MB Titanium steering wheel replacement with Airbag seems inferior.

[dan76n]

Hi All,
I posted a comment in the airbag thread but felt this deserves its own thread.
We have just had our Airbag replaced in our MB titanium and when we picked the car up, we found out the steering wheel was also replaced.
My issue with this is the new steering wheel is quite soft where as the original Titanium Steering wheel was very firm which I preferred.
The new wheel also feels quite cheap.
The service centre jut said that’s what wheel it gets replaced with as the old wheel isn’t compatible with the new airbag.
Has anyone else had a titanium steering wheel replaced and if so I’d you get the soft wheel?

I know we should be gratefull for the new steering wheel but both myself and my wife really prefer the solid feel the original shell had so are really disappointed in the swap over.

[cobrin]

My Zetec were a leather wheel originally, felt solid and nice. The replacement from the recall is fake leather 'Pleather' if you will and it's much softer, has less profile shapes in it and it's noisy to the hand as it sweeps over it. That being said it's settling down and is starting to quieten down.

Still not as nice as the original, not by a long shot.

[NZ XR6]

I'm pleased they're not recalling the MB in NZ! I too would be grumpy to lose the original wheel.

[bazzaa]

Originally Posted by cobrin

My Zetec were a leather wheel originally, felt solid and nice. The replacement from the recall is fake leather 'Pleather' if you will and it's much softer, has less profile shapes in it and it's noisy to the hand as it sweeps over it

Our MB Zetec has had the same steering wheel replacement, along with the airbag. It definitely appears to be a 'synthetic leather', it's too soft and pliable, plus it looks wrong where the stitching is. When it's been sitting in the sun for hours it's quite hot to the touch as well, much as you'd expect from vinyl.


I've complained to Ford. The response was:
A) That is leather on the new wheel...

And when challenged, go-to;
B) That's the only type of wheel we have to fit as part of the recall...

And when challenged, go-to;

C) If you don't like it, bad luck.



I raised a ticket on the ACCC website, as it's ultimately their responsibility/their call, they've not bothered to even respond.


I'm also confused as to why they have kept the original wheel, as parts remain the property of the customer.

[GTLEGEND]

So that means the customer gets the old faulty air bags too? Don't think so.

Parts are the property of who ever pays for the repair, not the customer. So if Ford are paying for the repair under the campaign, then the parts are theirs, especially when it is for a safety campaign.

The steering wheel needs to get replaced because the new style air bag which is not made by Takata does not fit the steering wheel, thus the replacement.

[bazzaa]

Originally Posted by GTLEGEND

Parts are the property of who ever pays for the repair, not the customer.

Wrong.
Give Fair Trading a call if you'd like clarification.



I tripped over this when I started my own business 25 years ago. The customer has paid for the parts, even if they're broken, they remain their property.

Whoever is paying for replacement parts doesn't alter the fact that the customer has paid for the original parts.


I have no idea what the legislation says about unsafe airbags, there's likely an exemption as there's a recall, so they wouldn't have to return those. But they most certainly should return the original wheel.