— A Mercedes wood trim lawsuit settlement has been reached by E-Class drivers and Mercedes-Benz.
The Mercedes wood trim lawsuit was filed by 13 owners who allege the burl walnut trim (option code 731 or H14) is defective because it discolors, fades and becomes cloudy in W212 and S212 E-Class vehicles which were manufactured between 2009 and 2016.
The original plaintiff who filed the class action lawsuit alleges her burl walnut trim started fading in 2018 on the interior of her 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350. Due to fading and discoloring, the wood trim didn't match on the doors, dashboard and center console.
The Mercedes wood trim lawsuit alleges dealer technicians admitted the E-Class burl walnut trim was defective because ultraviolet light faded the trim, a fact pointed out in a technical service bulletin (TSB) that said the trim faded due to, “Inadequate UV (ultra violet) ray protection."
A second TSB titled, “Fading of Wood Trim in Model Series 212 Technical Service Bulletin,” was allegedly updated multiple times because UV radiation could fade the "burled walnut veneer wood finish trim parts." Mercedes dealers were told to replace the faded wood trim with new burl walnut kits.
The Mercedes wood trim lawsuit also claims an owner can easily pay thousands of dollars to replace the burl walnut trim.
Proposed Mercedes Wood Trim Lawsuit Settlement
A judge must still grant final approval to the settlement before anything is official, but Mercedes-Benz is clear it doesn't believe there is anything wrong with the E-Class vehicles. According to Mercedes, it denies all allegations of wrongdoing and liability asserted in the wood trim class action lawsuit.
Several claims against Mercedes-Benz had been dismissed by the time the automaker and plaintiffs reached a settlement agreement.
Partial Reimbursement for Qualified Past Repairs
According to the lawsuit settlement, a qualified past repair means a repair or replacement of the burl wood trim because of fading or discoloration caused by ultraviolet radiation exposure.
A customer may be eligible for reimbursement, but the reimbursement may only be partial based on when the repairs took place.
For a vehicle that received a repair less than four years after the vehicle was first put into service, 100% of the cost may be reimbursed. However, this would have occurred during the original warranty period and if Mercedes covered the cost, an owner won't qualify for reimbursement.
If the owner paid for repairs beyond four years after the in-service date of the vehicle, a customer may be reimbursed between 25% and 70% based on how long the vehicle had been in service up to 15 years.
Partial Coverage for Qualified Future Repairs
Future repairs may be covered, but as with reimbursement for past repairs, Mercedes E-Class owners can expect to partially pay for future repairs.
The settlement says an owner could still be faced with paying anywhere from 25% to 70% for future repairs, based on how long the vehicle has been in service up to 15 years.
A Mercedes-Benz owner will need to file a claim and provide documentation of repairs performed by a dealership for burl walnut trim damaged by UV radiation. But no reimbursement is possible if the trim was damaged by any other means.
According to the proposed settlement, each of the 13 owners who sued will receive $5,000 each, and the attorneys will receive $4.5 million.
The Mercedes wood trim lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division: Callen et al. v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC et al.
The plaintiffs are represented by Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC, and Rozier Hardt McDonough PLLC.
