premature upholstery wear
07-05-2013, 08:16 PM
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2014 Mercedes CLS 2012 ML350
premature upholstery wear
I have a 2012 ML350 with the leather option. The upholstery on the entry side of the drivers seat has worn thru. I'm 69 years old and weigh 140 LBS.
I have a 2014 ML550 on order and am concerned.
Mercedes tells me the premature wear is not under warranty. Anyone experienced a similar problem ?
Thankd..
I have a 2014 ML550 on order and am concerned.
Mercedes tells me the premature wear is not under warranty. Anyone experienced a similar problem ?
Thankd..
07-06-2013, 04:34 AM
#2
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I was afraid of that. I knew I would hear someone talk about this sooner or later because of how difficult it is for us older folks to get in and out of the ML350. Do you have running boards? Do you use them to enter and exit the vehicle? I wanted leather but settled for the MBTex for this reason. I would have gone with leather if the car had everything else I wanted on it but the one they could get for me right away had the MBTex - and I am glad it did.
I do not use the running boards to enter or exit because they are too narrow for me. If I did use them I could be high enough to simply sit down on the seat. Instead, I enter head first and slide into the seat which means my butt is rubbing against the seat as I enter and take position. The brunt of this is taken by the part of the seat you have described. I noticed this right away in my test drive but it was not enough to be a deal breaker for me. But I did feel this would be a disaster on leather and would rub it through in no time, especially for a blue jean wearer and a guy like me who weighs 100 lbs more than you. MBTex is like iron and will not wear even under this constant rubbing.
I believe it is the design of the seat location and its height relative to the ground which requires us less agile people to have to slide across the seat to get in it (and our inability to utilize the narrow running boards for support and height) that is the culprit, not the quality of the leather itself.
I do not use the running boards to enter or exit because they are too narrow for me. If I did use them I could be high enough to simply sit down on the seat. Instead, I enter head first and slide into the seat which means my butt is rubbing against the seat as I enter and take position. The brunt of this is taken by the part of the seat you have described. I noticed this right away in my test drive but it was not enough to be a deal breaker for me. But I did feel this would be a disaster on leather and would rub it through in no time, especially for a blue jean wearer and a guy like me who weighs 100 lbs more than you. MBTex is like iron and will not wear even under this constant rubbing.
I believe it is the design of the seat location and its height relative to the ground which requires us less agile people to have to slide across the seat to get in it (and our inability to utilize the narrow running boards for support and height) that is the culprit, not the quality of the leather itself.
07-07-2013, 05:57 PM
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Location: Alberta, Canada
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ml350 bluetec
I was warned of this (premature wear and cracking), particularly in climates where extreme temperatures occur (ie. -40 to +40 degrees C), and opted not to have leather. I'm glad I did not go with leather. If you are located in an area of extreme weather, I don't think it's your weight, I think it's the nature or quality of the leather. My Dad had a Jag 1968 420G, it's leather died in one year and he weighed 430 lbs. He subsequently bought a 1974 T1 Bentley and the leather was good until he got rid of the car.
