If you have to slam your doors to get them to shut, I discovered a quick fix for this problem. The problem is that the little rubber "hump" on the bottom of the door striker plate (piece that attaches to the body) deteriorates and breaks away over time. If yours is completely gone, you will see a small hole. Into this hole I screwed a small pan head screw. *see picture*. This causes the latch to catch and the door closes easily. Note: if there is still rubber inside the unit, the screw should tap securely into that. If the inside rubber is gone too, or the screw doesn't tighten up, then just use some good epoxy or j-b weld type glue. It worked like a charm for me on the 3 doors that needed it. Hope it helps someone.

I gotta say,,, those striker plates new from Mercedes can't be that much money, compared to a door flying open and someone falling out. In our business, we NEVER mess with door latches, strikers, or seat belts. We just replace with OEM.

Pete, I couldn't agree more that safety is always the first concern. However, this "fix" only causes the door to close securely much easier than it did before the screw application. Before, I had to forcefully slam the door to make it catch securely - sometimes required 2 or 3 tries. After putting the screw in place the door shut just as it should. In both cases, the door was securely shut with no chance of coming open. Granted, a new striker plate isn't all that much, +/- $30, but for me a 5 cent screw has worked just as well, and I truly don't believe there is a safety issue here. Thanks for your thoughts.