Leaking pop tops on 2023 California Oceans

[flying banana]

bit crap if you buy a new van,you aren't on the forums so you don't know. then if it doesn't rain or you don't go camping for 30 days then it's tough sh1t

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

Difficult to know how I feel about Eurovans. The leaking bellows is a VW created issue and until recently they haven't communicated anything to the dealers regards a potential issue nor guidelines on how the bellows should be tested.

EV shift a huge volume of California's at deeply discounted pricing. In terms of warranty work, I'm guessing that most folks take the vehicle to their local dealer. This is different I feel in that many customers are making a real effort to channel this warranty issue back to the supplying dealer because of the increased consumer protection.

How geared up EV will be for a deluge of warranty returns (forgive the pun) or potential rejections if variant C version 2.0 doesn't come up watertight I don't know.

What I'm hearing about mine is that it's watertight (C v 2.0) after several hours of exposure to a water sprinkler from a hose. Further testing tomorrow. So, I'm more optimistic right now. The BIG question, is, if it did leak, are the dealers / VW man enough to admit it?

With the Exec Office taking such a keen interest, my feeling is this will get sorted and hopefully sooner rather than later.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Difficult to know how I feel about Eurovans. The leaking bellows is a VW created issue and until recently they haven't communicated anything to the dealers regards a potential issue nor guidelines on how the bellows should be tested.

EV shift a huge volume of California's at deeply discounted pricing. In terms of warranty work, I'm guessing that most folks take the vehicle to their local dealer. This is different I feel in that many customers are making a real effort to channel this warranty issue back to the supplying dealer because of the increased consumer protection.

How geared up EV will be for a deluge of warranty returns (forgive the pun) or potential rejections if variant C version 2.0 doesn't come up watertight I don't know.

What I'm hearing about mine is that it's watertight (C v 2.0) after several hours of exposure to a water sprinkler from a hose. Further testing tomorrow. So, I'm more optimistic right now. The BIG question, is, if it did leak, are the dealers / VW man enough to admit it?

With the Exec Office taking such a keen interest, my feeling is this will get sorted and hopefully sooner rather than later.

Yes but they’ve chosen to sell a high volume of vans at low cost. With that comes the responsibility of resolving customers issues, VW created or not. They have chosen to put themselves in this position. It doesn’t sound like they’ve been particularly sympathetic towards customers, but then perhaps a high volume of rejections could put them in jeopardy? These are extremely expensive vehicles after all.

Great news about your bellows! You give me hope all is being turned around now.

 

[Jimmylondon07]

Yes but they’ve chosen to sell a high volume of vans at low cost. With that comes the responsibility of resolving customers issues, VW created or not. They have chosen to put themselves in this position. It doesn’t sound like they’ve been particularly sympathetic towards customers, but then perhaps a high volume of rejections could put them in jeopardy? These are extremely expensive vehicles after all.

Great news about your bellows! You give me hope all is being turned around now.

Their losses for rejected vehicles are covered by VWCV, that's what the EO told me. VWCV were provisionally willing to support my rejection claim, it was Eurovans that said no.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Their losses for rejected vehicles are covered by VWCV, that's what the EO told me. VWCV were provisionally willing to support my rejection claim, it was Eurovans that said no.

That’s just ridiculous then…

 

[Jimmylondon07]

That's if they can't find some other unsuspecting soul to buy it, see Kayleigh's rejected vehicle that was put up for £5k more than he paid for it, 2 days after he rejected it.

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If they can't sell it after 90 days it goes to auction and any losses get covered, that's how it was explained to me anyway.

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

That’s just ridiculous then…

Sounds it although we don't know the finer details of what losses VWCV would cover and how it might affect volume sales targets etc.

Or maybe they don't want to set a precedent?

For me, I could have rejected in 30 days but chose to get a repair. Time will tell if that was a good or bad decision.

 

[Jimmylondon07]

Sounds it although we don't know the finer details of what losses VWCV would cover and how it might affect volume sales targets etc.

Or maybe they don't want to set a precedent?

For me, I could have rejected in 30 days but chose to get a repair. Time will tell if that was a good or bad decision.

Whatever their reason let’s just not pretend to abide by silly statements like “We do the right thing out of inner conviction, even if no one is watching". The right thing would have been to lobby VW about Kayleigh’s faulty van, not stick it on the forecourt and try and make £5k on it before he’s even had a refund.

Anyway I am not here to derail this thread in to EV bashing, I have had a poor time with them and the MO will draw their own conclusions in due course.

Back to it…your update sounds positive CC.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Their losses for rejected vehicles are covered by VWCV, that's what the EO told me. VWCV were provisionally willing to support my rejection claim, it was Eurovans that said no.

I was told exactly the same by EO about rejection and how VWCV supported and dealer losses. Sounds like EV's are being awkward or do not understand the process. Perhaps too happy to sell at low prices and when the spectre of vehicle rejection raises its head they just turn round and say to the customer "what do you expect, you got very low prices didn't you"

 

[Jabberwocky]

Back to it…your update sounds positive CC.

Booked my Cali in for bellows replacement today. Only having to wait a week for workshop space and availability. We shall know by end of next week if we have a leaker or not.

 

[babble]

Testing underway for my roof. I'm looking at it outside from my office hoping it will rain a bit more convincingly.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Testing underway for my roof. I'm looking at it outside from my office hoping it will rain a bit more convincingly.

Are you on your original bellows?

 

[babble]

Are you on your original bellows?

Yes. First time they have been tested in anger. Cali is eight month old.

 

[Corradobrit]

Testing underway for my roof. I'm looking at it outside from my office hoping it will rain a bit more convincingly.

Must be saturating rain not just drizzle/light rain, even if it fully wets that material.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Testing underway for my roof. I'm looking at it outside from my office hoping it will rain a bit more convincingly.

Tch, tch, not using your Cali as your office then.
Will you send update later today?

 

[RockinNRollin]

Yes. First time they have been tested in anger. Cali is eight month old.

I would expect it to leak in the right conditions, whether the current weather will weather it sufficiently is a different question.

 

[Dejo]

My bellows were replaced on the day of 29th Sept to what I was told was a brand new part number in the system. Tested today and they still leak after about 90 minutes of rain. Goin to reject the vehicle as we can't reliably use it, and are worried nobody in their right mind would buy it when we came to sell it in a couple of years.

 

[Tressle]

Just got my van back yesterday from the dealer with new bellows fitted. 3 hours of light rain this morning and I've got pools of water in the front, back and above the door. If this is basically drizzle I hate to think what an overnight down pour would look like. Interesting the fabric is leaking less but water is coming in where the bellows meets the roof - so an additional problem to solve! Will update after some proper rain next week! Now properly considering handing the van back. Really disappointing given that this was anything but the "fix" VW executive office promised.

 

[Corradobrit]

This is a sorry situation. @Tressle, where is your infiltration... seams or zipper? Sounds like @Dejo might have a badly installed bellows.

 

[Andy C Berks.]

Just got my van back yesterday from the dealer with new bellows fitted. 3 hours of light rain this morning and I've got pools of water in the front, back and above the door. If this is basically drizzle I hate to think what an overnight down pour would look like. Interesting the fabric is leaking less but water is coming in where the bellows meets the roof - so an additional problem to solve! Will update after some proper rain next week! Now properly considering handing the van back. Really disappointing given that this was anything but the "fix" VW executive office promised.

Very disappointing news indeed, and sorry to hear this. Wonder if it’s anything to do with the way the bellows are installed by the dealer rather than when they do it at the factory.
I had a call from the Exec office today - in fairness they and the dealer are keeping in regular contact, almost too regular this week - and he confirmed what the dealer said in that there is a replacement set on back order for me. On the plus side he said that backorder was indicated as being only a week or so. But he sounded a lot more despondent than in previous calls, saying that he had just heard from a dealer that the new-new bellows they had just installed leaked (think he said yesterday, so may even have been yours).

Are the new bellows you had fitted visibly different in any way compared to the ones they took off? Just that so far nobody incl. at VW seems to know what the “remediation” is to these latest version ?

 

[Tressle]

Very disappointing news indeed, and sorry to hear this. Wonder if it’s anything to do with the way the bellows are installed by the dealer rather than when they do it at the factory.
I had a call from the Exec office today - in fairness they and the dealer are keeping in regular contact, almost too regular this week - and he confirmed what the dealer said in that there is a replacement set on back order for me. On the plus side he said that backorder was indicated as being only a week or so. But he sounded a lot more despondent than in previous calls, saying that he had just heard from a dealer that the new-new bellows they had just installed leaked (think he said yesterday, so may even have been yours).

Are the new bellows you had fitted visibly different in any way compared to the ones they took off? Just that so far nobody incl. at VW seems to know what the “remediation” is to these latest version ?

they look pretty similar and the water ingress is in the same places - I even noticed that it's coming in at the tail end which is pretty limited in terms of exposure. Looks like a bit of a storm brewing now so should have a 2nd confirmation of situation having just mopped up!
Just looked on Motorway and they're still showing that I could more for the van than I paid for it which is comforting. The question is whether any new 2024 vans will have a proper fix or if VW will simply run out the 6.1 with this as a known problem. It ain't gonna be cheap....

 

[Tressle]

This is a sorry situation. @Tressle, where is your infiltration... seams or zipper? Sounds like @Dejo might have a badly installed bellows.

looks like more water is coming where the canvas meets the roof but maybe I've just not seen it running down the canvas yet. It is definitely still coming in at various points on the seams so the fix is certainly not a fix

 

[Andy C Berks.]

they look pretty similar and the water ingress is in the same places - I even noticed that it's coming in at the tail end which is pretty limited in terms of exposure. Looks like a bit of a storm brewing now so should have a 2nd confirmation of situation having just mopped up!
Just looked on Motorway and they're still showing that I could more for the van than I paid for it which is comforting. The question is whether any new 2024 vans will have a proper fix or if VW will simply run out the 6.1 with this as a known problem. It ain't gonna be cheap....

Feels like they need to go back to the stop-gap measure of offering a topper/wrap to those of us that are impacted and are prepared to give them time to come up with a proper fix.

the Rainbow Screens pop top wrap looks to be the best option? The cost of that to VW is insignificant relative to what we have all paid them very recently!

 

[RockinNRollin]

Mine has just had the new bellows fitted - not tested yet but due to be in the next few days. I’m not optimistic about the results….

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Just got my van back yesterday from the dealer with new bellows fitted. 3 hours of light rain this morning and I've got pools of water in the front, back and above the door. If this is basically drizzle I hate to think what an overnight down pour would look like. Interesting the fabric is leaking less but water is coming in where the bellows meets the roof - so an additional problem to solve! Will update after some proper rain next week! Now properly considering handing the van back. Really disappointing given that this was anything but the "fix" VW executive office promised.

Mine original bellows and replacement bellows leaked at the seams and also where the bellows meet the roof along the black rubber seam. It was coming in through the holes at the base of the bellows. Is this where yours is leaking?