I'm going to try to make an appt for service this week, and this will be the last visit under the new car warranty (will have the additional year CPO warranty after next week). What should I have done while she is in there? Ask for a full inspection/scan?

How would I get the SA to give me a VMI (Vehicle Master Inquiry?) printout? I asked when I bought the car and when I was in for service and while they didn't say no, after discussion I didn't walk away with one...

 

I never had a problem getting the VMI. I always visited in person with the car and asked for one before making the appointment. They would sometimes refuse but then I said I know other dealers give them out and if you won't do it, I'll go make an appointment at another dealer. Then they mention they can't give it out for privacy reasons because the previous owners name is on there and I say they can just black it out with a sharpie and then they end up doing that and giving it to me.

Also make sure you check for cosmetic problems because things like faded wood trim or a ripped seam in the stitching of the seat won't be covered under the CPO but would be under the new car warranty. In theory a 2016 should not have those problems.

 

I have never been able to obtain a VMI on any of my Mercedes. The dealers treat these like medical records and will not allow me a copy - this is across 5 different Mercedes and several dealerships. So good luck.

OP's car does not have the wood that fades.. but 2016s do have these issues.

 

I've had the Burled Walnut replaced in my 2016 (well faded within it's first 2 years). The replacements are now 2-years old, and I see no sign ot fading (two years later). Knock on wood.

I still think that what you place in your back pockets contributes to whether the MB-Tex seats develop a split. Mine are still perfect.

 

mtnman82, I would ask them to inspect the engine and transmission mounts. I did before mine went out of warranty, and they replaced the transmission mount.

 

Yeah it was strange Mercedes never fixed the fading burled walnut through the entire W212 production run. Maybe the replacements will last?

I have real leather in the W212, but I did have a split in a 2014 C350 with MBTex and I never carried anything in my back pockets - so who knows. Luck of the draw?

 

We brought ours in 1 month before warranty expired.
Never had problems with main battery, but since dealer already replaced aux battery, we asked for them to check it just in case. Yep, they replaced main battery with brand new battery for free. So we're good to go for a few more yrs...

 

Well I'll just say it then. Maybe he's referring to people who carry too much fat in their back pocket if you know what I mean. More weight means it's more likely to rip the seat. I think people said that it's not a good design. It's a large piece of fabric with just one line of stitching and maybe they just did it too close to the edge.

The passenger side also rips, but you don't hear about that too often because most people probably don't get too many passengers that often and it's probably cumulative, the more/longer you sit in it, the more likely it is to rip.

 

I was referring to the peeps who carry their wallet on a long chain dangling from front to back pocket, people dangling huge key chains with every key they ever owned, and people with 2-in thick wallets, jeans with rhinestones, etc.

I would be one of those who are overweight, yet in the 2-years I've driven this W212, my seats (4+ years old, now) still look perfect, not even a hint of a weak seam.

Judging from what I read here, some people are really rough on their cars, with ripped seats, chips in window switchgear, A/C vent deodorisers dripping on the dash and console, cancer stick stains and ashes everywhere, etc. You know, those who "rent" their cars and don't care if they trash it in 2 years... it's just leased, afterall. I'm nothing special, but the window switches in my 19 year-old C-Class are pristine to this day.

 

I see this a lot. Any chipped switches automatically ruled out a W212 on my shopping list. My car is pristine.