how do you prevent center console from paint peeling off?

It seems there are a lot of people in Mercedes Forums complaining about the state of the their center console. The only preventative measure you can take is to use a product like Armor All Protectant Spray or a product similar to it. General talk is that there is no easy way to fix after the fact and replacing the whole console is the best and easiest solution.

Do what I did...remove the paint, it leaves you with a black console. If it clashes with your interior color scheme, you can remove the console & have it repainted.

find a local Color Glo International franchisee in your neighborhood and ask him about it. I live in orlando and have fixed many SLK consoles and dashboards. MB has some great cars but some of their interiors have much to be desired. I have been doing interior repair for almost 20 years and we have a product that can refinish the consoles and make them look great again. look online at colrglo.com and find your local franchisee to make your console look good again

There is no way to stop it that has been recorded to date. Your only options are to get it removed and refinished, or remove the paint altogether.