Mercedes Interior Veneer Wood Trim Lawsuit Alleges Automaker ‘Actively Concealed’ Cracking Defect

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A proposed class action lawsuit accuses Mercedes Benz of equipping certain 2013-2022 model year vehicles with defective interior veneer wood finish trim that is prone to crack.

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The 95-page lawsuit alleges that Mercedes Benz Group AG and Mercedes Benz USA knew yet “actively concealed” from drivers that the interior veneer wood finish found in the 2013-2022 ML, GL, GLE, GLS, GLC and GLK, and potentially other luxury Mercedes vehicles, suffered from a “serious latent defect” that can cause cracking.

“In breach of Defendants’ warranties, the Putative Class Vehicles are defective, unfit for the ordinary purposes for which they are intended to be used, and not merchantable,” the case claims. 

Per the complaint, the Mercedes wood trim defect has impacted affected vehicles’ resale and buyback values. The filing asserts that the condition of the interior veneer wood trim is an important aspect of a Mercedes vehicle’s overall value, one considered by both primary and secondary buyers, and a factor that “determines whether a car will sell at fair market value or not.” 

“By fraudulently suppressing their knowledge of the issues with the Veneer Wood Trim on the [class vehicles], Mercedes violated various state consumer protection laws,” the suit alleges.

As the complaint tells it, when the veneer wood trim in the Mercedes models at issue is in the condition “in which it is sold and should remain,” it has a “unique interior fit and finish” that lends the cars a luxurious look. The particular veneer wood trim is an “extremely common interior” used by Mercedes Benz due to its “resilient and durable nature and rich visual appearance,” such that the trim is widely associated with the automaker’s brand, the filing shares. 

According to the lawsuit, Mercedes Benz continues to advertise and sell the 2013-2022 vehicle models at issue without replacing the faulty veneer wood trim, even in newer models. The case points out that the Mercedes defendants benefited from the sale of the affected vehicle models, whether through direct purchases from authorized dealers or indirectly through increased sale prices driven by a strong market for used Mercedes vehicles. 

The suit accuses Mercedes of breaching its warranties for the 2013-2022 vehicles at issue by failing to repair the interior veneer wood trim as warranted and continuing to use the faulty trim in its vehicles. 

“The [Mercedes Benz owner’s] Manual contains a section on the Veneer Wood Trim that is at issue in this matter, specifically detailing how to care for and clean the genuine wood and trim elements. As a result, through the Manual, Defendants assert that the Veneer Wood Trim is a specific genuine part that was specifically developed, manufactured or selected for the specific vehicle, provide instructions for care of the Veneer Wood Trim, and direct vehicle owners to seek replacement of vehicle parts through Mercedes-Benz. Yet when Plaintiffs sought replacement of the Veneer Wood Trim in their vehicles, Defendants refused to do so without out-of-pocket payment.”

Per the case, the large number of complaints, and the consistency of consumers’ descriptions of the veneer wood trim cracking problem, should have alerted the automaker to the defect plaguing “one of the most popular and highest-selling vehicle features.” Additionally, Mercedes should have realized the problem based on the large number of inquiries regarding replacements and repairs for vehicles with cracked interior wood trim, the suit says. 

The lawsuit looks to cover all consumers who own, owned, lease or leased a 2013-2022 ML, GL, GLE, GLS, GLC or GLK in the United States. 

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