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2016 CLA250 Black trim between windshield and panoramic roof discolored, corrosion

11K views 30 replies 14 participants last post by  jay78596 
#1 ·
On my 2016 CLA250 the black trim piece on the roof between the windshield and the panoramic roof has corroded. The car is kept in a carport out of direct sunlight. in Florida, so there is no exposure to road salt. There is no other paint or trim degradation on the car. Very disappointed to see this on my excellent German engineered automobile. Anyone else have this happen? Any suggestions?
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#4 ·
Apparently one cause is the caustic ingredients of the widshield washer fluid.
the oem summerfit or winterfit stuff (with a tinge of ethanol in it) doesnt seem to attack the uv clear

aside from rain sun and polymer wash (and of course the occasional birdie present) nothing has contacted that surface and i dont scrub it (else it gets swirly like the b pillar trim) and knock on polycarbonate so far mine is ok … maybe treating it as a thin uv coating (like that on the headlight covers) may have helped

though if it goes one day guess i will whip out the trusty o’ piano black wrap [emoji846]
 
#10 ·
On my 2016 CLA250 the black trim piece on the roof between the windshield and the panoramic roof has corroded. The car is kept in a carport out of direct sunlight. in Florida, so there is no exposure to road salt. There is no other paint or trim degradation on the car. Very disappointed to see this on my excellent German engineered automobile. Anyone else have this happen? Any suggestions?
View attachment 68328
As suggested by someone on this thread, I think it's the combination of both the hot sunshine and the windshield fluid drying out on the panel.

That's why I always make sure I wax that panel everytime I wax my CLA.

Although you keep your vehicle under the porch when not driven, but during driving, you could be using the windshield wash fluid during driving to get rid of bugs or dirt, and the florida sunshine is so hot, it literally bakes the windshield fluid droplets onto the panel within minutes.

Just as people would tell you to never wash and dry your car in bright sunshine, same idea, water-spots on your paint can be really difficult to remove, especially if it has baked into your clearcoat.

Changing the panel altogether is an (expensive) option, wrapping it makes sense too.
 
#11 ·
As suggested by someone on this thread, I think it's the combination of both the hot sunshine and the windshield fluid drying out on the panel.

That's why I always make sure I wax that panel everytime I wax my CLA.

Although you keep your vehicle under the porch when not driven, but during driving, you could be using the windshield wash fluid during driving to get rid of bugs or dirt, and the florida sunshine is so hot, it literally bakes the windshield fluid droplets onto the panel within minutes.

Just as people would tell you to never wash and dry your car in bright sunshine, same idea, water-spots on your paint can be really difficult to remove, especially if it has baked into your clearcoat.

Changing the panel altogether is an (expensive) option, wrapping it makes sense too.
It seems as if that trim panel is not suitable for use as an exterior automobile component if it cannot tolerate windshield cleaning solution.
 
#15 ·
2018 model, was there no "new car" warranty to cover the defect?

I never polished that panel, never needed to. Simply wash, applied spray car wax or lately, Turtle Wax hybrid ceramic spray coating. Looking about the same as when I first drove it out of the shop.
 
#16 ·
On my 2016 CLA250 the black trim piece on the roof between the windshield and the panoramic roof has corroded. The car is kept in a carport out of direct sunlight. in Florida, so there is no exposure to road salt. There is no other paint or trim degradation on the car. Very disappointed to see this on my excellent German engineered automobile. Anyone else have this happen? Any suggestions?
View attachment 68328
This was a "concern" when I purchased a used (103,500K) loaded 2015 CLA 2015-went to a few body shops and had it painted along with the rear spoiler for 200 bucks!
For my beautiful (mint) used (49,500) loaded 2014 CLA purchased a few yrs ago-no issues!
 
#17 ·
I always thought that this kind of trim corrosion was due to the harsh chemicals they use in touchless car washes (I have since switched to self car washes + a nice wax at home)

I say wax but I really mean one of those hybrid wax-ceramic detailing sprays. Seems to offer decent temporary protection against the sun and rogue pigeons leaving me presents in the morning 😅
 
#26 ·
I asked my sales associate recently when i was at the dealership and he said my car had no recall?
 
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