Bosch Oil Filters - Made in INDIA !!!
 

There is some information on this in the ShopForum if you do a search - however, I never would have guessed that the Bosch oil filters (such as on FastLane) are made in INDIA.

The package is marked "Made in INDIA" and the filter itself is ink-stamped "Made in INDIA". No where on the filter itself is there anything to indicate the Bosch brand.

Can I no longer buy anything of the Bosch brand and expect that it is made in Germany?

If anyone else comes across any German brand-name parts that are not made in Germany, please post - I will not buy that brand any more.

Specifically, is Mann still OK? Hengst?

Ken300D

In this modern world, there is very little that is made by hand. Something like an oil filter I'm sure there is very little human involvement. What's the difference if the machine making the part is in Germany or India? What do you have against the people of India anyways?

Gilly

Nothing except quality control.

Somehow I knew this would turn into comments on political correctness. :)

If you found your new 2003 Mercedes was made in Bulgaria, would you be upset? What do you have against Bulgarians?

The point is, I want German parts. That's all - German Parts. And I will not willingly accept anything else for my car. Those brands and resellers that try to pull a "fast one" will not get my business.

Ken300D

Just order a bunch of OE filters from BuyMBParts or FastLane. Make sure you specify Hengst, Knecht, or Mann filters (all German OE stuff.) They're usually $5-6 each. Forget any aftermarket stuff from most McParts (Deustch, Bosch, STP, Fram, etc). I buy a bunch at a time, or as part of a larger order, to offset S&H. :D :D


Regards,

Not to turn this into a "political correctness" thread, but is it only certain countries you disprove of, and only certain parts?
I have seen the large blue "made in" decals with many different countries. Just a few that come to mind besides Germany are Italy, France, and South Africa. I don't remember seeing India, but it would not surprise me. I have very little quality problems with MB supplied parts.

Gilly

Never even thought about bosch oil filters. Isn't Mann oem on late 80ies?

Actually about to weeks ago I ordered a case of oil filters for my 300 SD through the shop I work at. Brand name on the box is luberfiner, it gave me a case of the warm fuzzies when I pulled a filter out of the box and right on the end cover was stamped MANN.

I get the Mann filters from Fastlane. Good enough price for me, and I have it from a good source (this forum) that they are German AND good quality. But personally, I wouldn't care if the things were made in Outer Blosovia, if I KNEW the quality was there. But I don't want to go into unknown territory, car-part-quality-wise.

The only reason I selected Bosch was because a Mann filter is not listed on FastLane for the 603 engine (at least not under 1987 300D). So, I selected Bosch fully expecting to get a Made in Germany OE quality part.

I presume by now you can read between the lines and determine that I am NOT happy to find it was made in INDIA.

Truth in Advertising:

1) Post in FastLane that this part is made in INDIA.
Well, that may not be easy to do across the board because perhaps Bosch parts come from lots of places. Another good reason to avoid Bosch.

2) Any dealers selling Bosch oil filters made in INDIA, I dare you to run radio and print ads saying "Come on in for our Mercedes oil change special - our oil filters are made in INDIA !! "

--------------------

If FastLane DID do suggestion #1 above for the Bosch oil filters, my estimate of their annual sales of the Indian filters would be approximately zero.

No Mercedes dealer is going to have the guts to do # 2.

So, I think I've made my point and I respect the others here. I just wanted to make others AWARE of the situation so they can make an informed choice - and they will if they have this information.

Thanks,
Ken300D

Good point, Ken. I'm wondering why Fastlane doen't list Mann filters for a 603? Might give Phil a call. He seems to be a pretty good guy.

there is a reason stuff is made in India, and it's not because quality is the selling point. I only buy Mann now after seeing the crap that came from third world countries. If Mann starts sending crap made in some third world country I will switch brands. Mann is the name on the top of my oil filter housing, it is the brand I buy. Political correctness is not an issue, make a quality product that is as good or better than what the home country makes and I will buy it. Kind of the reason I bought a 20 year old GERMAN car over a 20 year old AMERICAN POS.

Ross Perot said this would happen.

I ussally don't care where stuff is made, as long as the quality control is there. If the quality control isn't there I won't buy something. For oil filters, I will go with any of the German made filters (oil, air, fuel) because filters not made in Germany don't have quality control. I had a Fram air filter that cracked and oil filter that fell apart when I took it out of the car.

Most of the consumer products that I buy come from developing nations, which doesn't bother me. As long as the quality is there I could care less in what the made in label says (This is not entirely true because the Geographer inside me is always curious where stuff is from).

Well you've peaked my interest, I had to go and check a few items I currently have on hand. All of these parts were purchased from a local MB dealer, but have various points of origination:

Oil filter 300e-Made in France
Fuel filter 300sdl(canister type)-Made in France
Fuel filter 300sdl(canister type)older purchase-Made in Austria
Fuel filter 300e-Made in South Africa
Fuel filter 300d/240d(canister type)older purchase-Made in Austria
Voltage Regulator 300e-Made in Spain(Bosch)

It seems MB may be looking for ways to save money also, as most of the purchases above were made within the last year.
I've often wondered how I would like owning the ML class. I even thought about a tag that could be attached to the front of a nice ML class, it would read something like this:

"Professionally engineered by German Rednecks"

Please don't be offended by this, I lived in Alabama for several years and have a lot of friends and family, who are from there(some would even qualify as rednecks). The ML's are wonderful, no matter where they are built.

My lasr Mann oil filter was made in one of the former Eastern Bloc countries, Czeckoslovakia. Seems to work just fine.