Roof damage - Am I being unreasonable?

SusiBus said:

No mention in the videos or handbook that you only need one window or door open, but it should be on the downwind side. This alleviates the risk of external wind pressure.

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dspuk said:

It’s in the handbook. AFAIK, and as mentioned in the manual, it’s to stop the air that is in the bellows being compressed into a closed space and causing pressure damage to you or the windows. Never seen a mention about it being to alleviate external wind pressure.

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flying banana said:

Exactly same happened to mine. Calm day etc. Bungeee fitted. Just the bellows at the back left folded outward instead of in. Not really user error but one of those things that you have to watch out for. Had mine 7 years and 9nly happened once. Me and you will never do it again that's for sure. With a bit of work from a paintless dent guy you can get the crease to almost disappear. As for the tear in the canvass, I covered mine with tear aid and just live with it.

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daniel_thomason said:

Having owned my California Ocean from new since April 2022 and have used it on many occasions without any problem, I was horrified on my last trip at what happened to the roof.

I had already been made aware how fragile the roof assembly was on California's by the person handing the vehicle over to me upon collection from Liverpool Van centre. He told me that a £10 bungee would be the best money spent, and after doing research I decided that was the case. So I purchased and fitted one even before my first outing. I was also made aware of the importance of making sure windows or doors were open before lowering the roof. And without fail I have always done this.

On the 2nd February 2025 at around 10am, after one night staying at Meadow Springs Country and Leisure Park, we packed away our cali, doing the usual checks of making sure there was nothing left up in the pop-top before dropping the bed and lowering the roof. I was stood outside with the sliding door fully open and my wife lowered the roof using the overhead panel button. I watched the roof fully lower and my wife waited for the green tick on the panel to say that the roof had fully closed. All appeared successful and we set off. Important note: it was a calm day and we were sited on a level hardcore pitch.

Before we left the site, someone waved us down to say that the roof was not down properly. I immediately pulled over and to my horror, the passenger side of the roof was raised by around 150mm. And worst of all, there was a clear bend down the middle section of the roof. I cannot tell you how sick me and my wife felt.

We tentatively raised the roof back up, and I checked for any reason why it had become stuck. I noticed that the rear scissors mechanism had fouled on itself, therefore not allowing the back end to fully lower, and fighting against the front power mechanism, thus causing the bend in the middle.

As we were two hours from home, I decided that we should try and close the roof again (as usual ensuring the windows or door was open) to get home in order to get over this ordeal.

Once home, I raised the roof once more (with the usual checks) to try and identify the reason and take photographs (see attached). My only thought is, thank goodness I purchased a VW California and the manufacturers warranty which goes with it. Why else pay all that money??

On Monday the 3rd Feb I phoned up the service team at Liverpool Van Centre and told them what had happened. They seemed extremely sympathetic and said I could bring it in and leave it with them for their California specialist to look at. I dropped it off on 8th Feb and on the following Monday morning I had a phone call to say that their technician had said that the bellows had been trapped in the mechanism and that basically it was my fault and therefore not covered by the warranty.

I could not believe what I was hearing. I asked to speak to the technician directly, who basically suggested it was mis-use. I got absolutely nowhere.

My blood was boiling. We had followed all the guidelines when lowering the roof, and the weather conditions were perfect. WHAT MORE COULD WE HAVE DONE??

On the 10th Feb I contacted VW customer care who again were extremely sympathetic and said that they would liaise with the van centre to resolve the situation. Since then we have been back and forth on calls, with VW and Swansway basically calling me a liar. Their word against mine - them suggesting mis-use and me saying we did everything we should.

The latest situation with VW customer care is that they are recommending that I take the van to another VW van centre and get a second opinion. But I get the feeling this will be a total waste of time and effort.

Whilst being in this mess, I obviously have done some online searching. I did find a post on https://thevwcalifornia.com/buying-a-volkswagen-california/ suggesting

"Check that the roof is in alignment when raised, and look for any signs of damage on the canvas, especially behind the metal “scissor” mechanism at the rear sides of the pop top.

There is an area; a type of band or spine that naturally folds inwards when the roof is lowered, and if the canvas has been caught this is usually the place where damage occurs. This is the result of user error and failure to observe the roof bellows closing inwards especially in windy conditions. This is not uncommon, so if there is any damage assess whether you can live with it or not; the damage is usually minimal in this section and only usually affects the outside."

AND

"Look down the profile of the roof sides to check for any kinks or bends. A small kink can indicate the canvas has been trapped regardless of whether damage has been done to the canvas or not. It could also be that someone has closed the roof with bedding or objects still in the top. Most people are happy to live with a small amount of kinking, so it is up to you to decide if this is an issue or whether it has been reflected in the purchase price."

SO - my ultimate question to this forum is: Am I being unreasonable expecting VW to fix this under warranty? After all, we followed all guidelines when lowering the roof. The sliding door was fully open, the bed was down, there was nothing left up-top and the weather was an extremely calm day.

I am at a total loss. At this point I feel the van is not fit-for-use. And so much for the false-security of having a manufacture warranty.

I regret the day I ever purchased it.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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Glenn Blundell said:

I had an enormous battle with them

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daniel_thomason said:

Having owned my California Ocean from new since April 2022 and have used it on many occasions without any problem, I was horrified on my last trip at what happened to the roof.

I had already been made aware how fragile the roof assembly was on California's by the person handing the vehicle over to me upon collection from Liverpool Van centre. He told me that a £10 bungee would be the best money spent, and after doing research I decided that was the case. So I purchased and fitted one even before my first outing. I was also made aware of the importance of making sure windows or doors were open before lowering the roof. And without fail I have always done this.

On the 2nd February 2025 at around 10am, after one night staying at Meadow Springs Country and Leisure Park, we packed away our cali, doing the usual checks of making sure there was nothing left up in the pop-top before dropping the bed and lowering the roof. I was stood outside with the sliding door fully open and my wife lowered the roof using the overhead panel button. I watched the roof fully lower and my wife waited for the green tick on the panel to say that the roof had fully closed. All appeared successful and we set off. Important note: it was a calm day and we were sited on a level hardcore pitch.

Before we left the site, someone waved us down to say that the roof was not down properly. I immediately pulled over and to my horror, the passenger side of the roof was raised by around 150mm. And worst of all, there was a clear bend down the middle section of the roof. I cannot tell you how sick me and my wife felt.

We tentatively raised the roof back up, and I checked for any reason why it had become stuck. I noticed that the rear scissors mechanism had fouled on itself, therefore not allowing the back end to fully lower, and fighting against the front power mechanism, thus causing the bend in the middle.

As we were two hours from home, I decided that we should try and close the roof again (as usual ensuring the windows or door was open) to get home in order to get over this ordeal.

Once home, I raised the roof once more (with the usual checks) to try and identify the reason and take photographs (see attached). My only thought is, thank goodness I purchased a VW California and the manufacturers warranty which goes with it. Why else pay all that money??

On Monday the 3rd Feb I phoned up the service team at Liverpool Van Centre and told them what had happened. They seemed extremely sympathetic and said I could bring it in and leave it with them for their California specialist to look at. I dropped it off on 8th Feb and on the following Monday morning I had a phone call to say that their technician had said that the bellows had been trapped in the mechanism and that basically it was my fault and therefore not covered by the warranty.

I could not believe what I was hearing. I asked to speak to the technician directly, who basically suggested it was mis-use. I got absolutely nowhere.

My blood was boiling. We had followed all the guidelines when lowering the roof, and the weather conditions were perfect. WHAT MORE COULD WE HAVE DONE??

On the 10th Feb I contacted VW customer care who again were extremely sympathetic and said that they would liaise with the van centre to resolve the situation. Since then we have been back and forth on calls, with VW and Swansway basically calling me a liar. Their word against mine - them suggesting mis-use and me saying we did everything we should.

The latest situation with VW customer care is that they are recommending that I take the van to another VW van centre and get a second opinion. But I get the feeling this will be a total waste of time and effort.

Whilst being in this mess, I obviously have done some online searching. I did find a post on https://thevwcalifornia.com/buying-a-volkswagen-california/ suggesting

"Check that the roof is in alignment when raised, and look for any signs of damage on the canvas, especially behind the metal “scissor” mechanism at the rear sides of the pop top.

There is an area; a type of band or spine that naturally folds inwards when the roof is lowered, and if the canvas has been caught this is usually the place where damage occurs. This is the result of user error and failure to observe the roof bellows closing inwards especially in windy conditions. This is not uncommon, so if there is any damage assess whether you can live with it or not; the damage is usually minimal in this section and only usually affects the outside."

AND

"Look down the profile of the roof sides to check for any kinks or bends. A small kink can indicate the canvas has been trapped regardless of whether damage has been done to the canvas or not. It could also be that someone has closed the roof with bedding or objects still in the top. Most people are happy to live with a small amount of kinking, so it is up to you to decide if this is an issue or whether it has been reflected in the purchase price."

SO - my ultimate question to this forum is: Am I being unreasonable expecting VW to fix this under warranty? After all, we followed all guidelines when lowering the roof. The sliding door was fully open, the bed was down, there was nothing left up-top and the weather was an extremely calm day.

I am at a total loss. At this point I feel the van is not fit-for-use. And so much for the false-security of having a manufacture warranty.

I regret the day I ever purchased it.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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Andy Cook said:

Hi John,

I have a 2017 California T6 which I thought was under warranty.

The roof failed to go up, VW Exeter took 2 months to book it in for a check and when they did, they said that the switches on the the roof motors had failed hence it would by £3,500 to replace the wiring with new switches, I mentioned that the control button was slightly faulty for which they quoted an additional £1,000. They refused to accept that the work was covered by the warranty.

I wrote this on the forum and received about 4 replies in 20 minutes, suggesting that I cancel the order with VW, I had already paid £500 to order the parts. All the replies suggested that I contact Richard Milton of Kernow transporter at Marazion in Cornwall. He quoted £275 to fix the problem but when I told him about the faulty switch, he suggested fitting a new controller with an external remote switch that he fitted for £450 within 2 days of my enquiry taking 3 hours to complete the work.

Richard also fitted a new replacement control knob for about £60. I can't recommend him highly enough and after a lot of moaning to VW Exeter, I got my money back for the parts that I did not need.

I suggest that you contact Richard on 07738 538073 or sales@kernowtransporters.co.uk, book a place at a campsite that his daughter owns and enjoy a lovely weekend looking at St Michael's mount.

Good luck,

Andy

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daniel_thomason said:

Having owned my California Ocean from new since April 2022 and have used it on many occasions without any problem, I was horrified on my last trip at what happened to the roof.

I had already been made aware how fragile the roof assembly was on California's by the person handing the vehicle over to me upon collection from Liverpool Van centre. He told me that a £10 bungee would be the best money spent, and after doing research I decided that was the case. So I purchased and fitted one even before my first outing. I was also made aware of the importance of making sure windows or doors were open before lowering the roof. And without fail I have always done this.

On the 2nd February 2025 at around 10am, after one night staying at Meadow Springs Country and Leisure Park, we packed away our cali, doing the usual checks of making sure there was nothing left up in the pop-top before dropping the bed and lowering the roof. I was stood outside with the sliding door fully open and my wife lowered the roof using the overhead panel button. I watched the roof fully lower and my wife waited for the green tick on the panel to say that the roof had fully closed. All appeared successful and we set off. Important note: it was a calm day and we were sited on a level hardcore pitch.

Before we left the site, someone waved us down to say that the roof was not down properly. I immediately pulled over and to my horror, the passenger side of the roof was raised by around 150mm. And worst of all, there was a clear bend down the middle section of the roof. I cannot tell you how sick me and my wife felt.

We tentatively raised the roof back up, and I checked for any reason why it had become stuck. I noticed that the rear scissors mechanism had fouled on itself, therefore not allowing the back end to fully lower, and fighting against the front power mechanism, thus causing the bend in the middle.

As we were two hours from home, I decided that we should try and close the roof again (as usual ensuring the windows or door was open) to get home in order to get over this ordeal.

Once home, I raised the roof once more (with the usual checks) to try and identify the reason and take photographs (see attached). My only thought is, thank goodness I purchased a VW California and the manufacturers warranty which goes with it. Why else pay all that money??

On Monday the 3rd Feb I phoned up the service team at Liverpool Van Centre and told them what had happened. They seemed extremely sympathetic and said I could bring it in and leave it with them for their California specialist to look at. I dropped it off on 8th Feb and on the following Monday morning I had a phone call to say that their technician had said that the bellows had been trapped in the mechanism and that basically it was my fault and therefore not covered by the warranty.

I could not believe what I was hearing. I asked to speak to the technician directly, who basically suggested it was mis-use. I got absolutely nowhere.

My blood was boiling. We had followed all the guidelines when lowering the roof, and the weather conditions were perfect. WHAT MORE COULD WE HAVE DONE??

On the 10th Feb I contacted VW customer care who again were extremely sympathetic and said that they would liaise with the van centre to resolve the situation. Since then we have been back and forth on calls, with VW and Swansway basically calling me a liar. Their word against mine - them suggesting mis-use and me saying we did everything we should.

The latest situation with VW customer care is that they are recommending that I take the van to another VW van centre and get a second opinion. But I get the feeling this will be a total waste of time and effort.

Whilst being in this mess, I obviously have done some online searching. I did find a post on https://thevwcalifornia.com/buying-a-volkswagen-california/ suggesting

"Check that the roof is in alignment when raised, and look for any signs of damage on the canvas, especially behind the metal “scissor” mechanism at the rear sides of the pop top.

There is an area; a type of band or spine that naturally folds inwards when the roof is lowered, and if the canvas has been caught this is usually the place where damage occurs. This is the result of user error and failure to observe the roof bellows closing inwards especially in windy conditions. This is not uncommon, so if there is any damage assess whether you can live with it or not; the damage is usually minimal in this section and only usually affects the outside."

AND

"Look down the profile of the roof sides to check for any kinks or bends. A small kink can indicate the canvas has been trapped regardless of whether damage has been done to the canvas or not. It could also be that someone has closed the roof with bedding or objects still in the top. Most people are happy to live with a small amount of kinking, so it is up to you to decide if this is an issue or whether it has been reflected in the purchase price."

SO - my ultimate question to this forum is: Am I being unreasonable expecting VW to fix this under warranty? After all, we followed all guidelines when lowering the roof. The sliding door was fully open, the bed was down, there was nothing left up-top and the weather was an extremely calm day.

I am at a total loss. At this point I feel the van is not fit-for-use. And so much for the false-security of having a manufacture warranty.

I regret the day I ever purchased it.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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Trojax said:

So looking at your original pictures the rear scissor system has caught on its self as can be seen from the dink. The big question is how and why and that will always be subjective hence the VW Tec saying that the bellows has caught in the scissors. I don't agree with this statement as if the bellows was caught it would have much more damage in that area. So that leaves us with was the van level, did the roof lower in a level manner or did one side close faster than the other...all these are subjective..I would pay for an expert (if you can find one) to look at it and make a report as to how it could have happened then present it to VW.....As for the windows and doors being open this is clearer, when the roof is opened it will cause a little bit of a vacuum in the bellows pulling it inwards away from any mechanism so good from a getting trapped point of view. However when putting the roof down you would be inflating it like a ballon so not good...when you are doing either you should always have door/ windows open as you could pop the bellows out of its fitting channels top and bottom with the added pressure.......Looking at the pictures the roof has gone down unlevel this may have been because the scissors got stuck on itself, how or why no one knows even the VW tec does not know why, so its worth a small claims court claim as the odds are 50/50 for you. Your case would be you have followed the instructions to the letter and know them inside out and this close of the roof was abnormal and you as a customer could not do any thing to prevent it.

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vbk1975 said:

I had our roof pump fail and one side dropped and the other one stayed up. The roof was at a dramatic angle but the scissors didn't catch each other.

A

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Corradobrit said:

What did you do or say that convinced the dealer to offer the goodwill? I highly doubt persistence would have gotten very far, unless you had some leverage or were a previous customer etc.

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Trojax said:

and its this level of inconsistancy that is being exploited by VW dealers up and down the country. Looking at the original pictures and damage to the scissors and the lack of damage to the bellows we only know the result and not the cause for sure.....Hence a report from an expert on the likely cause and a claim in court at 50/50 outcome as you either win or not.. although the dealers are considered as experts they are far from independent in their views......and the trapped bellows is a far to easy response...... I would also be interested in seeing pictures of bellows that have been trapped in the scissors and the damage caused but cant seem to find any !!!!

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Roof canvas repair. Rip in canvas and dent in roof. Advise please.

Hi, had the misfortune to have the canvas caught in the scissor mechanism. I am in two minds whether the cuts require a canvas replacement or whether the Tear-Aid will be sufficient and long lasting? Also, and from reading other posts, the little kink in the roof seems easy to repair? Thanks for...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

vbk1975 said:

I don't think some of the dealers even try to find a reason to decline claims, they just refuse, my list is short but very expensive.

This is the only one i can find on the forum, it is clearly a T5. The material is a lot less robust than on a T6 for instance.

Roof canvas repair. Rip in canvas and dent in roof. Advise please.

Hi, had the misfortune to have the canvas caught in the scissor mechanism. I am in two minds whether the cuts require a canvas replacement or whether the Tear-Aid will be sufficient and long lasting? Also, and from reading other posts, the little kink in the roof seems easy to repair? Thanks for...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

The location looks similar to the original post in this thread but the material hasn't gone through on the T6.1

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vbk1975 said:

I had our roof pump fail and one side dropped and the other one stayed up. The roof was at a dramatic angle but the scissors didn't catch each other.

A

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