bari

When I ordered my 2007 SL55 AMG, I specifically opted to NOT have the front bumper holes and it was written all over the order. When I received the car last December, there were no holes visible that I noticed. However, a few months after Sam from Premier Protective Films (a sponsor here) installed a polyurethane bra on the car, some kind of "dimples" appeared and it became obvious that there were holes there that were plugged and painted. (The bra made them visible).

I just brought in the car for the 1,000+ mile complimentary service and the service advisor confirmed that there must have been holes there before. I told them to talk to the Salesman - don't know what they're going to do yet.

I looked at new cars in the show room to see what a "virgin" bumper would look like and there are no traces at all on those that don't have the dealer plates yet. (I was thinking that perhaps, new cars get some kind of dimples to mark where the holes are usually drilled for the front license plates). The lady who ordered the car for me remembered the specific instructions.

What would you do? Would you press the dealer to replace the bumper? I don't think I really want them to re-plug and re-paint the bumper, even if they offer that as solution...

Murtaza

I would get them to replace the bumper. Dealers mess up all the time, make them pay for it

BUTCH A

Be careful about asking for a new bumper replacement which will arrive in primered condition!

Your dealer's local car painters may be legally EPA-restricted to use water-based paint and will not be able to duplicate the ceramic-type OEM paint that the MBZ factory uses. Application of this paint requires specialized handling and equipment. The original paint applied on 2005-and-on cars is so much more durable and resistant to scratching or chipping.

I know you intend to use a 3M clear bra but that will not cover all frontal surfaces either. Besides, the clear bra will also start to degrade in less than 3 years. That's about how long I've had one on my Titanium color '04 Cayenne Turbo. In the beginning, the clear bra was not noticeable from a distance of over 10 feet but now it has lost a lot of its lustrous surface and turned matt. The difference is quite obvious!

However if you still intend to have the bumper replaced, allow the repainted surfaces to totally outgas and dry up a few weeks before installing the clear bra.

bari

Well, here's the unfortunate situation. I got a call from Service and said that the Sales Manager will fix it by plugging and repainting. Won't go for a bumper replace! And the ding that was on the hood, he said i waited too long to bring it in. This despite the fact that I'v emailed them about it months before and called them numerous times. Each time then, I was told to just wait when I bring in the car for service and they'll take care of it. The Sales Manager was very cocky and laughed at me over the phone. So I went and called the GM, who right now will look it too. He said they didn't do it and I said I didn't think so either. If they ship all cars with pre-drilled starter holes, then I said I'll settle for the repair. So that's where we left it...

Lesson learned: Dealers are dealers - just nice when you're in the process of buying! Once you're in - you're at their mercy!