Streamliner

This was on your 2017 S550? Did you buy or lease that car new? What dealer did this for you?

greasykid

B4 you give up try WD-40 on your trim.

Bart-N3GQ

It's a common Mercedes trim problem. You might have some luck with this method. https://mercedessource.com/store/ano...t-w-power-tool

as.thompson

I solved the problem with black vinyl wrap to match the windshield and glass roof surround trim. Looks integrated with the rest of the trim pieces.



2016 S550 C4

DaveW68

This is super easy to resolve. Get some Meguiar's Wheel Brightener and mix it 5:1 with water (5 parts water) in a spray bottle. Spritz a little bit on a micro-fiber cloth and gently rub on the trim in the most inconspicuous area first to test it. Don't leave it on for more than 30 seconds before buffing dry with a clean micro-fiber. It may take a couple of tries before those spots are completely gone. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and be in a well ventilated area when doing this as the mixture is acidic. Give your car a thorough wash immediately after doing this treatment.

If there is clear-coat on the trim, then this is perfectly safe to do. But be very careful not to get any on the glass as it can leave cloudy areas. This stuff works wonders at removing stubborn hard-water spots on your clear-coated paint too without ever needing to compound. But if you have a ceramic coated car, be aware that this can remove the coating and will strip waxes.

Silverback54

I have the same issue. Did you find a product to fix it?

DaveW68

See post #30.

danlovescars

Anyone successful in preventing the spotting? If so, what coating or wax are you using?

2012 merc amg

It’s under the clear coat need to replace the piece.

DaveW68

The only way that's possible is if the factory put clear over a spotted piece of trim.

greasykid

Try WD-40. I know it works on aluminum.

Streamliner

OK folks, I'll chime in again.

WD-40 doesn't work. Most anything does not work, short of stripping off the clear, "protective" sealant that it comes with from the factory, polishing the metal and then resealing it.

As noted previously, I have a 2019 E450 Wagon. The vehicle is pristine, with the exception of this issue. I bought this car used from a BMW dealer when it was less than a year old. Like so many, I just figured that I could "polish" off the spots, but of course, that did not work. I took the car to MB Laguna Niguel, the dealer where I have taken delivery of numerous higher end cars. The "service manager" refused to replace the trim and offered to have his "detail guy" strip, polish & reseal it for $500.00, of which he would "pick up" half. I insisted that the car was less than a year old and that this was unacceptable. That was the second to the last straw that made me finally kiss this dealership off. If they would not give the benefit of the doubt to a long time, very loyal customer, then why should I support them?

At any rate, the bottom line is that this issue is rampant and is not relegated to a handful of vehicles. Most every MB of a few years old, that has spent much time outdoors, will have this issue.

I have switched dealers to Fletcher Jones, the largest in the country and I plans on hitting them up on this problem in the near future, but I'm not holding my breath. This is one of those problems that MBUSA is just turning their back on. Probably decent grounds for a class action lawsuit.

DaveW68

My car is 6 years old and I don't have this issue.

Streamliner

Yes, I believe that this is a supplier issue with later MB models. There are certainly cases where this problem has arisen in older models, but that might be expected if vehicles spend a lot of time in the elements, are not cared for, etc. But for one year old models to start suffering this problem, it just sounds like defective finishes to me. MB has just recently settled a huge, class action over the Mars Red paint that caused some owners to experience peeling paint. I believe that this trim issue is so wide spread that a class action may be in order for this problem as well. Is there a lawyer in the house???

flint350

None of the referenced solutions worked on my 2018 S560. I took it to the dealer recently for service B and pointed out the problem, which was on all of the trim. They contacted MBUSA and were told to try a "special" cleaning solution formula and let it sit 24 hours. When even that didn't work, the dealer contacted MBUSA again and a full replacement of the trim was finally authorized. They ended up keeping my car for 3 1/2 days, but it came out looking great and the problem has not reappeared.

Streamliner

Glad they stepped up and did the right thing. Congratulations!

utbh31

hi flint, I am having the same issue w/ my s class. Would you mind sharing the dealership name that replaced your trim under warranty? thx

kanate

My 2018 CPO also has the same issue. I’m in Orange County in Southern California. Went to 2 dealers, both said not covered under warranty.

utbh31

Interesting, seems like if one dealer classifies it as under warranty per MBUSA, they all should. They shouldn't be able to pick and choose who is covered and who's not. This is clearly not a one-off and if it was truly external weather damage, then all the trim would be cloudy, not just around the windows.

roviw1

I have some of these marks on my 2015 S class , it is also an issue with XJ jaguars as well !

flint350

My local dealer is Mercedes of Pensacola - however - it was MBUSA that authorized warranty replacement after directing attempts to clean/repair the spotting. The biggest part MB Pensacola played was in staying on the issue, attempting the cleaning using MBUSA procedures and when that didn't work, got MBUSA to authorize the new parts and installation. I'm not trying to downplay the part my dealer played, just noting that you (or your dealer) has to go through MBUSA to get this authorized. The dealer definitely can not do this on their own without MBUSA approval. I was fortunate that MB Pensacola kept up the pressure, provided a loaner for the 3 days involved and generally was proactive for me.

utbh31

This is very helpful flint. I'll stay on top of mbusa then. I already have one phone call into them on this.

kanate

I escalated the issue with MBUSA and got shot down that it's still not under warranty. Their reason is mine is CPO and they cannot verified how the car was maintained as if that makes any difference.

Streamliner

In July of 2020, we bought a used, 2019 E450 Wagon from a BMW dealer. The story about finding that car is a bit amazing and I documented it here in the tread: "My E450 Wagon FAIRY TALE--I still can't believe it!"

Anyway, first thing, I took the car to MB Laguna Niguel, where I have been a loyal customer for DECADES. I had a service done, just so I could start fresh with the car. A couple of months later, I noticed that the bright trim around the windows was cloudy and would not clean up. I took it to Laguna Niguel and they treated me like my car had the plague! The Service Manager told me he could have his detail guys TRY and polish it. It would cost $500.00 and he would pay half. What a load of B.S.! The car had about 10,000 miles on it and was under the full factory warranty. As you might imagine, I was NOT happy with this guy.

Long story shorter, I just now took the wagon, with about 14,000 miles on it, to Fletcher Jones MB in Newport Beach. I had never taken the car there before, but it was due for the B1 service, and I was so pissed off at Laguna Niguel, I wasn’t going back there. I complained about the cloudy trim and WITHOUT ANOTHER WORD, they simply REPLACED all of the trim pieces, under warranty. Talk about customer service! I was blown away and am a confirmed Fletcher Jones customer from now on. THIS is how these things are supposed to be handled on a luxury vehicle.

MB obviously has a truly MASSIVE problem with window trim deteriorating WAY too quickly and I hope they have solved it. But all of you guys out there who have this issue, NEED to DEMAND that the trim be replaced. If your dealer gives you B.S., call MBUSA and open a case. If enough people scream, eventually they will do the right thing—at least, one would hope. Could be class action time if they don’t.

kanate

I wish I could have the same experience. I actually got my CPO from Fletcher Jones Newport Beach. They are the one that don’t want to honor the warranty.

I’m pushing the sales team right now to cover it; one of their selling point was they have better standard to certify CPO and can set higher price on their cars.