N/S outer rear light unit for a 2013, W212, E-class.

[Jeff smith]

Hi. Does anyone know a supplier for the N/S outer rear light unit for a 2013, W212, E-class These lights appear to be as rare as hens teeth, as a design fault causes the unit to fill with water, shorting it out. No-one seems to have new units in stock (made by Hella, I believe), all I can find is a number of backstreet workshops, advertising on E-bay, who say they can repair the faulty units by opening them up from the back. I am worried that this 'solution' will still allow water to enter the repaired unit from the outside. I mentioned the problem to my dealer a the last service, but they merely noted that the unit was faulty due to water ingress, and left the problem to me!

Oh dear, I haven't had one reply to this question. I had hoped all the site experts would have replied by now. telling me where i could go to buy a new rear light unit. all you owners out there unfortunate enough to drive an e-class, please remember that if someone bumps your tail-light, while you're parked up doing your Christmas shopping, your pride Joy will be out of action indefinitely, as there are no replacement lights available, and your car will be illegal to drive! I once owned a 1930's Mercedes, it was clearly built up to a standard, not down to a cost. (far better than the 1930's Rolls Royce I owned at he same time.) Mercedes Benz appear to have forgotten their reputation for quality. I will never buy another.

 

[mioba]

All because of a light.....

Have you tried mercedes themselves, euro car parts, GSF, ebay at cars being broken.

Lots of parts are on delay because of chips or this Corona thing you may have heard of.

In the meantime its just a light, so woooooo zaaaaa.

ps the light is nearly 10 years old....

 

[Jeff smith]

All because of a light.....

Have you tried mercedes themselves, euro car parts, GSF, ebay at cars being broken.

Lots of parts are on delay because of chips or this Corona thing you may have heard of.

In the meantime its just a light, so woooooo zaaaaa.

Taking your points in order:
1. Yes, just a light. But it is a legal requirement to have functional lights & indicators when you're on the road.
2. Have I tried Mercedes? If you had read my thread properly, you would have realised that I reported the problem with the light, the last time I took it into Mercedes for a service. They marked the service sheet that the light was faulty, but didn't choose to repair it. I had exactly the same problem with a faulty rear suspension air-bag. That went onto the same main dealer twice for service, and even though I reported the air-bag fault both times it wasn't repaired. I have since found an excellent independent specialist, near Manchester, who identified the air bag problem immediately, and fitted a new air bag. Obviously, the main dealers are part of the problem, not part of a solution. Both the rear light problem, and the air bag issue in E-class estates have been identified as common faults with the E-Class. A company with any integrity would have recalled the vehicles, rather than leave owners with these sort of problems.
3. Have I heard of Corona? My wife was a scientist, working in drugs development, so Yes, I have heard of the Corona virus. Oh, but just a minute, was that your attempt at sarcasm Yes, I believe it was!
4. I have tried Euro car Parts - No stock. the specialist breakers in the UK list some, but are charging more than the list price of new unit. They have obviously identified this problem as a design fault, and are charging as much as the market will bear.
Getting back to your first point, Yes, it is only a light, but I think it is also indicative of just how far standards have slipped at Mercedes Benz. Fortunately for them, many owners still appear to be happy paying over the odds for cars supplied with faulty components, along with inferior service from the dealerships.

 

[mioba]

Mercedes dont repair at will. They usually replace.

They will usually tell you that the fault reported will cost xyz to rectify and then it is the choice of the customer to authorise the work or not.

Perhaps if you ask them the cost to put it right they will give you a price.

Mercedes would never take the lens off and reseal the light. But you have that choice as mentioned

A light of 10 years old failing is not uncommon, the plastics undergo weather extremes and contract and expand finding weak points. If it was a design fault it would appear soon after manufacture and merc would tend to issue a recall. But its only one light so if it was a design fault why has the other not failed.

And yes its a legal requirment to have working lights, which is why its the owners responsibility to get it fixed be it a bulb or a cluster - not the dealers.

The headlights on my W220 failed a merc MOT a fee years ago for excess yellowing impairing the beam pattern. They quoted 1600 for new lights. No thanks I said. I went home, got a cleaning kit, polished them like new, a spray of UV coating, went. back a few days later and issue resolved.

don't discount that a new MB light will be updated to address the problem.

Although I see the frustration, have you took this up with MB themselves in Milton Keynes.

you have your choice.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Sorry to hear this but with modern cars built with quite a number of plastic components they will fail, part of the price of ‘progress‘ I suppose. Mercedes aren’t the only manfacturer suffering rear suspension airbag failure BMW are just as bad. I‘ve been deliberating whether to buy a BMW 535i touring and the last one I looked at on a 13 plate had an advisory on the last two MOTs that the rear airbags were cracked and due for replacement - obviously easier to inspect on a BMW the first indication you get with a MB is the suspension on the bump stops when you go out to start it in the morning.