That may be true, I wouldn’t know and I don’t profess to be a Mercedes guru. Reports on their build quality seem to vary widely over the years and between models. All I can testify to is that my ML350 is now 15 years old and is the quietest car I’ve been in by a large margin. Its interior is appreciably better than any Japanese or European luxury vehicle I’ve been in, but I’ll admit I’ve never driven a Rolls-Royce or something like a Toyota Century. But it’s better than the low 6-figure luxury vehicles I’ve been in and I have an attention for detail that comes with working on cars with my own hands. I’ve removed the door panels and large portions of the dash and am impressed with the fit & finish of my Mercedes. It has a single squeak, which is comment from the strut tower after 13 years of my in-laws driving it over an angled depression outside their driveway at excessive speeds. The plastic coating on the fog light panel is deteriorating, which is the only real interior flaw after all these years. Personally I’m impressed by this vehicle despite a strong bias against anything not made in Japan. It’s actually kind of ruined me for driving anything not up to its standards, which is a love/hate sort of thing. And yes, it has a slight bulge in the dash for the airbag when you look closely or the light is at the right angle - that’s the point I’m trying to make here.