New C class, paint crack on bootlid. Thoughts?

[Deleted member 126969]

Just wondering if anyone else has seen anything similar. Car is just over a month old, spotted the problem when washing it the other day. It's on the bootlid, apperas to start underneath the chrome trim, right where the panel folds for the numberplate recess. Small vertical crack in the paint.

My supplying dealer doesn't do paintwork in-house and their preferred paint people are in the wrong direction for me so need to contact a different dealer to progress this.

Sorry, image is rotated 90 degrees....trim should be horizontal.

Will report progress as and when.....

 

[kam05]

Could be a result of a bad repair?

 

[Lit91]

From the photo, it looks like a scratch rather than a crack.

 

[st13phil]

^ It certainly does

 

[SamW]

From the photo, it looks like a scratch rather than a crack.

Have you tried rubbing it with some polish or compound?

Very unlikely to be a crack. I've looked on mine and doesn't seem to be under any stress or movement to cause it.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

It's definitely a crack, not that obvious from the picture though. I've only had it just over a month from brand new so if it was a bad repair, it had to have been at the factory?

I agree, nothing about the location suggests it could have been stressed or bent. There are no witness marks anywhere on the bootlid to suggest it got tapped, pushed or whatever.

It is very close to where the two pieces of the outer skin are joined though. Joint is hidden under the trim.

I'm not going to touch it until a dealer has had a look at it. As far as I'm concerned, it's a defect from new. Total PITA really. Yes, it's only a barely visible blemish but I don't want it turning into something more serious down the line.

Appreciate the thoughts chaps. Keep 'em coming.

 

[RonFleet]

I'm not so sure I'd be happy with a quick paint job if this is a crack as water, salt spray and general muck might have made its way into the underlying metal - potentially causing corrosion later. But then, I'm paranoid...

 

[Deleted member 126969]

I'm not so sure I'd be happy with a quick paint job if this is a crack as water, salt spray and general muck might have made its way into the underlying metal - potentially causing corrosion later. But then, I'm paranoid...

That makes two of us! This is my first and likely last new car and i plan on keeping it a long time. Last thing i want is problems saved up for later. If it was a lease I'd probably not bother.

 

[zipdip]

Well Chris-S you would be surprised just how many cars get damaged at showrooms,the sprayer I use is kept busy by them ,so it may be new but may have had paint,best process it through the Mercedes dealership you want to repair it .

 

[Deleted member 126969]

Well Chris-S you would be surprised just how many cars get damaged at showrooms,the sprayer I use is kept busy by them ,so it may be new but may have had paint,best process it through the Mercedes dealership you want to repair it .

Sadly, it probably wouldn't, but thanks for the confirmation. I agree, let the dealers sort it, that way the full warranty should be maintained if there ever are any problems later on.

I'll give a very close inspection in daylight and see if I can spot any clues. Panel gaps all look good on the car - that was something i looked at very carefully when i got it.

As i say, it's brand new, barely 500 miles on the clock, so as far as I'm concerned, 100% this is an as-supplied defect that i expect to be properly sorted at MBs expense. I have no reason to expect they won't sort it and plan on approaching the dealer with that frame of mind. It's a shame the supplying dealer use a body shop so far away really, but it's enough of a PITA without having to do a 70 mile round trip just to get it looked at, then at least one more to get it sorted. Then again, see how i get on with this new place first.

Listers in Worcester if anyone has any experience by the way, although their paint place is in Droitwich.

Thanks chaps.

 

[zipdip]

Yes don't get me wrong they are not having death destruction derby's at the main dealers it is just that they all have just a few cars in the showroom and hundreds parked around the place,this leads to minor injuries to wings and doors,I have often thought that when they build a main dealers they should apply to build one of those prefabricated multi story car parks,but I suppose they would still try to get too many cars in it.

 

[uumode]

Yes don't get me wrong they are not having death destruction derby's at the main dealers it is just that they all have just a few cars in the showroom and hundreds parked around the place,this leads to minor injuries to wings and doors,I have often thought that when they build a main dealers they should apply to build one of those prefabricated multi story car parks,but I suppose they would still try to get too many cars in it.

Some car dealers (not necessarily Mercedes) have so little parking space their bays are close together.

If anyone saw the Top Gear special on following a Mini from start of production to the delivery, when the Mini are driven onto the ferry they are crammed in really tight - as well as driven onto trains for the rest of the journey. All adding in potential opportunities to be damaged.

I have a small dust speck under the paintwork on my boot, but have left it for the time being

 

[Deleted member 126969]

From the photo, it looks like a scratch rather than a crack.

^ It certainly does

....had another look at it today...and you chaps might be right. Could be a scratch after all. Very hard to be sure without getting the trim off and i won't be doing that.

If it is just a scratch, i don't think i'll be fretting too much about it.

Still awaiting a callback from the bodyshop. 72 hours and counting. 0/impressed so far. If they can't manage to ring me in 3 days I wonder what sort of actual service I'd get.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

Finally made contact with the dealer in a more meaningful way now. Looks like they have changed hands recently so that might explain it.

Anyhoo, arrangement is to pop in initially and have one of their paint techs take a look. They did offer to book it in formally but that feels like overkill at this point.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

Paint tech has had a look and believes it to be a scratch. He's going to get the inspection and comments entered into the records for the car - I'm happy with that. It really is a tiny defect, I just wanted it 'logged' in case it later turns out to be something more serious.

Initial communication was a bit patchy to say the least, but once I got there, it all worked well enough.

Hopefully that's the end of the trivia and we can just get on and enjoy the car now.