MB C250 driver seat bottom cover replacement

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Some of you may remember my threads about the 2012 MB C250 that I have been trying to help a friend sell.

The driver seat bottom had a tear in the MB Tex material, and the tear was in the seam. Some people found this to be a deal breaker so I decided to replace the cover. MSRP for the cover from MB is $332 and the cost from an online MB dealer is in the $230 range. A local upholstery shop quoted $450 to repair the existing cover. So, the decision was easy - replace the cover myself.

Surprisingly, this cover is not attached using hog rings. The perimeter of the cover has a "snap in" plastic channel. Each "fold" has 3 plastic clips on the cushion side which clip onto a metal rod that is built into the seat cover. I think the clips hold the material so tightly that overtime, the material will tear.

The bottom seat cushion assembly is attached to the seat frame using two T30 bolts. The seat doesn't have to be removed from the car.

In total, the entire job took under an hour. This is a good thing since they supposedly tear very often. MB made it very easy to replace the bottom seat cover; I just wished it lasted a bit longer.

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The same problem plagues the W212, the early 2010-2013 had the seat ripping later years seem to be better but maybe they haven't had enough time to rip yet. Just seems like a QC problem. Previous generations were fine. You can pick up a copy of the WIS which is the workshop information system on eBay for about $6.60 and it's the same manuals the shops use.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Latest-201...orkshop-Manual-Full-version/123679649919
 
Originally Posted by SLO_Town
Looks like somebody "kneed" that original seat bottom.

Scott


It's a design defect. They either used weaker stitching or didn't have enough material to hold it together.
 
Some of you may remember my threads about the 2012 MB C250 that I have been trying to help a friend sell.

The driver seat bottom had a tear in the MB Tex material, and the tear was in the seam. Some people found this to be a deal breaker so I decided to replace the cover. MSRP for the cover from MB is $332 and the cost from an online MB dealer is in the $230 range. A local upholstery shop quoted $450 to repair the existing cover. So, the decision was easy - replace the cover myself.

Surprisingly, this cover is not attached using hog rings. The perimeter of the cover has a "snap in" plastic channel. Each "fold" has 3 plastic clips on the cushion side which clip onto a metal rod that is built into the seat cover. I think the clips hold the material so tightly that overtime, the material will tear.

The bottom seat cushion assembly is attached to the seat frame using two T30 bolts. The seat doesn't have to be removed from the car.

In total, the entire job took under an hour. This is a good thing since they supposedly tear very often. MB made it very easy to replace the bottom seat cover; I just wished it lasted a bit longer.

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Hi I need to change my seat cover and your pictures are going to be a big help.
Would you tell me where you ordered the cover?
Thanks 👍
 
Hi I need to change my seat cover and your pictures are going to be a big help.
Would you tell me where you ordered the cover?
Thanks 👍
You basically get a copy of EPC and punch in your vin. Then you can look up the part number of the seat cover. Then once you have the part number, you can go online and do a search for the part number and the dealer with the lowest online price will show up. Typically discounting is anywhere from 25-32% off list price but some of the bigger discount places charge more for shipping.

You can pick up a knock off copy of the EPC/WIS (WIS is the full dealer repair manual and would have replacement instructions) for around $10 or less. It's not that easy to use though.


You might also be able to figure it out from the dealer's website, this one I use because it's closest discounting dealer and their shipping is low but doesn't always have the lowest price. But include the VIN when ordering so they can verify that it's the right part. There are some eBay sellers selling the covers cheaper, but reports in the MB forums are that they're not quite an exact fit so just get the OEM MB part. At least the dealer part will have a 2 year warranty.

 
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