StanNH

... for the MB-Tex repair. The dealer sent a driver to pick up my car and left me a new dark blue C300 Luxury as a loaner. The folks in the service department seem to think MB will come out with a complete replacement for the bottom of the passenger's seat, but it's expected that will take some time because of all the electronics contained in that seat bottom. It's been very cold here and the seats looked horrible this morning.

While it's there, I will also have an EVAP campaign taken care of, have the driver's door outside LED fixed, have a loose sunroof screen adjusted, and also have them take a look at that rear bumper cover fit ... the dreaded tail light/bumper cover issue. BTW, that C300 Luxury loaner has exactly the same tail light/panel fit as my car.

I expect the car to be finished by Friday at the earliest, but more likely early next week. The loaner has the light tan MB-Tex seats, and they are fine.

I'll provide updates when I get the car back.

mihaelb

Take some pictures of the dark blue one they left you, please...there aren't enough pictures out there of it in sedan form

cidtek

But post the pictures in another thread please :-)

juwivive

Good luck - hopefully everything goes smoothly.

miketc

Good luck my man. We're looking forward to it being normal again.

StanNH

MB-USA just called to let me know that my dealer had the car and was going over it now. The rep assured me that the car will be returned to me with all my concerns addressed. After the work is done to my satisfaction, and the car is back in my possession, they will discuss the possibility of some from of compensation for the inconvenience.

He also verified that they are working on a solution for the passenger's seat, the bottom of which can not currently be replaced because of the electronics.

DerekACS

Your report sounds positive up until the last sentence. If I were in your position, I would want the issue of compensation settled BEFORE I returned the loaner car. Once you have your car back in your hands, you would no longer have any leverage.

Good luck !

StanNH

It doesn't work that way with MB. My dealer told me this before, and MB-USA told me this several times. Believe me, I tried.

emilryba

it does not work with any manufacturer, so StanNH is right! It's like a ticket - pay first and then you can claim yours rights in a the court

PeteInGilroy

Maybe when you get a chance you can give us a short summary of the difference between your car (standard steel suspension) and the luxury suspension. Is there any noticeable difference?

StanNH

Nope.

PeteInGilroy

Interesting! I thought the 17" wheels and "comfort tuned" suspension would make a difference.

mihaelb

Is it an Airmatic-equipped car (the loaner)?

gocal73

I'm really looking forward to seeing how Stan's car turns out. For his sake and the rest of us really, I hope it looks great.
If the repairs go well for the affected cars like Stan's, I plan to seek seat replacements too once the bottom passenger seat question is answered. Even though my seats are not currently bleeding, according to a conversation I had with MBUSA earlier today, ANY car built prior to 1/5/15 is entitled to seat cover replacement, bleeding or not. The customer service rep explained to me that MBUSA recognizes that cars with the defective MBTex can start bleeding at any time. Therefore, requests for seat repairs will be honored as long as the C-class was built before 1/5/15. She said MBUSA will deal with dealerships who balk at making the replacement.
For more on my discussion with MBUSA, see this thread. Includes information on their reaction to the bumper/tail lights issue as well.
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w205/570522-official-mercedes-benz-q-re-bleeding-seats.html
So, good luck Stan and everyone else going through the Bleeding fix. Hope your seats look and wear like new, but better.

StanNH

MB-USA's position, based on the conversation "gocal73" had with a rep, seems to have evolved as more information about the MB-Tex issue becomes available. It's gone from a fix as needed to a fix upon request TSB. MB apparently was hoping this would be an isolated batch of bad material but, as we all know here, it has the potential of affecting every car built in the US with an MB-Tex interior. The change in the TSB is good news for owners, bad news for MB-USA.

Both MB-USA and my dealer have been genuinely concerned and have really stayed on top of this issue from the start. My Case Manager has told me when he would call with updates, and has always followed up as planned. I have pushed the question of compensation as much as I could, but the only thing mentioned so far has been free service coupons. I think that's routine, and the Case Manager has told me my other requests will be discussed after my car has been properly repaired. I have asked for financial assistance in trading in my car for a new C300, or an extended warranty on my car if they won't do that. My car has a long list of trips to the dealer, not just the MB-Tex issue, so I'm hoping they may take that into consideration. As I've mentioned before, my service history does not come close to approaching the NH Lemon Law threshold, so I am in a position of making requests, but not demands that can be backed up legally. In the end, any settlement will depend on MB's good will.

The issue of the passenger's seat bottom has been brought up many times. I have been told by several people, at different levels, that this will take some time to resolve, but a permanent fix is being developed and will be released when ready.

Now, about that C300 Luxury I'm now driving as a loaner. It's a dark metallic blue with a beige interior. The blue is so dark that I initially thought it was black, and it's now covered in a nice layer of white road salt. The beige interior is very nice looking, but is already showing dirt on the sitting surfaces. Tires are 225x50x17" all around, and it has the standard steel "comfort" suspension. I expected this car to ride smoother than my own car, which has 18" low profile tires and the standard steel suspension. I also thought I would feel at least some difference in the handling. This is the second C300 Luxury I've had as a loaner, so I have had two different "Luxury" cars to live with for a few days.

If the grilles were off, and I drove the cars back to back, I wouldn't be able to tell which was which. To me, they feel exactly the same. The steering feels the same, the ride quality feels the same, interior noise levels are the same, the reaction over pavement breaks and potholes is essentially the same. I know this goes against what others have reported ... and I have also read all the test drives that laud the smooth ride of the Comfort suspension. If for no other reason than the non-staggered 17" tires this car comes with, that makes perfect sense. However, after nearly four months driving a standard suspension on 18" tires, and now two different Luxury versions with their steel Comfort suspensions for several days, I really can't say I can feel the difference. Sure, there may be some real difference hidden deep down in there somewhere, but if I have to try that hard to find it it can't be all that significant. So, my thought is that if one is really seeking a more compliant ride from the W205, the Airmatic may be the way to go. I have not yet been able to sample that suspension, but I can say that the steel Comfort suspension is not what I'd call supple. That's not a bad thing at all, especially since I find my base suspension to be an excellent blend of ride comfort and handling, but it is not a cushy ride.

floridadriver

Good info and further proof to potential buyers to TEST the cars out for themselves. Everyone different, and usually likes what they have the most.

I took a friend on a couple test drives, and he couldn't tell one bit of a difference between what I thought pretty dramatic difference between the sport suspension on 19" and the comfort on 17" (skipped the standard at that dealership). That said, if you can't feel a difference, why pay extra? Standard steel the way to go then. The sport and luxury suspensions cost more, as does airmatic. Some reported they can't tell difference in agility selections of air. To each their own.

To me the difference is not earth shattering, but noticeable. I thought they were spot on with the differences between the 3 steel suspensions in ride (no difference in steering). Standard sitting right in the middle of the other 2 in terms of forgivingness.

Also, not sure why they'd have a light interior on a loaner. People usually don't show them any love.

Hope they take care of you Stan. And hope they take lessons learned to heart for quick oversight. This car is not doing as well for them as projected. In sales, nor reputation.

Sportstick

Does NH not have the 30 day out-of-service provision in its statute? If you have a passenger seat which cannot be sat upon due to the exuded substance, and the car remains in service and you with a loaner until that condition is corrected, it seems that would cross the 30 day threshold, triggering Lemon Law in some jurisdictions. This can come to resemble a football game where you just let the clock run out!

StanNH

The car will be out of service for 3-5 business days, so not close to the 30 day requirement. Even including all previous service visits, I think I have been without the car for a total of 6 days. Also, having a 2015 C300 as a loaner is certainly not a hardship, although it is not the car I paid for. The dealer has provided door to door pickup service, so I haven't even had to drive the car down for service.

Even with the original passenger seat bottom, the car is perfectly drivable and the seat is also fine for use. The bleeding has not affected clothing, so keeping that seat bottom until it's finally replaced will not be grounds for litigation. I have a copy of our Lemon Law and, at this point, it's not a Lemon Law case.

"A vehicle is considered to be a "lemon" if:

The new vehicle is substantially impaired in use, value, or safety due to a defect covered by the manufacturer's warranty that the manufacturer or its authorized representative has not fixed.
In order to qualify for arbitration, a consumer must ordinarily show either:

The manufacturer or its representative has made at least three unsuccessful attempts to fix the motor vehicle; or
The motor vehicle has been out of service for 30 or more business days (cumulative) due to defects or nonconformities covered by the warranty."

PeteInGilroy

Stan, does your loaner have run flat tires? I'm curious if the dealer puts on Non run flat winter tires and leaves you without a spare/fix-a-flat.

StanNH

It still has the original Continental all-season run flats on it. It's okay, but I am being a bit more conservative on snowy surfaces.

This morning I had to start the car with the key because it didn't detect my fob. No smartphone on me either ... but it was fine again the next time I started it. That happened on my own car once too, so I don't think it's an uncommon software glitch.

bwoodbmw

Stan: when do you get your car back? Also it appears a few others have been told by dealers that a passenger seat bottom fix is ready, any word on this?

StanNH

They've had the car since Tuesday, and no word yet. I saw the posts here about the seat bottom fix, so they may want to keep my car until those parts are in. I expect to hear something by Friday ... either from MB-USA or my dealer.

MBbabysitter

Stan, thanks for posting this string at least I know despite the dealerships lies, we are not the only one with bleeding seats! Salesman told me this morning he'd never heard of this problem - lie - the dealership in Maple told me it was the first one they had seen - lie - the service adviser said MB Canada are working on the solution and will be contacting owners once they know how to fix it - lie - When do the lies ends?

cidtek

I think the best way to shove their lies in their face is to check out the cars on the lot before going in then take them out to show them. Then just say quit lying.

mihaelb

One of the service reps at Maple is a real champ. Took 4 or 5 visits to explain to him that it is NOT normal for the phone to get unpaired after 2 hours from the stereo's bluetooth pairings, and that it needs replacing. First two visits, he would claim that he tested it with his phone, and it's fine. Thing is when I would come back several hours later to pick up the car, and ask him how he tested it, he said he paired his phone, saw that he can make a phonecall and unpaired right away.
Later he tried to blame my specific phone, then Android phones in general (he has an iPhone)...so I tested with another Android and two Blackberries...finally, he brought out a mechanic who was supposed to be an 'expert in audio systems', who looked at it and said it looks fine to him (despite me telling them it takes a couple of hours), reset it (this would make it the 4th time, as I did it 3 times already). Finally on the 5th visit, they miraculously (no, seriously-I thought it would take a miracle for them to get it at that point) found the problem and replaced the head unit.
I've had disappointments with several of the Toronto-area MB service departments, but this took the crown. It's a nice-looking dealership, pretty receptionists, but...

Like a puppy that wet the carpet?