Anyone else have this cracking and stripping issue? I've seen it before, and the car is under warrenty and will most likely be fixed by the dealer. I'm just wondering what causes it so I can prevent it from happening again.
Where we live up north they use every caustic ice melting agent in the world to clear the roads and that can cause premature finishing failure, but in NC I am not sure what would cause that. We have not had any finish or corosion issues after 5 winters on the road. In your case God bless warranties.
l'm not sure, what causes this as well..though it is a common problem with the M-Class....probably another "poor supplier" chosen by Mercedes for the M-Class.....[:(!]
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1999 : Black Opal ML 430 : 125,000 KM (traded-in)
2002 : Bordeaux ML 55 : 130,000 KM (traded-in)
2006 : Silver lridium ML 350 : 53,000 KM (stolen)
2006 : Cubanite Silver Metallic : 24,000 KM
We've had both L&R pieces of trim replaced under warranty a few years ago for cracking, and no problem since. I've not seen the surface blemish as your photo shows. The cracking, I believe, is due to poorly placed glue, and when they are replaced, I think they apply glue more evenly across the whole length, which should help for the cracking.
It should most definitely be replaced under warranty.
Originally, they were using an adhesive that would expand and contract and cause the D-pillar trim to crack. Now they use a urethane just like they do on glass windshields that resolves the cracking. The peeling clear coat is a different problem. Both of mine did it and both were replaced under warranty. If it’s not under warranty, you should be able to get a body shop to dress them up for you for much less than the price of replacement parts.
Both of mine look like crap now. The car is no longer under warranty, so I may hit them with Krylon Clear or something short of buying new ones ($80 each + install for these lame-Oh pieces of plastic). The wife did me a favor last winter and scrapped the snow off the car - and they have been peeling ever since.
[:(]
Run it by a bodyshop man in the know. But I'll give it a great guess!
The problem with the pillars is that they are plastic. In order for the paint to stick properly, a flex agent addditive has to be added to the paint to make it adhere to it. I remember a discussion with some friends several years ago about this involving rubber or plastic bumpers. It was suggested that the flex agent in the paint prevented the clear coat from adhering properly. In turn, the heat from the sun actually lifted the clear off exposing the undercoat. If you all will note, the severity of the damage appears to have started at the top and worked it's way down. You can also see bumpers with this same problem and it is always on the top.
I have seen this very problem on plastic door pillars on cars. If the undercoat isn't damaged, it's possible to lightly sand and remove all the clear if possible. Then tape up around (and all over) and respray the clear from a can. I have helped do this before but it is only temporary. It would have to be done again in a year or two (but that's the case with the factory!).
But for $80.00, it just might be worth replacing them!
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