It beggars belief! Is it just incompetence?I reported the roof front panel corrosion at least 18 months ago .. It is still an ongoing issue with my 2011 Cali DSG 180 4motion.
I was told 6 months ago by my local VW centre it was going to be done next week .. I tried to book it in today .. They said they could not find any references for the job .. but they will look into it ?
Again I have heard nothing. I contacted VWCS yesterday to lodge a complaint about the lack of communication. They said they will get back to me within 48 hours.Finally got hold of him again yesterday. It is on the list but will have to be done at one of the specialist body shops in Poole. He will let me have more details next week!
I haven't heard anything from Portsmouth or Totton so rang VWCS to complain about the lack of communication. They said they would get back to me within 48 hours. The saga continues.Tony from Breeze at Portsmouth rang to confirm that Nicki from Totton had been in touch - VW have agreed to rectify both paint issues i.e. roof corrosion and flaking paint above number plate. She will let me know by email details of body shop etc.
Eight weeks now since my first call. It will be interesting to see the waiting time for the repairs and if they will be using the new transparent strip described by those who visited the factory in Hannover.
Has anyone had thier Cali repaired by Gladwins Swavesey (Nationwide) yet? Mine is due to go there soon and I'm still debating whether to go ahead or not, based on some of the reports from people who have already had thiers done.
We have had our Cali repaired by them, it took three weeks, granted Easter fell in the middle of this period. On first inspection of the bodywork it appeared to be in order however when we took the van home from South Hereford Garage and washed and inspected it thoroughly 2 days later we discovered that the seal was not fitted correctly, it was scored with something sharp near the front and that our stainless steel side rails had been partially sprayed with our matching silver paint... not happy. We are currently in conversation with VW customer services after sending photo's to them. So far their response has been to take the van back to South Hereford for them to re-inspect. In hindsight, we picked up the van from South Hereford on a Saturday morning when the chap who had been dealing with our issue was not in work, we were desperate to get the van back in one piece, and had we thought it through should have dragged one of the other customer service staff to the van with us to give it a thorough inspection there and then. All we can say is we may have been unlucky, but in any event thorough inspection at the VW dealership when picking up the vehicle would have saved this extra hassle.
Original Cali had no front window in bellowsLooks good. Why is there no window in the front of the bellows?
After several more phone calls and emails I have been offered various dates from early June at TCW Tonbridge. I've just checked their website and some of the reviews are awful. Has anyone had their Cali repaired at TCW Tonbridge? Any advice would be appreciated.Again I have heard nothing. I contacted VWCS yesterday to lodge a complaint about the lack of communication. They said they will get back to me within 48 hours.
I haven't heard anything from Portsmouth or Totton so rang VWCS to complain about the lack of communication. They said they would get back to me within 48 hours. The saga continues.
Excellent idea Steve. I am sure you will get some takers to hel bring this matter to a great conclusion. All the best JW (Rik)Proposed compensation for your California roof
I like many California owners have the roof corrosion problem, and as my California is over six years old VW won’t correct the problem which I consider unfair and unacceptable. If you are interested in clubbing together to seek a joint legal opinion for claim or block of small claims (up to £10,000) against VW, please contact stephen.crossley@sportsmanshipfirst.co.uk
Please see the comprehensive history of the issue courtesy for first article to Ewan Mearns
https://wildaboutscotland.com/2015/12/07/vw-california-roof-corrosion-key-facts/
VW California roof corrosion – Key facts – Wild about Scotland
wildaboutscotland.com
At the time of writing (February 2017) a survey on the UK California Club Forum shows how many owners have reported roof corrosion: 40% front panel only (154 vans)
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/vw-california-t5-only-roof-corrosion-general-discussion.9000/
VW California T5 ONLY Roof Corrosion - General Discussion ...
vwcaliforniaclub.com
Blistering Paintwork Front Roof Pannel Hi All, Anyone else have blistering paint work on the front pannel of the roof? I'm talking about the metal...
No replies. I think that TCW are a recently approved bodyshop for VW and I don't want to be a guinea pig, even though the dates they offered were all within the next few weeks! Now awaiting re-allocation to another body shop. I'd prefer to wait and try(?) to make sure that the repairs are done properly.After several more phone calls and emails I have been offered various dates from early June at TCW Tonbridge. I've just checked their website and some of the reviews are awful. Has anyone had their Cali repaired at TCW Tonbridge? Any advice would be appreciated.
No replies. I think that TCW are a recently approved bodyshop for VW and I don't want to be a guinea pig, even though the dates they offered were all within the next few weeks! Now awaiting re-allocation to another body shop. I'd prefer to wait and try(?) to make sure that the repairs are done properly.
Well, predictably my 7-10 days has gone to 17 days with another 10 at the very least as they have "found other things that need doing" - but no-one can tell me what. So I have a van which they will charge me £12 per day damage waiver and I can't go camping in. VWCS didn't bother getting back to me last week either despite thier promises, as usual I have to do the chasing. What a shambles.... Let's hope all this extra time equates to a fantastic quality job - to be fair I dont want it rushed but I suspect they probably haven't even started it yet.
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