Nightbird

I love my 2018 MB GLS550..but the Night Package discoloration really takes away from the beauty of this vehicle. I seriously am regretting getting a GLS550 with this package because after scouring the internet for solutions to this discoloration there doesn't seem to be a consensus on products that work..only suggestions to try this or that. And I've seen trim that was vinyl wrapped and it just didn't look great to me..especially the roof rail. My local MB dealer has tried twice to get it replaced under warranty since I have a few hundred miles of warranty left..but both times were denied and they stated to me "Mercedes-Benz does not consider the trim molding discoloration as a defect in the trim molding but outside influence (acid rain or chemicals from car wash products). The trim molding replacement would not be covered under manufacturer warranty." Even though I hand wash my vehicle. And I was quoted a replacement cost in the neighborhood of $3k -no thanks.

So just wondering if anyone here has actually found a product that works? Looking for products that have actually been used successfully on the Night Package and not just random suggestions. Thanks everyone..and if you are looking at a MB with the Night Package..I would suggest walking away as quickly as possible. Or you may end up making up a story to strangers who ask you about it like I have saying "It's a very exclusive trim finish only available in Germany called the Aurora Borealis Package." Take a look at my pics and enjoy the beautiful blue, purple and red hues in the trim of my 2018 MB GLS550.

WillieMack

Sorry for your situation that truly sucks. I myself was set on Night Package 3 months ago on a Black on Black 2017-2019 GLS550. It was like finding a needle in a hay stack with the right options, mileage, color and price. 2 CPO vehicles I saw online I immediately noticed the discoloration on the window trim and roof rails like yours. I asked the same questions to the dealer and they said “car wash was most likely reason” and they could not get it covered/replaced by MBUSA or under CPO.

A Black 2017 GLS550 with all options popped up local to me but it didn’t have Night Package. At first I was disappointed, but now I’m glad I don’t have to deal with the discoloration issues.

Nightbird

I'm really glad you were able to avoid the Night Package. I originally just wanted the chrome trim to match my black S Class sedan with chrome trim..but as you mentioned..finding a GLS550 in good shape with the features I wanted was a challenge. The GLS450 with the features I wanted was plentiful almost a year ago when I made my purchase..but not so with the GLS550. And then there was the headache of having it shipped to me. So when this one came up about an hour away from me..being a one owner CPO that was well taken care of since the original owner had a prepaid maintenance plan..I purchased it along with an extended 4 year/100k mile warranty to kick in when the original warranty expired since I knew how expensive the air suspension was to replace. I'm just disappointed MB didn't do the right thing and replace this..especially when they have replaced it for some people..and there are black KIA Telluride SUV's with a copycat black package they call Nightfall Edition that doesn't suffer from this problem.

WillieMack

We were in similar situations. I was contemplating having a 550 shipped due to not finding one locally however I didn’t realize how much of a hassle it is finding a good shipper let alone the expense. Also I’ve learned never to buy a car sight unseen, not even CPO! It’s hilarious what dealers will pass as CPO nowadays. Also a vehicle could have been smoked in and dealers will lie to you and say it doesn’t smell bad just to get a sell. Once the vehicle is delivered to you you’re screwed.

Have you tried a good compound/polish on those trim pieces to see if there is any improvement? By the way I Googled "night package discoloration mercedes" and there were a few threads on this issue. If you are still under the 4 year factory new car warranty I would keep pressing MB to replace it. I’ve read some have had success eventually getting discolored night package trim replaced. How can Mercedes prove without a doubt that it was caused by a car wash and not material defect? Don’t be afraid to try another dealer as sometimes it can be all about how your case is presented to MBUSA to get things covered.

FWP!

I agree with the above that getting it polished would work. I would even call a few body shops to ask them how much to paint them, I bet it wouldn't be more than $500.

Nightbird

@WillieMack
What really frustrates me about this situation is that MB is actually telling me they can't create a trim that isn't damaged by simple car wash chemicals. Really? So..a product that is made to cleanse vehicles and is used all over America is something you didn't think about when you made an "exclusive" trim that the original owner paid extra for? And you're supposed to be the best car builder in the world? And Asian vehicles with black trim aren't suffering from this?

If the original owner used touchless car washes and created this issue..then the dealership I purchased my GLS550 from must have used some temporary finish to hide this from me until my weekly hand car washes brought it out. Sadly..here in the South where I live..these dealerships offer terrible customer service once you purchase the vehicle. As an example of this..I called the west coast dealership my vehicle was originally sold from to get maintenance records..and they were bending over backwards to help me. At my local MB dealership? It took 2 weeks for the service manager to inform me MB won't replace the trim..and that was after sending him 2 emails and leaving him a phone message with the receptionist.

I haven't tried any polishes yet because I was told by my independent MB mechanic if you do that it could void the warranty. But if I can't get this replaced I won't have any choice. Someone mentioned on a thread this product work for them: Mothers 05701 California Gold Brazilian Carnauba Cleaner Liquid Wax - 16 oz. So this will be my first product to try. But I may just hire someone to do it because I'm recovering from a sports foot injury and don't want to kill myself getting on a step ladder to reach those roof rails..which as you know are huge so this won't be an easy job.

I am hoping I can find time to visit other MB dealerships..but they are all at least an hour away from me so not sure I can do that before my warranty expires in about 200 miles. With my luck..just driving to these places will expire my warranty before anything is done..although I do have email proof from emailing my local MB service manager that this problem occurred before the warranty expired. My last resort is to consult with my attorney and see if we can take them to court over this..or find another attorney who handles cases like this. A class action lawsuit is really needed to make them do something about this once and for all. Amazing how something so minor for them to fix is tainting my ownership experience and making me think twice about purchasing another MB. Not to mention my friends who own Lexus are telling me this would never happen with their vehicles..and if it did..their dealership would fix it immediately if still under warranty..no questions asked.

Nightbird

I've tried that..but they told me they can't guarantee the paint job and peeling may occur as this apparently is a problem with MB trim that is painted. And due to so much trim involved the price would be between $1200-$1500 for a "quality" paint job..yet no guarantees. When they see you driving in a vehicle that cost over $100k about 4 years ago..their prices magically go up.

WillieMack

You will drive yourself insane trying to find the perfect vehicle from any manufacturer even luxury makes. They even rattle too smh. That being said, the trim discoloration IS NOT acceptable. Going the route of a lawyer may not be worth the money, time or headache if MB doesn’t budge as a opposed to finding a good shop that specializes in vinyl wrap and getting it wrapped in a high quality 3M Gloss Black. Or just getting the trim part numbers, and purchasing discounted online.

Asian makes have their quality control issues as well. Lexus? Been there done that. Just got rid of a LX570 3 dealers could never properly diagnose. The GLS drives head and shoulders above any Lexus or Asian SUV. No way am I giving up driving this fun beast and switching over discolored trim.

Golfather

A good detailer should be able to remove the majority of the discoloration. I have it in parts on mine, not quite as bad as the OP's but it does catch the eye. If I could have been without the car for another day, I'd have got it done. Suggest trying that route as MB will not budge. In the UK I'm looking at around £80-£100 to resolve.

Nightbird

I totally agree with you that you can't expect perfection. Before I switched to MB I was a Lincoln owner. I loved those huge land yachts from the 70's & 80's. And they rode much softer and smoother with just a hydraulic suspension than my air suspension does. I could literally go over train tracks and not feel a thing. But of course the electronics failed often as did the body parts.

I also test drove a Lexus before purchasing my GLS550 and I was incredibly disappointed all around. So indeed..the days of Asian marks always having the upper hand seem to be over. I'm still exploring other avenues to resolve this and will update if I find something.

Nightbird

Would love to see your results in before and after pics if you get it resolved. Good luck!