Mercedes-Benz bulletin LI98.00-P-078306
What it saysComplaint After removing the transport protection from new vehicles, localized cloudy spots or streaks may appear on the paint surface. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mercedes-Benz filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Feb 24, 2026, received Sep 24, 2024, about the structure — 2 documents under this number. It names 8 model years (2018–2025). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
Get the next Mercedes-Benz G-Class bulletin by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationComplaint After removing the transport protection from new vehicles, localized cloudy spots or streaks may appear on the paint surface. These marks are most commonly seen on the hood, fenders, and bumpers and are more noticeable on dark paint colors. Cause Moisture can become trapped under the full transport packaging. This moisture may penetrate the fresh paint, causing the paint layer to swell and result in visible white spots or streaks. Remedy Carefully heat the affected areas using a heat gun or Infrared Paint Curing Lamp. • Ensure that seals and other heat‑sensitive components, including those behind the heated area, are not exposed to excessive heat or damaged during the process. • Set the heat gun to 500–600 °C (932–1,112 °F). • Hold the heat gun approximately 5–10 cm (2–4 inches) from the surface. For plastic components (e.g., bumpers): DO NOT exceed 120 °C (248 °F). The heating process may need to be repeated several times to achieve the desired result. IF heating does not improve the appearance OR the paint structure is permanently damaged and cannot be repaired, the affected component must be repainted.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LI98.00-P-078306 | Service bulletin | Feb 24, 2026 | 11028988 | PDF, 4,533 KB |
| LI98.00-P-078306 | Service bulletin | Sep 21, 2024 | 11007965 | PDF, 4,506 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
Find the body for the 2025 G-Class →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
Email me new Mercedes-Benz bulletins for the G-Class
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Mercedes-Benz files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 32 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the structure
Source: same model, same component group8 other manufacturer communications filed against the Mercedes-Benz G-Class under the same component group (structure), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| LI82.62-P-078631 | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | Complaint Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors. Cause Under analysis. Remedy To narrow down the cause, first of all rem… |
| LI72.20-P-075746 | Service bulletin | Aug 24, 2026 | Complaint Tailgate opens unintentionally. Cause Accidental or unnoticed activation of the button to open the tailgate on the vehicle key. EX… |
| LI88.80-P-080031 | Service bulletin | May 7, 2026 | Complaint Water ingress in the load compartment between the C and D pillars. Cause In the area of the rounding at the D-pillar, a leakage ma… |
| LI72.10-P-078836 | Service bulletin | Feb 25, 2026 | Complaint Wind noises from the area of the A-pillars on driver's and/or front passenger side. Cause Depending on the clamping force of the d… |
| LI77.20-P-073486 | Service bulletin | Feb 24, 2026 | Complaint Water ingress at the sliding sunroof can lead to moisture in the interior. In some cases, the leakage may also be visible to the c… |
| LI72.10-P-079446 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2025 | Complaint: Customer complaint concerns wind/clattering noises upwards of 20mph in the area of the A-pillar, the outside mirror or at the fro… |
| LI88.60-P-079224 | Service bulletin | Apr 21, 2025 | Complaint The surface of the fuel filler flap may have visual reflections of light or waviness depending on the light and angle of viewing.… |
| LI98.00-P-078106 | Service bulletin | Sep 10, 2024 | Complaint Damage or discoloration to paint protection films on vehicle. Cause Chip protection films are a wear item that may need to be repl… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Mercedes-Benz, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Mercedes-Benz LI98.00-P-078306 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the LI98.00-P-078306 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Mercedes-Benz warranty extension on file lists the ones Mercedes-Benz has filed.
Which vehicles does LI98.00-P-078306 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years: 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, 2024 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, 2023 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, 2022 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, 2021 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, 2020 Mercedes-Benz G-Class and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.