cx876

My SA mention the whole kit would be around 2K, I learned from another SA that labor is around 4.5 hours, plus a few push pins if they break any during installation.

retna7

Reading these posts about kits arriving in 2 or 3 weeks has me vexed. My SA told me 6 months...and that was back in January. When asked for an update, SA says he has no ETA for the kit. Might be time to reach back out to MBUSA.

eldivino

Wow thats crazy. I took my two week ago for service and I mentioned the faded trim. They kept the car for a few days and changed it. You should definitely contact MBUSA.

cc16177

I would. Mine took less than a month. I'm dropping the car off tomorrow to have it all replaced and I only bought the car 3 weeks ago or so.

thefisch

Be sure they replace all the trim parts, not just the ones that look faded.

El Cid

Did they replace the narrow wood strips along the lower edges of the four door armrests?

retna7

Just off the phone with MBUSA with no solution. MBUSA customer service states that the wood grain kits are on back order and that they would call the dealership to see if they can obtain an ETA but made no promises. Customer service agent states there is no way these kits are available in two weeks. Wow.

cc16177

Well they told me the whole process is a 3-4 hour job so i'm assuming they must be replacing all of it... i'll post an update when I get the car back in a couple days.

In the meantime i'm driving a CLA250 as a loaner and I have to say it makes me SO HAPPY I went with a used E instead of a new CLA or C class...

cc16177

Honestly they had told me it would be a long time and I happened to be at the dealer getting a car wash so I spoke with a service rep at the desk there...

I was very polite and pretended like I didn't care how fast it came "oh I have plenty of time I just want to make sure it gets taken care of eventually" which is actually closer to the truth than not...

Anyways, she says "wow you are more patient than anyone else around here, let me see what I can do" and bam 2-3 weeks later it's being taken care of.

Maybe it's worth an actual stop at the dealer and some good ol' friendliness.

retna7

Yup. Called them first. They're the ones who told me no ETA is available - hadn't contacted them since January so my patience is on full display. Actually felt very much the same as you about the wait - until I read these posts. Seems as though games are being played. Same dealership where I purchased the vehicle. They originally refused to replace the wood grain under my CPO ELW and directed me to contact MBUSA which approved the replacement. Hopefully contacting MBUSA customer service will get some results.

cc16177

Well, one difference that may make you feel better is that mine is being replaced under factory warranty rather than CPO. Not that it should make a difference but maybe they are prioritizing factory replacements before CPO?

I was told it could not be replaced under CPO warranty at all and actually had them order the wood on the LAST day of the factory warranty (a few days before I even officially bought the car) so I would actually feel lucky they even agreed to replace yours at all...

Not saying it's "OK" for it to take this long but there's a little justification for you...

retna7

Actually, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks brother. The fact that I was approved for a replacement at all is a wonder. You're right...even if it takes a year at least its being replaced for free - although I'd be even more lucky if they'd give me the cash instead. Keep the kit - I'll take the $2000.

cc16177

Glad I could help! Good luck.

thefisch

I expect part of the delay is real (some dealers may have kits in stock while others don't) but some may be a strategy to see if the owner ever follows up. If your lease expires or you sell the car while you were waiting, then they don't necessarily have to do it for the new owner.

Johnny Rad

...but, is it any skin of the dealer's back to do the warranty work to replace the wood? They'll get reimbursed by Merc for their time and certainly aren't paying for the parts out of their pocket. While they may not make as much from Merc on warranty work than from paying customers, something is better than nothing. What does the dealer gain by putting off the customer with warranty work?

When a leased Merc is turned back in, does that dealership have the first right of refusal to buy it? If they do, I think it's to their advantage to have the car in as good of shape as possible - selling one with faded wood has to be a harder sale than one with good wood.

Other than a dealer being lazy, what am I missing?

thefisch

Those are all good points. I am just suspicious about how this faded wood is being handled in general - maybe it's how MBUSA handles it and not the dealer's fault. For one, the customer has to bring it up and complain as stated in the TSB. Unless you are familiar with the issue from reading about it here, most folks won't realize their wood is faded. Ideally the dealer would point out the issue when they see the car for routine service and ask if the customer would like it addressed. But when I asked about this at my dealer, the SA told me that they're told not to bring it up, the customer has too. MBUSA will only cover it if they document that the customer complains. Maybe some dealers are doing their customers a favor and bringing it up - you would think they would do that so they'd get the work. Then you read about a situation like the OP's where they just replace one piece.

cc16177

Update... Just picked up the car. They definitely replaced all of it and it looks SO much better.

Fisch if youre ever in Miami I owe you a drink! Never would've asked about replacing the trim without your recommendation.

thefisch

Others have had the same reaction when they see the new wood. They didn't realize how faded the old wood was. Hopefully it will not fade again. The window tint should help with that. For now, just enjoy looking at your car.

cc16177

Yeah i'm pretty shocked with the difference. When you initially mentioned it from the photos I had posted I was like "man he has good eyes to notice that from pictures" but now that i've seen what it SHOULD look like I totally understand how you picked it out.

Especially after driving the CLA250 the last two days I feel like I got a whole new car all over again!!

thefisch

It's just one of those common problems on the 2010/2011 models (and apparently some later ones too) that you see in sales photos all the time. It helps that I look at my faded wood everyday too.

And I forgot about the euphoria of getting your E back after being in the loaner. Sometimes that's enough itself to make you appreciate your car.

cc16177

Yeah originally it was more convenient for me to take the loaner for 5 days and they had approved paying for it but after two days with it I went out of my way to get my car back... lol

MBSebas87

just had mine replaced last week. Took about 2 weeks for the new wood to get here just like the SA said. HUGE difference!! Still can't believe I was driving with my wood trim like that lol

SLpat

You don't realize how much your wood has faded until you see the new wood. I was amazed since i also bought the car and didn't realize the wood had faded.

Glad you are happy with the new wood.