Robstocker

Anyone else encounter this? Went to the dealer for something else and noticed cloudy bubbles under the clear coat in the rear left QP. Service guy says we'll let the mechanic check it out. Two days later they tell me they had found them all around the car and that they had to REPAINT the entire vehicle! According to the service manager, Mercedes corp. didn't even hesitate because they knew this was an issue.

My next question is what will this do to the value of my car? If they have to remove every body panel I can't imagine it will be as tight as it was from the factory when they put it back together. Three weeks in and another two to go. I'm getting sick of this little 350 SUV they gave me. NOT the same.

C230Brit

Wow, that is surprising to hear. I can't see that you have a lot of options in terms of alternative solutions. I imagine it would be a (long, long) uphill battle to get them to exchange the car for one of similar specification.


Have you raised your concern to the dealer?

Robstocker

Yes I have. They swear this won't show up on carfax, which is the first thing they pulled when they noticed the paint problem. I was sitting there when he did it. They also said nobody but a Mercedes dealer could pull this up since it's a warranty repair. You can bet I'll go over it with a fine tooth comb looking for over spray and blemishes. Oh well at least I get rid of a couple of rock chips in the front and hopefully one tiny door ding I just noticed.

If you have a Mars Red Mercedes, I suggest you closely inspect the paint. The service manager claimed he has had three more in since mine. Sadly, I imagine Mercedes pays the body shop a LOT of money to do this. That would suck the motivation for swapping it out.

nauticalx

That sucks! I think you deserve to know what caused this. If the dealer doesn't know what the factory did, call corporate and ask them to explain why this occurred.

NCBob

Wow!! I have a Mars red MB. Guess I need to check the paint to see if I have the same issues.
Thanks for the heads up.

NCBob

One more thing. When it comes time to trade, most dealers use a paint gauge to determine if there has been any repaint work. The car fax may not show it, but the paint gauge will be a dead giveaway that the car has been repainted and there goes your resale value.
The dealer will never be able to match the paint thickness originally applied by the factory robotic painter.

jreash

Not sure how common a 'paint guage' is. Never has been referenced in all my trade-ins.

C230Brit

Completely agreed. I would also check for panel alignment / gaps as you review their work.
I would definitely be pleased to get a Mercedes certified respray on my 2010 E-Coupe, but would share your same concerns.

I can't say I have ever come across the paint work being tested during a trade in. Regardless, if you have the certified documentation to prove the work, I think it would be a very minor issue.

NCBob

In many cases when the dealer appraises a trade-in, they will take the car to another location on the lot to make those determinations. You will not see them test it.


This happened on two Porsches I traded in. They found the RF fender I had repainted on my 996TT and the LR fender on my wife's Boxster.
I've traded in three MBs and I'm not sure if they tested the paint.

jreash

I can only go on personal experience. I traded in my 2011 E350 a year ago for my current 2014 Cabriolet. My 2011 was hit by a deer ($13K in damages…hood and right front light replaced, etc.). I received full KKB value (good condition + all options) on my trade + 10% off invoice. However, my 2011 was in great condition. The dealer never even mentioned the accident. Similar experience in every other car I have traded in. A private sale may be different…but, if your car looks terrific + high end options, I've gotten top dollar here too.
Jim

konigstiger

Reference bulletin LI98.00-P-058914 - improper adhesion of clear coat, dealer will refinish affected areas under warranty see here https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ml#post6039468

Skazmi

This just happened to my car out of the blue today. I parked it in an open spot in the morning and it was fine. 8 go after getting off in the car and paint is all bubbled up and having white spots up and on the rear. Got pissed and yelled at the dealer that they lied to me and the car was painted now I feel bad and that this could be a paint defect and not a lemon car.

Skazmi

The bubbles are not visible in the picture but the white spots are all over and can be seen.

Skazmi

This was posted incorrectly here

Smokedlights

cheap clear, and thats horrible to have it repainted. I can tell if a car has been painted I dont care who did it or how good it was.. theres always SOMETHING somewhere to give it away

Skazmi

Bad news and good news

Bad news is that Benz will be repainting as this is a warranty defect.

Good news is that for people who see this they don't need to panic. It is covered under warranty.

Moms1stBMW

I just purchased my first (and maybe last) C250 a little over a month ago from a large dealership in the DFW area. I chose it over a BMW...which leaves me doubting my decision, primarily for its color-Mars red. Last weekend I noticed a bubble which turned out to be a baseball size area on the front passenger side door where the clear coat and paint was missing. The dealer says they can't do anything about it because I didn't purchase the "additional" interior/exterior insurance. Now customer service from MB tells me it's not covered under the manufacturer's warranty. I haven't even made my first car payment and I am dealing with this nightmare. Any suggestions are appreciated!

andrew e coupe

~ agreed.


even carmax does this on all trade ins (paint gauge). plus the durability will never be that of a factory finish. sorry to hear of this.

andrew e coupe

~ ditto! ... a tape line, waviness in the paint surface when looking down the car, heavy compound in the cracks, paint/overspray on the piece of trim, orange peal, sanding/dna marks, fish eyes, etc... a paint gauge doesn't lie no matter the extent of preparation.

konigstiger

Speak with service manager, provide bulletin copy.

QueenAmy9445

I am so happy to have found this forum. I noticed 2 days ago that the paint on the trunk and side panels have white swirls....it is definitely the clear coat. I am worried it will effect the value of my car~

QueenAmy9445

That is exactly what mine looks like....uggh~

Monica350

Hi, I am thinking of buying a used 2013 e 350 coupe in mars red from a local GM dealership. It is six years old, but the paint looks great. Carfax shows it has been well maintained. I have read a number of posts on the internet about problems with the mars red color, that there have been severe paint problems with that color that sometimes don't appear for years. I can't find out how common it is, or if this car would be out of the woods, since it is 6 years old. Do any of you have some info to enlighten me. I called MB headquarters in US, but the lady in customer care said she personally wasn't aware of problems, but I noticed someone on this site had posted a MB service bullitin about it from several years ago. I believe, at one time, affected cars still under warrantly were being repainted. This car, of course, is completely out of warranty. I just wanted to know if I was asking for trouble with that color, or if I am worrying unnecessarily this many years out. I appreciate your help.

Monica

jihilgendorf

I have a 2014 CLA 250 with only 47k miles on it. It is RED. About a month ago the paint started bubbling up after being in the RAIN. The whole front end is a mess now. The car is like 4 months out of the 4 year warranty, but this is clearly a defective paint job. The dealership has tried some really shady stories when I contacted corporate. Not sure what to do next? I have contacted a law firm, and they are baffled as to why they wouldn't just handle this, rather than deal with all of the negative publicity, I mean, even me driving the car around is negative publicity, but I've posted photos all over social media. Every time it rains it gets MUCH worse! I've barely had this car for ONE YEAR. Any ideas?!?

dudley07726