LILBENZ230

I didn't think side thorax bags in the rear existed on the W212.. maybe just the facelift they were not available? Idk, I couldn't find them in the brochure as an option. I researched it before buying.

The 14-16 hood/fenders are aluminum, yes, but I think so are the pre-facelift.

Left Coast Geek

ok, my '16 'luxury' wagon, has front seat side airbags, has rear lower C pillar airbags, but no curtain airbags from the top of the doors. I didn't look under the dash to see if it had the knee airbags

diesel_dan

I thought I had read that the '14s were lightened, and the aluminum hood was... Well shoot - I have a '13 in the garage and happen to own a magnet You sir, are right! Not just the hood, but the front fenders and the trunk lid too - all aluminum!

Here's something I cut out of the '13 sales brochure on the rear airbags - are those what you were talking about? Looks like they are side impact, but we have them whatever they are...:

"Advanced restraints. Nine standard air bags offer 11-way protection.14 A driver’s knee air bag augments the dual-stage front air bags. Pelvic air bags complement the front-seat side-impact air bags. Side curtain air bags are provided at the outboard seating positions in both the first and second rows, as are seat-belt Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs) and belt-force limiters. Rear side-impact air bags are optional. And in a rear impact, NECK‑PRO active front head restraints help to reduce whiplash."

Killerb

Still crack a smile when I drive my e550. Actually been working on it for the past 2months with parts mostly available, lots of bang for the buck.
I always look for a replacement model and they are truly a hard find indeed.

LILBENZ230

The hood/fenders are definitely aluminum but the trunk is a composite.

Yep, your 2013 could have rear side impact bags but the 14-16s apparently dropped that option.

Learn something every day.

LILBENZ230

Your car has full length side curtains that run all the way back above both doors. Knee airbag is driver only. Curtain airbags were a federal mandate by 2016.

pierrejoliat

Both my trunk lids are aluminum.

LILBENZ230

https://media.mbusa.com/releases/201...technical-data

This states the facelift cars have composite trunk lids, which is where I got my info. But looking closer it also says the doors are aluminum and they are clearly not on mine.

DFWdude

I have held a magnet to my trunk lid for a previous thread where OP contended he had rust between lid and spoiler... The trunk lid is definitely NOT steel. If it is composite as LB's information states, that's also good, although I have trouble believing MB would use a more expensive material and process (molded composite) on the trunk lid than simply stamped aluminum. Makes no sense to me.

Edit: I just used a magnet on all my sheet metal surfaces. Like LB's car, all four doors are magnetic, so they are not aluminum, but steel...

pierrejoliat

Ah yes, the elusive definition of "Composite" This and other info shows that the facelift was a combination of improvements and cost-cutting. The one thing we can clearly determine is changes were made in an ongoing fashion from '10 to '16 as the 212 progressed.

DFWdude

Yes, and there's nothing wrong with it. However, it's something else to state in a MB document that the doors are aluminum, when they aren't.