500E / E500 Parts Manufacturer Quality List

[gerryvz]

Is there any Chinese part for our cars that has been found to be equivalent to genuine? That’s what this guy should be admitting to.

FCP Euro is (unfortunately) a lowest common denominator site. In reality no better than AutohauZ.

I recently pinged FCP about a W211 windshield sticker, which has been NLA from MB (superseded to a different part), and they outright gave me wrong information to a very specific question.

Based on the wrong information, I ordered said sticker and confirmed they were wrong. I then notified them via the product page on their site that their answer to my question was wrong. And I then gave them the correct information.

This morning I get a reply thanking me for my update, and saying they will update their previous answer to my question.

And lo and behold, their UPDATE is also 100% wrong.

Sometimes you just can’t win.

This is a clear windshield sticker with black writing on it, with a white paper that adheres to the sticker’s adhesive and is thrown away.

FCP Euro first tried to tell me that this was a white sticker with black writing (like the original W211 part was). When I told them they were incorrect and told them what the sticker they shipped me actually was, I get the reply (to my original question) stated below (an incorrect answer replacing their first incorrect answer).

 

[gsxr]

FCP Euro is (unfortunately) a lowest common denominator site. In reality no better than AutohauZ.

FCP is generally a (small) notch above AHAZ for other reasons: free shipping, COO shown for some/most parts, and lifetime warranty (including fluids, if you pay to send the old stuff back).

FCP usually tries to update their site info if you inform them of errors. AHAZ, not so much. Here's feedback I sent AHAZ last summer... they never responded and took NO action to correct the wrong information on their website for this part:

"The wrong part number was shipped. I received a clutch with opposite rotation that is not "equivalent". Your catalog incorrectly shows CW and CCW rotation fan clutch part numbers as interchangeable, they are not. I ordered Sachs 2100-027-131 and received 2100-027-032."​

They are still showing the -131 clutch as available which it is not... they will ship an -032 clutch which has opposite rotation!! Their model interchange is also incorrect. I've found wrong/backwards rotation clutches on junkyard cars as well... AHAZ is not alone with their incorrect interchange data. For now, this particular part number (210.072 fan clutch) is dealer/OE/Genuine only.

 

[gerryvz]

FCP is generally a (small) notch above AHAZ for other reasons: free shipping, COO shown for some/most parts, and lifetime warranty (including fluids, if you pay to send the old stuff back).

FCP usually tries to update their site info if you inform them of errors. AHAZ, not so much. Here's feedback I sent AHAZ last summer... they never responded and took NO action to correct the wrong information on their website for this part:

"The wrong part number was shipped. I received a clutch with opposite rotation that is not "equivalent". Your catalog incorrectly shows CW and CCW rotation fan clutch part numbers as interchangeable, they are not. I ordered Sachs 2100-027-131 and received 2100-027-032."​

They are still showing the -131 clutch as available which it is not... they will ship an -032 clutch which has opposite rotation!! Their model interchange is also incorrect. I've found wrong/backwards rotation clutches on junkyard cars as well... AHAZ is not alone with their incorrect interchange data. For now, this particular part number (210.072 fan clutch) is dealer/OE/Genuine only.

See my edits to my last post above.

 

[R129 UK]

What is the general consensus nowadays about Febi parts?

Does the "tie-in / merger" or whatever it was with Bilstein upgrade their status on this list or not?

Particularly steering, suspension and mounts etc.?


Thanks

 

[gsxr]

What is the general consensus nowadays about Febi parts?

The vast majority of Febby parts are reboxed garbage. Use at your own risk, or if there's no suitable alternative (i.e., OE and OEM both NLA).

In the rare cases where they rebox genuine OEM parts (e.g., the German-made SGF flex discs), that's fine. There's often no way to know until you open the box.

Does the "tie-in / merger" or whatever it was with Bilstein upgrade their status on this list or not?

They have no connection with the Bilstein suspension company. This is creative marketing similar to the name/logo "Febi Germany" which implies the part is made in Germany, except it almost always isn't.

 

[gerryvz]

It's been documented here several times about FEBI parts. There are only a VERY FEW items that are worth paying for, as said the OE MB/OEM SGF flex discs among them. 98% of FEBI parts are not worth the trouble, and are roboxed, inferior quality Chinese parts.

Both "Bilstein shocks" and "FEBI Bilstein" are separate brands, found under the umbrella of (and wholly owned by) the Bilstein Group, which is headquartered in Germany. The Bilstein Group also owns the "SWAG" brand of auto parts. "FEBI" stands for "Ferdinand Bilstein" who is a member of that family, and who broke off to found that company many years ago. Bilstein manufactures high quality shocks and suspension parts in-house, in various locations globally, but has an excellent reputation for quality. Its parts are often OE on MB and other European brands -- or at the least Bilstein is the OEM. FEBI Bilstein is primarily a re-boxer of parts manufactured by MB OEM makers, or other manufacturers in lower-cost countries, and does not manufacture anything itself.

 

[R129 UK]

It looks like I fell for the hype then and assumed Febi-Bilstein was the same as Bilstein and not 2 different brands with differing quality etc.

Thanks for the heads-up!!

 

[gerryvz]

You are by far not the first person to somehow have a false equivalence between the two brands, because of the similarity in name, and the excellent reputation of the "Bilstein" brand for suspension components.

Febi also plays up their "Germany" heritage in their name and in my opinion, is very disingenuous in that they play up the fact that they are a German company and have "Germany" in their name, and use this to imply that their cheap Chinese-sourced products are somehow also manufactured in Germany and are up to typical German quality standards.

So, while technically and legally FEBI is a German company, they also are implying that their parts are German, all the while trading on the great reputation of their sister "Bilstein" suspension parts brand. They are not doing anything wrong that they could get into legal hot water over (also generally labeling their packaging with COO), they are not being forthright philosophically.

It's definitely a ding against Febi, though obviously they don't think so.

Another somewhat sketchy contender for this "disingenuous" award is Meyle, which also is a German company (MOSTLY a re-boxer, like Febi), a brand owned by Wulf Gaertner AG based in Hamburg. Meyle is also known for the majority of its parts being cheap, Chinese-sourced product yet trading on its "German-ness" to imply greater quality than most of its parts actually deliver.

There are some exceptions to this, including some "Meyle HD" parts that are custom-manufactured in Third-World countries, but to Meyle's own specification, which may approach or equal MB spec.

Meyle has three distinct product lines:


Only the Meyle HD product line is EVER worth considering, and even then one has to be very careful.

 

[Bogeyman]

Wonder what affect the tariffs will have on have on these Asian sourced parts?