Mercedes Knowingly Sold Cars with Defective Wood Trim Prone to Discoloration, Lawsuit Charges [UPDATE]
by Nadia Abbas
Last Updated on May 5, 2022
Callen v. Daimler AG et al
Filed: March 28, 2019 ◆§ 1:19cv1411
A lawsuit alleges that Daimler AG and Mercedes Benz USA, LLC knowingly sold cars with defective wood trim that became discolored after being exposed to sunlight.
Case Updates
May 5, 2022 – Mercedes E-Series Walnut Trim Class Action Settled
The proposed class action detailed on this page has been settled, with U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. preliminarily signing off on a deal covering all current and former owners and lessees of 2010-2016 Mercedes 212 E-Class vehicles equipped with “burl walnut” or “burred walnut” wood trim.
Mercedes drivers who are covered by the settlement and who submit valid claims can receive reimbursement for certain past, out-of-pocket repairs to address the alleged fading, discoloration and cloudiness issues with the walnut trim. Consumers can also receive an extended warranty to cover certain future repairs. This extended warranty is not dependent on a vehicle’s mileage, only its age.
Settlement documents state that qualified repairs are to be reimbursed on a sliding scale depending on the age of the vehicle at the time of the repair or at the time the issue was presented to an authorized service center. The settlement covers repairs related to the walnut trim issue that occurred within the first 15 years from the date the particular vehicle was put into service.
Mercedes drivers who are covered by the settlement will receive directly by mail a postcard notice that contains information on the deal, their legal rights and how to file a claim for compensation. (“Class members” will be identified by their vehicle’s VIN number.) An official settlement website will also be established in the coming weeks.
To obtain compensation from the settlement, covered Mercedes drivers must submit a claim form and supporting documents online or by mail.
Court documents state that the settlement, valued at between $34.5 million and $51.7 million, provides direct benefits to current and former owners and lessees of more than 243,000 Mercedes vehicles.
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In a proposed class action out of Georgia, Daimler AG and Mercedes Benz USA, LLC are alleged to have knowingly sold cars with defective wood trim that became discolored after being exposed to sunlight.
According to the case, Mercedes’ burl walnut wood trim panels, used in model years 2009 to 2016 W212 Mercedes E Series vehicles and possibly others, fade and become cloudy over time, “with wild variations in where and when the areas of the trim deteriorate, leaving certain areas unaffected and other areas dramatically affected within the same vehicle.”
The suit alleges that after learning the wood trim was defective, Mercedes, instead of fixing the issue, instructed dealerships to hide the problem. In November 2010, the complaint explains, Mercedes issued a “Wood Trim Fading or Discoloring Technical Service Bulletin” that pinpointed inadequate UV ray protection as the cause of the discoloration. Rather than replacing the panels on all affected cars, Mercedes, the case alleges, recommended that dealerships remove any stickers and coverings from the wood in order to prevent leaving an obvious outline of sun damage and disguise any fading until “long after the customer drove off the lot in their new car.”
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