1997 Mercedes Benz 129

THE INSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR HAS INADEQUATELY SIZED SPRING CLIP POSTS RESULTING IN EASY BREAKAGE, WITH LEAVES THE MIRROR VERY LOOSE, DISTRACTING AND UNUSABLE IN DAILY DRIVING. THE SNAP-ON MIRROR GLASS SURROUND TRIM WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED SPRING CLIP POSTS IS MARKED WITH P/N 129 811 0635, AND WOULD HAVE A LIKELY PRICE OF AROUND $15, HOWEVER MERCEDES BENZ ONLY SUPPLIES THE MIRROR ASSY @ $942. TWO M/B DEALERS AND AN INDEPENDENT M/B GARAGE SAYS THIS MIRROR IS USED ON MANY OF THEIR PRODUCTS, AND THE CLIP BREAKAGE IS VERY COMMON. THEY ALSO INDICATED IT WAS RARE/NEVER THE CASE WHERE A CUSTOMER WOULD SPEND $1000 (INCL LABOR) TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THEREFORE THIS COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE IN TERMS OF SAFETY AND DRIVER DISTRACTION. AT THE DIRECTION OF THE 2ND M/B DEALER, I CALLED M/B NA AND THEY BASICALLY SAID THEY HAD NO INTENTION OF MAKING THE POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE PART AVAILABLE AS A SERVICE PART... EITHER SPEND THE $1000 OR DRIVE AN UNSAFE CAR. *TR