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Mercedes C220d W204 (2013) sedan is due for service and this time taking it to third party mechanic (a trusted one in the area) rather than MB service as it is not feasible any longer on these older models.

I am faced with the task of selecting the oil filter from

  • OEM supplier Mann filter with Mann logo only (manufactured in Spain) (cheaper)
  • Original Mercedes oil filter which has Merc star logo in addition to Mann logo on it.

Now my question is that what is the difference between them?

Both filters are manufactured by Mann (as Merc itself doesn't manufacture filters) but one comes in Mercedes genuine box and other in Mann brand box. The shop mechanic is suggesting to buy the original Merc one and also showed me both filters and made me touch/feel the material, the Mann filter has paper which feels more brittle and rough and he says that the glue used in this would break down in high temperature of the oil (90-100 Celsius) and this paper would disintegrate and damage the engine (I don't think Mann company would be running if this happened frequently). While the Merc logo Mann made filter feels more softer and fabric like and the guy claims it to go for 2 years without any doubts.

The price difference is not much but my concern is that why such product is in market under official Mann name if it causes such issues. Please share insights on this if anyone has heard about the above case being true. There are even cheaper Chinese options available as well and many people use it without thinking much about it.

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    If the trusted mechanic is recommending the Merc filter, and it is noticeably different even to the consumer, and the price difference is small... trust the mechanic. Maybe the "Made in Spain" label is as fake as the content.
    – Weather Vane
    Commented Oct 3 at 19:08
  • See this: google.com/search?q=counterfeit+mann+oil+filter
    – MTA
    Commented Oct 3 at 20:34
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    Welcome to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair! I'm thinking this is more/less an opinion question. Leaving it to the community to help me decide.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented Oct 3 at 20:38
  • I think this is a valid question, we can't say what the difference is with certainty, but there's an explanation.
    – GdD
    Commented Oct 4 at 20:57

1 Answer 1

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The two most likely explanations are:

  • Mann may have different grades of products. They may be selling a lower grade product they made, or they may be reselling another manufacturer's lower quality products under their own name. A budget product tries to bank on the company's reputation for quality to up sales, it's generally a bad long-term strategy as it damages that reputation but it doesn't stop companies from doing it regularly
  • They may be counterfeit products with Mann's trade dress (logo, box style, etc) copied to make it look like their products. Counterfeit products are usually extremely low quality as the seller's out for a quick buck. It's really not hard to do these days with modern printing on demand.

It's hard to say for sure, but it doesn't matter. Either way it's a cheap-n-nasty filter, and I'd go with the mechanic on this one.

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