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Rear door panels

669 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Huey52
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Hi

I just purchased yesterday a 2018 GLA 220d. After a 5 hour journey in the middle of the night to a secondhand dealer, part excited and part very tired, took car for test drive and everything seemed to be ok, looked briefly in the back and all seemed ok.
Bought the car and halfway back to home I stopped at services and looked again in the back only to find some quite horrific marks on the interior door panels (maybe possibly done by a child), who knows. Got home and wife went absolutely mental as you can imagine and caused quite an argument leaving me to feel very foolish.
I have sent an email to the dealer to explain that the back of the car had been overlooked and can he basically get these panels replaced as I think this was a dishonest sale. Plus how do you expect someone to do a 5 hour journey and then see something like this and expect to be happy to purchase the car.
The question I am asking is does anyone know how much these panels would cost to replace either by Mercedes or a third party garage. I am based in UK.

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Welcome. Looks like someone drove their dog around, if that was a child it needs therapy.

Glad you emailed the dealer, hopefully they’re stand-up people and will pay or subsidize the repair/replacement cost. In all honesty, they’re really not responsible unless they deliberately hid the damage. If the listing is still online, see if any photos were edited/low res, that could be used as proof of deception should you need to arbitrate. Make sure there was no mention of damage on the listing or any written correspondence (texts, emails, etc.) or the documents they gave you/made you sign

As a purchaser, it’s your responsibility to inspect the vehicle before purchasing. Maybe a court would rule in your favour if they intentionally deceived you, but that’s a long, expensive process and difficult to prove. If it’s a reputable dealer, they may repair or replace the panels to protect their reputation or gain customer loyalty, but that’s a gamble.

Look for reputable vehicle upholstery repair shops in your area, they will likely be able to fix it for a fraction of the replacement cost. This is likely what the dealer will do if they agree to fix it. Check eBay, etc. to find used door panels.

also inspect the seat backs, rear seats, headrests, console, headliner and boot for any further damage that they may be liable to disclose. In the future, do a more thorough inspection or get a professional opinion before purchasing.
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To better answer your actual question, the cost of replacement will vary depending on what components need to be replaced and purchase location. New parts will come at a more individual level (arm rest is a separate piece, trims, speaker grilles, handles, panel sections, door pockets, etc.) so you’ll need to figure out what exactly needs replacing. Then the door panel has to be taken apart, reassembled and installed. It won’t be cheap.
Can’t recommend any particular shop as I’m not from the UK, but see what RJ Automotive can do. They usually have parts prices lower than dealers.
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Hi there, thanks for your reply and advice. I am hoping to hear back today from the dealer and what they have to say. It is a shame to see a nice car otherwise but the rear of the car to have been neglected.
I really should have taken more notice when viewing the car, really don’t know how I could of missed it and I am still kicking myself for lack of attention to detail. All I can say is, that things didn’t go well with my wife when I got home.
I have seen some same door panels on eBay at quite cheap prices so will keep eye out.
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Well, as a wife with high expectations also, I can say for sure that almost 30 years of marriage have taught me to drive the 5 hours myself if I want the right to criticize! I am sure she is disappointed, but it does appear to be only some cosmetic damage done by children. As long as no one had let those kids loose in the engine, right?

These look to me like they are repairable. A good detail shop usually has direct lines on upholstery repair places, many of whom will come to you (low overhead = good price without dealer markup).

Was this a Mercedes dealership or just a car reseller? Maybe their reputation will matter to them and they will make this right. Good luck!
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Thanks for your reply, unfortunately they didn’t help in the end and just said it should of been spotted before committing to the car. So I will look into sourcing some new ones or good second hand ones. New from Mercedes won’t be cheap so will see. They were not a main dealer but a back street car dealer.
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Thanks for your reply, unfortunately they didn’t help in the end and just said it should of been spotted before committing to the car. So I will look into sourcing some new ones or good second hand ones. New from Mercedes won’t be cheap so will see. They were not a main dealer but a back street car dealer.
are you the same person? your OP was from a different account. Did you check the photos or listing to see for any coverups? I'd strongly suggest getting a repair rather than replacement, it will be cheaper, quicker, easier and avoids having to match trims/colours. It's also far less wasteful and you'll avoid any rattling/misalignment from removing the door panels.
makes sense to me to spend as little money as possible since this is an aesthetic repair, not a functional one.
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Let us know if you want us to delete your 2nd account. Not sure why you created another similar.

are you the same person?
Thanks for your reply, unfortunately they didn’t help in the end and just said it should of been spotted before committing to the car. So I will look into sourcing some new ones or good second hand ones. New from Mercedes won’t be cheap so will see. They were not a main dealer but a back street car dealer.
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