the front seats look like water spots. Nothing on the seats though, but maybe because it hasn't been exposed to the elements yet. Mine is also black mb tex
For those of us in mild climates, I'm in NorCal, we may not see the symptoms of this problem for years. Then one winter trip to the Sierras and here comes the ooze! I think the problem exists in any car built with this batch of MBTex. The sooner MBUSA figures out which cars have the problem, the greater chance they have of controlling the situation. As soon as they figure out the driver seat fix, my car is going in for new seats regardless of symptoms. If MBUSA refuses to fix the problem, there are other remedies available to the American consumer. California is a pro-consumer climate and I don't see them winning a battle where their product is oozing possibly toxic chemicals just because the car experiences cold weather.
I hope MBUSA gets proactive with this issue. It would save them a lot of adverse publicity and money in the long run. So, far we see nothing but promises and half-baked fixes like washing the interior with soap and water and having no answer for replacing the driver seat bottom. MB needs to do better than this and soon. This issue will get a lot of play in the media once the full extent of this problem is widely known. I don't care how many spin doctors they employ, you can't hide a product that is possibly poisoning your customers (only big tobacco gets away with that).
So far no issues with my Black MBTex. Build date 12/2014. Sits outside in 20 degree NJ weather during the day and garaged at night so daily temperature cycles.
No sign (yet) on my 10/14 build with black MBtex. Garaged at night, outside in Maryland during the day. It has been pretty cold this week, so I have been looking for it after every drive.
i noticed it.....this morning. god it scared me. i thought someone did weird things inside my car. it was......everywhere......gross..... I left my car outside on the drive way in -15c degrees for the past few days, wiped them off with my microfiber. will see if they come back again tomorrow morning.
This poll will not deal with health issues, since that now seems unlikely to be a valid concern. MB-USA says there is no health issue, and there is no evidence to show otherwise.[/B]
I think it's good you didn't include health on your survey, but not because it's unlikely a valid concern. It is a VERY valid concern, but wouldn't be known this early, and might never be whether it was an issue or not. There are few chemicals which with enough exposure are not a concern, so the odds are not in your favor that this is completely safe.
I CERTAINLY I would not put ANY more merit into what MBUSA says on this unknown health issue than I would on tobacco companies who still say smoking is not a contributing cause for cancer. The health concern, if any, for this substance is simply, not known yet. You'll never find it out from MBUSA....too much $$ riding on it.
Last edited by floridadriver; 01-09-2015 at 06:42 AM.
Someone with a non-US build reported the problem? Was this a mistake or a real report?
It was me, one morning I found a spot of oily liquid on one seat and this was before the issue was raised on the board and it has not happend again and did not leave any stains.
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Originally Posted by c220w205
It was me, one morning I found a spot of oily liquid on one seat and this was before the issue was raised on the board and it has not happend again and did not leave any stains.
I think this is a clear spurious outlier. Maybe some dealer spray or similar.
Noticed one shiny spot on the way back from the dealer in the rear passenger seat, about a thumbprint size or so. Thought it was just one of the porters I drove the car home in 40 degree weather in SoCal??
Car is garaged down here in Cali, but not for too much longer. So far, no issues. I wish there was a way I could simulate the cold to just see what would happen.
7,000 miles, indoors at night and out all day. Temps here have been as low as 1F and well below freezing for sustained periods. None of that ball sweat on mine.
Well, I had hoped the issue wouldn't resurface for me after my initial encounter with and cleaning of it. Unfortunately as it's dropped to between 0ºF-15ºF here in the Midwest, I've noticed huge oily patches and a big white stain emerging each morning in my rear seats. Time to send it to the dealer.
Let's hope whatever parts kit and training MB has released for the seat cover replacement does the trick and looks/wears the way the factory-installed upholstery should have.
We have a very small sample here, but it looks like this is not going to be just an isolated problem for MB, or for the owners of US built MB-Tex C-Class cars.
Hmmm self lubricating seats, now that's an option for some you know
I have my C Class in an unheated garaged and the temperature has gone to low - 20sC. At work it is also in an above ground open garage. I have yet to notice this feature but will now keep an eye out for it.
I don't have MB Tek, but since the official response does include leather I suppose it is not immune.
I did treat my leather with Mothers Leather treatment cream when I first got the car back in September. Not sure if applying protectants makes any difference to this issue?
Hmmm self lubricating seats, now that's an option for some you know
I have my C Class in an unheated garaged and the temperature has gone to low - 20sC. At work it is also in an above ground open garage. I have yet to notice this feature but will now keep an eye out for it.
I don't have MB Tek, but since the official response does include leather I suppose it is not immune.
I did treat my leather with Mothers Leather treatment cream when I first got the car back in September. Not sure if applying protectants makes any difference to this issue?
I haven't heard of a single case where leather has been affected by this. It looks like you may have to just keep lubricating those seats manually.
I haven't heard of a single case where leather has been affected by this. It looks like you may have to just keep lubricating those seats manually.
Well this whole issue seems counter to logic. If it is a sealer/glue that is oozing why would it happen in cold temperatures? It would seem more logical that folks in much warmer climates would see this before the folks in colder climates.
Were these issues seen in colder climates after prolonged use of the heated seats? That could in theory cause the glue to melt or become liquid.
01-08-2015, 11:20 AM
I drove the car home in 40 degree weather in SoCal??
