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So I noticed today that the leather on my dashboard just over the instrument cluster has an area about the size of a hockey puck that has separated from the dashboard and is bubbled up a bit. (This is the Porcelain/Black Exclusive Leather, so the dash is leather and not MB Tex.)
Now, I know the stories about cars that have sat out and baked in the sun for a long time (the infamous @Dino333 CPO from hell, for example) and had bubbles on the dashboard. But I always assumed that only happened to cars that had not been garaged, been left baking in the hot sun for months, etc.
In my case, it's a MY2018 SL450 that I bought as a year old as a CPO with about 8,000 miles, and was always garaged by the previous owner (I actually talked to her). And of course, I've always kept it garaged and it's never sat in full sun even for a day since I've had it (and even then only last winter, not on a hot Texas summer day).
So my question is, has this happened to anyone else? Just seems odd that it happend while in the garage during a week where temps have been between 60-75 mostly; i just would not have expected this to happen when the car was basically in "indoor room-temperature" conditions.
And I guess the follow-up question is, is there any fix? I thought about just putting a heavy book or something up there and leaving it out in the sun for a day to see if it encourages the leather to lay back down, but that hardly seems like a permanent fix even if it were to work.
The Exclusive Leather Option adds Leather to the Dashboard rather than simply upgrading the Nappa Leather on the Seats. It's possible that Leather on the Dash is more vulnerable to sun/heat damage than the standard Dash Vinyl that MB uses when the Standard Leather or the Nappa Level-1 Upgrade is selected.
Leather on the Dashboard may actually be more likely to 'shrink' or 'swell' when subjected to heat, humidity, (and possibly even some moisture), than the conventional MB Dash Vinyl. When you own a convertible, damage to the dash or other interior damage from heat and moisture is more likely,. and something to be monitored. It's one reason why I seldom leave the top down after I park it...(A quick moving summer shower is always a possibility where I live).
All that said, MB claims that 231 interiors are designed to be sun and heat resistant. However, logic says that a black dash and/or black interior will tend to absorb much more heat than a lighter colored one. .
Thanks all -- great comments. Pics below. As I mentioned, the car just hasn't had a lot of sun exposure. I'm definitely not a "leave the top down" guy and it almost never in the sun for more than a few minutes.
Once I paid more attention while taking the pics, I noticed that the leather is actually pulled away from the back edge of the "shield" that covers the instrument cluster. You can see that pretty clearly in the second pic (side view). I also subsequently noticed that the underside is in the same condition -- pulled out entirely along the back edge and drooping down.
What I don't get is how it could happen in the space of just a week while in the garage the whole time. It's as if that piece of leather just said, "Okay, I'm done," and just failed all at once.
There is a small bump in the passenger side near the windshield that I actually saw show up a couple of months ago. But the console piece just happened, boom.
On the bright side, it looks like that instrument cluster shield or cover is actually a completely separate piece from the rest of the dash, so I'm optimistic that it might be able to be replaced without having to replace the entire dash. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
Top of "shield" or "cover" over instrument cluster.
Instrument cluster "cover" or "shield" from driver door.
Underside of instrument cluster shield. Leather is pulled away from back edge near PRND and drooping down toward top of speedo and tach.
Small bubble on passenger side just to the right of center speaker near windshield.
Slight puckering between speedometer and driver's side vent.
The Exclusive Leather Option adds Leather to the Dashboard rather than simply upgrading the Nappa Leather on the Seats. It's possible that Leather on the Dash is more vulnerable to sun/heat damage than the standard Dash Vinyl that MB uses when the Standard Leather or the Nappa Level-1 Upgrade is selected.
Leather on the Dashboard may actually be more likely to 'shrink' or 'swell' when subjected to heat, humidity, (and possibly even some moisture), than the conventional MB Dash Vinyl. When you own a convertible, damage to the dash or other interior damage from heat and moisture is more likely,. and something to be monitored. It's one reason why I seldom leave the top down after I park it...(A quick moving summer shower is always a possibility where I live).
All that said, MB claims that 231 interiors are designed to be sun and heat resistant. However, logic says that a black dash and/or black interior will tend to absorb much more heat than a lighter colored one. .
Hope MB can repair it for you.
Anyone else seeing this?
Without pictures we can all guess. For one, this is covered under warranty, so that's not a big deal. The issue is that the dash needs to be pulled and ideally this is to be avoided. No fun to have the interior taken apart. Lots of care is required to keep the car rattle-free...
That said, can leather dashboards get damaged in the sun? Sure. Same as plastic dashboards can crack in the sun. When cars sit without airflow (running or driving) things can happen. Often poor manufacturing is exposed. Like too much stretching or stitching too close to the edge. Typically prevalent in English and Italian counter parts.
We have and had nappa dashboards in many of our cars. So far zero issues. Love the look/feel...
I guess I started writing before you posted the pics. Thanks!
Yes, this appears to be a glue issue. Too extensive for any fix. This needs to be replaced...
Yeah that's what I was assuming. I just hope the dealer doesn't try to pull the "oh you left it in the sun too long, not our fault" crap.
Should I settle for having just the "hood" over the instrument cluster replaced since that's the bulk of the issue, or is it fair to assume that it's just a matter of time before the rest of the dash does the same thing? (Since there's already that bubble on the passenger side, too.)
On the one hand I'd like them to tear apart as little as possible, but on the other hand I want it done right -- and it looks like they probably have to remove the whole dash to get that "hood" panel out anyway?
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
[QUOTE=John Dietrich;8035942]Yeah that's what I was assuming. I just hope the dealer doesn't try to pull the "oh you left it in the sun too long, not our fault" crap.
/QUOTE]
These cars are supposedly made to withstand baking in the sun in Brunei, or freezing in Moscow. They are meant to be driven all over the world in whatever Mother Nature decides to put us through—short of being submerged. I don’t think you will get any push- back on this. Good luck! And, I would have every inch of faulty material replaced. If parts of it are failing now, most likely, other areas will fail in the future. Get a whole new dash.
Last edited by Streamliner; Apr 22, 2020 at 12:21 AM.
These cars are supposedly made to withstand baking in the sun in Brunei, or freezing in Moscow. They are meant to be driven all over the world in whatever Mother Nature decides to put us through—short of being submerged. I don’t think you will get any push- back on this. Good luck! And, I would have every inch of faulty material replaced. If parts of it are failing now, most likely, other areas will fail in the future. Get a whole new dash.
I'm sure you're right -- thanks for the good advice!
I usually don’t leave my cars outside in the sun for longer periods of time but when they’re parked (gym, groceries) I always use sunshades for all of them....
Sold 06 CLS500. SL550 09. SL550 2013. Own C6 Corvette heavily customized garage queen 2005.
Originally Posted by tx170754
I usually don’t leave my cars outside in the sun for longer periods of time but when they’re parked (gym, groceries) I always use sunshades for all of them....
Noticed this happening on the drivers door for at least 3 years. Like a puckering..not the end of the world and out of Warranty anyway.............
The un-garaged '17 Florida 450 that I just had PPIed had an Exclusive Porcelain/Black interior. The dash top was a total mess...noticeably worse than the OP's photos. I'm starting to second guess my insistence on an upgraded interior in my searches for a car that will be spending most of it's time in Georgia, though it will be garaged whenever it's resting.
Last edited by Dr. Manhattan; May 23, 2020 at 02:07 PM.
With this you get leather on areas that do not cause problems and an MB Tex dash that will not have a problem. I have had at least 15 MBs with MB Tex dashes and never an issue but, I have heard of a number of issues with leather dashes.
With this you get leather on areas that do not cause problems and an MB Tex dash that will not have a problem. I have had at least 15 MBs with MB Tex dashes and never an issue but, I have heard of a number of issues with leather dashes.
Seems extreme. Why step down to a lesser solution when dealing with a quality issue?
Fix the issue instead...
We have had lots of cars with Napa leather dashes and MB-Tex dashes. No issues with either.
There is no inherent issue as suggested otherwise virtually all high-end cars would be suspect.
But then I love full leather interiors. Since our last 2 R231 SL’s had the same interior (Porcelain white/Black) it was easy to see/feel the difference in quality. The facelift model had exclusive Nappa while the earlier only had Nappa (was not an option before 2017 unless Designo was selected).
Day and night difference IMO for very little money. Same for the S-Class...
Other manufacturers have experienced leather dash issues over the years. Heat is a major factor. Always use a windshield screen when the vehicle is parked outside.
Interesting that there have already been some reports of leather dash issues in the new C8 Corvette. In this case glue failure is the suspected culprit.
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
Originally Posted by rmorin49
Other manufacturers have experienced leather dash issues over the years. Heat is a major factor. Always use a windshield screen when the vehicle is parked outside.
Interesting that there have already been some reports of leather dash issues in the new C8 Corvette. In this case glue failure is the suspected culprit.
Thats amazing. After all these years, you would think the big auto makers could get GLUE right.
It is a supplier quality issue, probably low numbers, I guess Mercedes QC engineers have some bigger fish to fry on their plate.....but even it is not admissible for such a corporation. I remember when I was at Deere, for EVERY customer complain a case was open, somebody was assigned to do research on it and if the complain was true the customer was taking care of.....
It is a supplier quality issue, probably low numbers, I guess Mercedes QC engineers have some bigger fish to fry on their plate.....but even it is not admissible for such a corporation. I remember when I was at Deere, for EVERY customer complain a case was open, somebody was assigned to do research on it and if the complain was true the customer was taking care of.....
Other manufacturers have experienced leather dash issues over the years. Heat is a major factor. Always use a windshield screen when the vehicle is parked outside.
Interesting that there have already been some reports of leather dash issues in the new C8 Corvette. In this case glue failure is the suspected culprit.
I can't speak to all cars, but I've witnessed enough new-gen Corvette launches over the decades to stay completely away until near the end of the model run. Think what they're trying to do: almost every new generation, and especially this one, they throw the baby out with the bath water and start with a clean sheet...on a shoestring budget. Obviously, something has to give (development), and usually quite a few things end up giving...but by the end, it will be a terrific car. In the meantime, the unwitting end users will be conducting the final development. Surprisingly, so far with the C8 it's just cosmetic and trans-axle issues. Each gen's development group does do a bit better in this regard so maybe the C8 will perfect more quickly than previous generations, but the switch to mid-engine architecture was the biggest change they've made to date. I wish them luck...
Originally Posted by Streamliner
Thats amazing. After all these years, you would think the big auto makers could get GLUE right.
I know, right? For crying out loud, they glue parts of the unibody together, without any apparent issues! Can getting leather to stick to the dash be any more difficult than that?
The complete upper dash, but MB can determine that. This is unacceptable and will be covered by warranty.
So, dealer has ordered a complete upper dash and it's supposed to arrive "in a couple days" and they think it will be done by Friday. At least nothing has to come from Germany, which I thought might be the case. Hopefully it will be good as new — but how insistent should I be if anything squeaks or rattles when they are done?
So, dealer has ordered a complete upper dash and it's supposed to arrive "in a couple days" and they think it will be done by Friday. At least nothing has to come from Germany, which I thought might be the case. Hopefully it will be good as new — but how insistent should I be if anything squeaks or rattles when they are done?
Great to hear you are getting this fixed! The new dashboard will look, well, new
Be very insistent but I am actually not as concerned if this is a decent shop. Reason is that the dash is easier to install/remove in a convertible. Expect the car to have the same noise level as before. Carefully check all areas where they work around for any potential damages (scuffs, marks, gouges, dirt and grease stains, ANY damages to leather seats, door sills, rubber seals, etc.). Common areas of damage is the center console and seats.
If the car is not already in the shop, take lots of pics of the interior (close-up) and a video walk around of the car including close-ups of the 4 wheels.
Great to hear you are getting this fixed! The new dashboard will look, well, new
Be very insistent but I am actually not as concerned if this is a decent shop. Reason is that the dash is easier to install/remove in a convertible. Expect the car to have the same noise level as before. Carefully check all areas where they work around for any potential damages (scuffs, marks, gouges, dirt and grease stains, ANY damages to leather seats, door sills, rubber seals, etc.). Common areas of damage is the center console and seats.
If the car is not already in the shop, take lots of pics of the interior (close-up) and a video walk around of the car including close-ups of the 4 wheels.
Keep us posted!
I would also ask them if they did this kind of job before, would be surprised if they did, but anyway it is a big job, Wolfman advice is a good one, let’s hope nothing bad happens otherwise you will be in a really big hole 🥶
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Hopefully it will be good as new — but how insistent should I be if anything squeaks or rattles when they are done?
