Roof corrosion – warranty repair or live with it?

Themeparkdad · Friday at 7:00 PM

From the experience of people who have had a roof corrosion warranty repair, would you recommend having the repair, or living with the corrosion?

Has there been a poll on this, or is there a general consensus?

I have a 2019 T6 Ocean, with the following issues:

1. Front edge of elevating roof: a 10cm line of 5mm paint bubbles (where the seal had failed and rusted)
2. Where the water collects to flow into the front roof drains (under the black plastic cover you remove to clean them): a few 5mm paint bubbles
3. Panel above the windscreen: the paint has been wearing where the roof seal closes onto it (not corrosion related)
4. Panel above the windscreen: the seal on this panel that the front of the roof closes down onto came a bit detached, so the dealer fitted a new one, but a 5cm chunk of paint came off when taking the old seal off (hence I’m wary of fixing one small thing, creating a bigger problem!)

For (1) the corrosion on the elevating roof – I assume this would just get stripped back to bare metal in the small affected area and that part resprayed, without e.g. the canvas being removed, hence lower risk of creating bigger problems?

For (2) corrosion in the front roof drain area: this is under the hydraulic pipes, so a repair would presumably involve removing the front panel, with resulting risk of leaks/damage to hydraulics etc?

For (3) and (4): could the body shop just respray the front panel without removing it?

I’ve read on this thread about cutting away parts of the front panel and fitting a plastic cover, which sounds worse than living with the corrosion, so I’m keen for input from people who have had similar work done.

I’m also keen to know which of the available warranty body shops are recommended (or best to avoid): I started a separate post on this here:

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...-shops-for-warranty-repair.54665/#post-709653

Thanks for your help!

flying banana · Friday at 7:39 PM

I have a 2016 ocean and no issues there. But in my opinion I think live with it. If you can't, go for a grind back and treatment then respray. I would not have that cap fitted

WelshGas · Saturday at 8:35 AM

Themeparkdad said:
From the experience of people who have had a roof corrosion warranty repair, would you recommend having the repair, or living with the corrosion?

Has there been a poll on this, or is there a general consensus?

I have a 2019 T6 Ocean, with the following issues:

1. Front edge of elevating roof: a 10cm line of 5mm paint bubbles (where the seal had failed and rusted)
2. Where the water collects to flow into the front roof drains (under the black plastic cover you remove to clean them): a few 5mm paint bubbles
3. Panel above the windscreen: the paint has been wearing where the roof seal closes onto it (not corrosion related)
4. Panel above the windscreen: the seal on this panel that the front of the roof closes down onto came a bit detached, so the dealer fitted a new one, but a 5cm chunk of paint came off when taking the old seal off (hence I’m wary of fixing one small thing, creating a bigger problem!)

For (1) the corrosion on the elevating roof – I assume this would just get stripped back to bare metal in the small affected area and that part resprayed, without e.g. the canvas being removed, hence lower risk of creating bigger problems?

For (2) corrosion in the front roof drain area: this is under the hydraulic pipes, so a repair would presumably involve removing the front panel, with resulting risk of leaks/damage to hydraulics etc?

For (3) and (4): could the body shop just respray the front panel without removing it?

I’ve read on this thread about cutting away parts of the front panel and fitting a plastic cover, which sounds worse than living with the corrosion, so I’m keen for input from people who have had similar work done.

I’m also keen to know which of the available warranty body shops are recommended (or best to avoid): I started a separate post on this here:

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...-shops-for-warranty-repair.54665/#post-709653

Thanks for your help!

All that you have mentioned should be a Warranty Repair.

The Plastic cap repair is a different problem and only affects the T5/T5.1 and is due to Galvanic corrosion due to the high aluminium content of the front cap. This was changed for MY 2015.
Do you have the clear tape under the elevating roof edge seal. If not this is subject to a Workshop Recall and repair.

Themeparkdad · Saturday at 9:56 AM

WelshGas said:
All that you have mentioned should be a Warranty Repair.

The Plastic cap repair is a different problem and only affects the T5/T5.1 and is due to Galvanic corrosion due to the high aluminium content of the front cap. This was changed for MY 2015.
Do you have the clear tape under the elevating roof edge seal. If not this is subject to a Workshop Recall and repair.

Hi,

Thanks for your help.

I understand all four issues have now been approved by VW for Warranty Repair.

I do have the clear tape factory fitted round the rear and sides of the roof, and it is good to know that the plastic cap is only for the T5/5.1.

However, the van centre arranging it say they don’t have any details of what would be done by the body shop it is sent to.

My concern is that if any of the paint repairs require disassembling parts of the Cali, it risks causing other problems (eg water ingress/functioning of the roof/canvas problems, if the panel above the windscreen or canvas are removed).

I assume corrosion on the edge of the elevating roof is stripped and resprayed without removing the canvas so low risk?

Similarly I assume the domed panel above the windscreen can be resprayed without removing it (just removing and replacing the seal the roof closes down onto and the helicopter tape)?

However, to repair bubbling paint at the entry to the front roof drains (under the hydraulic pipes) would presumably require removing these pipes, hence presumably removing the domed front panel and also the front roof drain inlet parts?

Therefore I’m really interested to hear experiences from those who have had similar repairs (or know the general consensus from all the posts across the forum) - for the different types of repair, is it better to have the repair, or live with the paint bubbling?

Thanks!

Themeparkdad · Saturday at 10:06 AM

Here are some photos of the issues:
#1: small paint bubbles on front roof edge. Something first caused chips of paint to come off, then the seal failed adjacent to it and the insert rusted

Themeparkdad · Saturday at 10:15 AM

#2: paint bubbles in inlet area to front roof drains (was initially worse, as shown in the 1st & 2nd photo, taken when I found the front roof drain blocked and it was lying wet so the torx bolt rusted, but now doesn’t look as bad: 3rd photo)

Themeparkdad · Saturday at 10:17 AM

#3: panel above windscreen: paint wearing where roof closes onto it

Themeparkdad · Saturday at 10:23 AM

#4: chunk of paint came off when van centre replaced seal along front panel above windscreen that roof closes down onto (seal was replaced since it had come unstuck: though new seal has too - I assume there aren’t meant to be gaps under the seal like this?)

TripleBee · Saturday at 10:47 AM

Did you buy it as new? As some pictures look like there has already been a bad respray, causing the paint to flake?

Themeparkdad · Saturday at 11:52 AM

You’ve picked up on another possible issue!

I bought it as new.

However, the paint inspection picked up that the paint is twice the expected thickness in areas of the roof (I’m unsure where), suggesting it may have already been repaired. Also I was told by the Van Centre that the sealant round the hydraulic pipes (see photos of #2) is not usual, suggesting a previous repair.

The Cali wasn’t a factory order, when looking for a van in dealer stock, suddenly 10 or so Calis became available from VW for delivery in a few weeks.

I wonder if repairs were made at port, or these vehicles failed dealer pre delivery inspection or were rejected, then repaired and sold?

Other possible anomalies are that it came with Good Year Vector 4 Seasons tyres (the local van centre seemed surprised by this as they said they usually have Continentals) and that a directional tyre was fitted to the spare wheel (hence only usable on one side of the vehicle). This was picked up at another van centre, and replaced as it should have been picked up on PDI. I would be surprised if the VW factory fits the wrong type of tyre on the spare wheel.

Was it the chips on the front edge of the roof you were referring to indicating a bad respray?

Thanks!

flying banana · Saturday at 12:06 PM

Themeparkdad said:
You’ve picked up on another possible issue!

I bought it as new.

However, the paint inspection picked up that the paint is twice the expected thickness in areas of the roof (I’m unsure where), suggesting it may have already been repaired. Also I was told by the Van Centre that the sealant round the hydraulic pipes (see photos of #2) is not usual, suggesting a previous repair.

The Cali wasn’t a factory order, when looking for a van in dealer stock, suddenly 10 or so Calis became available from VW for delivery in a few weeks.

I wonder if repairs were made at port, or these vehicles failed dealer pre delivery inspection or were rejected, then repaired and sold?

Other possible anomalies are that it came with Good Year Vector 4 Seasons tyres (the local van centre seemed surprised by this as they said they usually have Continentals) and that a directional tyre was fitted to the spare wheel (hence only usable on one side of the vehicle). This was picked up at another van centre, and replaced as it should have been picked up on PDI. I would be surprised if the VW factory fits the wrong type of tyre on the spare wheel.

Was it the chips on the front edge of the roof you were referring to indicating a bad respray?

Thanks!

another dealer talking rubbish, the sealant blob around the pipes near the drains is normal

Themeparkdad · Saturday at 2:59 PM

flying banana said:
another dealer talking rubbish, the sealant blob around the pipes near the drains is normal

Good to know, thanks. My Cali does seem to have a lot of sealant, it is almost impossible to get a cotton bud into the drain inlet hole to unblock it as it is obstructed with sealant

TripleBee · Saturday at 4:40 PM

Themeparkdad said:
You’ve picked up on another possible issue!

I bought it as new.

However, the paint inspection picked up that the paint is twice the expected thickness in areas of the roof (I’m unsure where), suggesting it may have already been repaired. Also I was told by the Van Centre that the sealant round the hydraulic pipes (see photos of #2) is not usual, suggesting a previous repair.

The Cali wasn’t a factory order, when looking for a van in dealer stock, suddenly 10 or so Calis became available from VW for delivery in a few weeks.

I wonder if repairs were made at port, or these vehicles failed dealer pre delivery inspection or were rejected, then repaired and sold?

Other possible anomalies are that it came with Good Year Vector 4 Seasons tyres (the local van centre seemed surprised by this as they said they usually have Continentals) and that a directional tyre was fitted to the spare wheel (hence only usable on one side of the vehicle). This was picked up at another van centre, and replaced as it should have been picked up on PDI. I would be surprised if the VW factory fits the wrong type of tyre on the spare wheel.

Was it the chips on the front edge of the roof you were referring to indicating a bad respray?

Thanks!