VW California T5 ONLY Roof Corrosion - General Discussion

[jts46]

johntowers46. it says I am not authorised to read private messages. My Cali is also Nov 2006 Regards gooseyj

 

[danny13]

Might it be worth holding off on the watchdog/which solo campaigns?
Maybe the forum will pursue this as a collective? Although it has gone quiet so I'm not sure what the next steps are that the forum plan to take (I think Susibus is on tour until Aug)...

I can see a potential for three groups, not sure of numbers in each...

0 - 3yrs All sorted under warranty
3 - 6yrs Front Panel repair covered, main roof repair unconfirmed
6yrs + No assistance from VW, not even goodwill discount on parts..

There will be a few boundary variants, maybe dealer assured used warranty or within the couple of months goodwill period after warranty expiration.

Rather than one cali owner writing in to watchdog/which....maybe if the forum wrote on behalf of X cali users it would have more clout. Acting as a group may be worth considering if court action required further on....would depend on numbers...

 

[gooseyj]

It would be nice if the club could find how many Cali owners have been refused, so we have an idea on the numbers involved

 

[jts46]

Lets hope the 90 van contract for AA vehicles don't suffer any problems, such as rust !!!!!!!

 

[CaliforniaDAN]

One thing that strikes me as odd with the blistering paintwork on the elevating roof is why the paint hasn't blistered past the rubber gasket. Has anyone got a theory/explanation for this?

 

[Martin]

There is metal within the rubber seal/gasket.

We will get working back on this once we get back from COTF , quite a bit is going on in the background

 

[gooseyj]

Hope so cos to pay for these repairs gonna have to get a paper round

 

[gooseyj]

Does anyone know if there is any brass near the aluminium top. Because join them together add water = electrolysis. Then end result looks like what we have got

 

[danny13]

why the paint hasn't blistered past the rubber gasket. Has anyone got a theory/explanation for this?

I think it's just a matter of time, some of the earlier (pre 2010) have blisters spreading past the rubber seal.

 

[danny13]

quite a bit is going on in the background

Sounds good

 

[CaliforniaDAN]

There is metal within the rubber seal/gasket.

We will get working back on this once we get back from COTF , quite a bit is going on in the background

Thanks Martin.

 

[AlanC]

An update from the South West.

I have received a mail today from Breeze Poole informing me that my repair has been approved and passed onto Heritage Westbury.

Having spoken to Heritage this morning, they currently have 100 vans approved and waiting for the repairs, but a back log due to back orders of parts from VW Germany not coming through. Only 8 have gone through the repair shop so far.

So I needn't of worried about swapping my van before our trip to France later this month. Looks like the end of the year at the earliest, probably more like next year.

This is a snapshot of just one of the 4 authorised repairers and it is probably being repeated at the other 3. Perhaps we should consider putting pressure on VW parts supply. Without parts nothing is going be be resolved speedily for any of us, irrespective of vehicle age.

 

[SusiBus]

It hasn’t gone quiet - we’re on the case.

We are awaiting answers in writing from VW before we decide if any form of action is required, and if it is, what this should be to achieve a fair outcome for Cali owners - such as a comprehensive warranty on the WHOLE aluminium roof !!

I do think that a well structured, collective, campaign would be more effective if VW don’t come up with the goods.

Our Cali is a late 2011 and corrosion has recently appeared above the rubber seal despite the fact we live in sunny Watford !

We’re at COTF. Please come and talk to us – the more feedback we have, the better.

SusiBus

 

[barry]

It hasn’t gone quiet - we’re on the case.

We are awaiting answers in writing from VW before we decide if any form of action is required, and if it is, what this should be to achieve a fair outcome for Cali owners - such as a comprehensive warranty on the WHOLE aluminium roof !!

I do think that a well structured, collective, campaign would be more effective if VW don’t come up with the goods.

Our Cali is a late 2011 and corrosion has recently appeared above the rubber seal despite the fact we live in sunny Watford !

We’re at COTF. Please come and talk to us – the more feedback we have, the better.

SusiBus

SusiB: Does your waiting fr written answers from vw include roof issues with Calis outside the 6-year period they're quoting?
Do we know how many of the 250ish vans that have roof issues are outside the 6-year period?

 

[jts46]

Could this have something to do with corrosion problem?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion

John

 

[777111]

It hasn’t gone quiet - we’re on the case.

We are awaiting answers in writing from VW before we decide if any form of action is required, and if it is, what this should be to achieve a fair outcome for Cali owners - such as a comprehensive warranty on the WHOLE aluminium roof !!

I do think that a well structured, collective, campaign would be more effective if VW don’t come up with the goods.

Our Cali is a late 2011 and corrosion has recently appeared above the rubber seal despite the fact we live in sunny Watford !

We’re at COTF. Please come and talk to us – the more feedback we have, the better.

SusiBus

+1

We still need a definitive cause, a definitive list of vehicles affected, and an extended warranty statement that details remedial work and guarantee thereof on both roof parts.

 

[yanathem]

I've spoken again to customer care today because of my local van center contacting me about still trying to clarify the six year cut off period.
This is to all of us with vans over the six year period who have been refused the front panel claim and left high and dry. You must all contact vw customer service and make sure they log a grievance complaint regarding this refusal, without doing this even less will be done by VW UK.
We will all be facing a bill of £4500.00 inc vat to get the work done at one of the four centers. Nice little earner by the way. This price by the way is benfields quote the three others could be more or less depending on labour charges.
It still seems that vw still don't see the bubbling paint as corrosion but still a paint issue that's why there is only a three year warranty and in fact it's only two years with the last year of warranty given by vwuk who are just the importers of the vans/cars and are a separate company from vw Germany which explains why maybe different countries have different ways in how they are going about fixing this problem. An example could be that all vans regardless of age could be getting fixed in Germany (confirmation required? anyone?) so good customer service past, present and future. Vw uk three years, then three year's "good will" which they think they are doing us a big favour by offering that but is it not true that uk consumer law says that purchases especially vehicle purchases have to have a life expectancy or be 'fit for purpose' of six years so it seems vw are just using the maximum years available here in the uk, but a vehicle of this pedigree should not rust especially when the body is galvanised, isn't that one of the selling points in the brochure??? in doing this it seems obvious they couldn't care less about customers past, then looking forward with blinkered eyes and not thinking about future purchases we might as consumers make. Who would buy a car or van from vw if a warranty claim is refused on your California which we all have paid serious money for on a known issue like the front panel corrosion (it's not a paint issue please vw) or for any new customer out there reading these posts would YOU buy a California at this time????
For people that don't know customer care phone number is 08007834909 please call and complain like mad, one thing though don't give the cs operators grief unfortunately for them they are our only point of contact at the minute and are only towing the company line..and are reading our posts anyways.
Friday rant over. Still very :censor off.

 

[Fresco 2008]

Well it's all very unsatisfactory. My Cali is a 01.03.08 reg and whist we love it not sure we would go the same way again. My wife is talking of ditching it. We have corrosion on both front panel & roof...currently in dispute with VW Customer service as they have refused to accept corrosion in front panel is their issue ( Cali was 3 months out of the 6 year 'window', but c'mon here do we realistically think there was no corrosion within the 6 year window??!! It's only because of this forum that I am aware of the corrosion issue otherwise would stil be blissfully unaware.) My friendly VW Van Centre ally told me that VW has been aware of the corrosion issue for at least 2 Years SO WHY DIDN'T THEY ISSUE A RECALL WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN THE HONOURABLE THING TO DO, given that most pre-12 Calis seem to be affected, and we are not talking about a cheap piece of kit here.....
Here's a Potted history on my Cali reliability :
* Pre- purchase, serious research concluded that either a Bilbos conversion or Cali would meet our needs, chose Cali because given the spec we wanted, it was a wash on price so a 'one stop' VW purchase based on Caravelle/Multivan spec was preferable to a Bilbos Transporter conversion. 2014 comment- given that the new price of a Cali is £10k more than we paid in 2008 and that Bilbos prices are only modestly up on 2008, doubt that we would go the Cali route again...
* First trip into Europe summer 2008 major roof failure, supporting strip on fabric rear offside decided to fold inwards instead of outwards (btw this is a design error), hence got caught in rear roof support as it was closing, & such is power of motor it continued running with supporting strip wedged in rear support leading to buckling of roof. To VW credit took it on chin & replaced buckled roof under warranty once we got back to UK but still major hassle as we were en route to Croatia!!
* Failure of sliding window closing mechanism above sink led to replacement under warranty in 2009
* Sliding closing door to rear cupboard ripped as not very robust, replaced under warranty, but not as good as it was
* Water pump failed! Just out of warranty....but was told by VW centre, no worries as the pump is only £14. What they omitted to say is that fitting the new pump is a beast of a job & it cost me over £200 in labour...
* I've noticed the same pitting in the sink as referred to in some earlier posts so presumably the sink will have to be replaced.

VW is facing serious reputation all damage here, and they seem to be taking it lightly. Ref previous post query, presumably Cali owners in other European countries must be affected, any info on this....

 

[Bjohnson]

Just checked ours today and we have some small bubbles in the paintwork under the rubber strip at various locations around the pop up roof. No sign of corrosion on the front fixed panel, so far.

Had ours from new since nov 2012.

Will have to register it with our local dealer in Bristol for the warranty claim. :cry:

 

[Custardtart]

I''m luckier than some here as my Cali is only 2 years old but the way older Cali owners are being treated is making me wonder if I should get out while the goings good.

Galvanising has made rust a distant memory for steel body vehicles but if keeping aluminium corrosion free is dependent on the quality of the paint doesn't that mean that in time (with stone chips and such like) they will always corrode like non-galvanised steel vehicles did?

How do other alu body vehicles manage - some of the audis, Jag XF etc?

I was intending to keep my Cali long term but if I'm going to be living with a ticking corrosion timebomb and VW are going to wash their hands of me in due course, I'm not so sure it's a good plan.

Am I understanding this correctly?

 

[Custardtart]

Just noticed my main elevating roof section has the first small bubbles so my vote was front section only but should now be front section and main roof. Not sure if the vote can be changed?

I'm actually kind of glad as it's still within the 3 year paint warranty and I haven't yet had the front section repaired so it can all be done together.

I'd like to be convinced that the main roof won't corrode again after repair though - as per my previous post.

 

[RogerMoran]

I own a 2005 VW T5 California and reported the corrosion problem to VW Robinsons Norwich in Sept 2013. In Dec 2013 I was informed that VW had accepted there was a problem and that 4 technicians from 4 VW agencies were to be trained, probably by March 2014 and that my car would be repaired under guarantee. A transporter would bring a replacement VW California and our California would be taken away for repair. When repaired VW would deliver our California and collect the loan vehicle. In April 2014 I enquired to arrange a mutually agreeable time for the repair.
To my (great) surprise, I was informed by the VW agency that VW UK will not agree to repair my California. To cut a long story short I wrote directly to the VW Chairman. I received a reply asking me to contact VW UK. Finally, I wrote a letter to VW Robinsons Norwich asking for a friendly solution within 14 days. The matter was passed to VW UK and I was personally contacted by a member of their Executive Office who, after many telephone calls informed me that VW would not be honouring the terms of the 12 year warranty against corrosion. It appears that VW are claiming it to be a paint problem.
I am currently on holiday in Denmark and will return on September 4 and have arranged to meet the MD of VW Robinsons Norwich on Sept 5.

I would like to speak to someone in the Owners Forum before taking appropriate legal action, as the cost to repair will be above £5,000 maximum for a small claims court and will have to go to a higher court.

Conclusion: After being a great VW owner for over 38 years, owning up to five VW vehicles at one time I (naturally) want to see justice prevail regarding a guarantee being respected

 

[sue.h]

The limit or small claims track is £10000

But It does look like there is a lot happening behind the scenes , so hopefully this work will come good for you. If it wasn't for the forum, we wouldn't have known about the issues and got out claim In, So thanks for all the hard work behind the scenes.

Our claim for the roof has been accepted and added to our original claim and the Cali is January 2011



On a more pessimistic note, echoing other disillusioned owners, there seem to be a lot of promises and no action on the fixes. Yes, we will do it, then we are changing the fix, then training only 4 body shops, and now short of parts.........

 

[sue.h]

It hasn’t gone quiet - we’re on the case.

We are awaiting answers in writing from VW before we decide if any form of action is required, and if it is, what this should be to achieve a fair outcome for Cali owners - such as a comprehensive warranty on the WHOLE aluminium roof !!

I do think that a well structured, collective, campaign would be more effective if VW don’t come up with the goods.

Our Cali is a late 2011 and corrosion has recently appeared above the rubber seal despite the fact we live in sunny Watford !

We’re at COTF. Please come and talk to us – the more feedback we have, the better.

SusiBus

Missed you at cotf. If there is any Info you want, just ask. Our roof job has been accepted and added to the original repair of the panel over the windscreen. Our van is jan 2011 so I wasn't hopeful. BUT Nothing in writing....despite asking....
We only found the blisters because of the forum. Standing g together will be a stronger force so thanks again for all the work you are doing

Sue

 

[keredewor]

Seems to me that if this was tested in a uk court VW would lose.

Latent Defects (extract from a construction contract) Read ditto for negligence claims in law

Statutory limitation period for negligent latent defects claims

In 1986, the Latent Damage Act introduced an extension to the ordinary six-year statutory limitation period. This extension is available for negligence claims for latent defects – a defect in a property, caused by a fault in design, materials or workmanship, that existed at the time construction was completed but was not apparent at the time of completion. It does not apply to personal injury claims.

Where there is a latent defect, the time limit is the later of:

six years from the date of accrual of the cause of action being raised; and
three years from the earliest date on which the potential claimant knew, or reasonably ought to have known, material facts necessary to bring an action alleging negligence
subject to an overall limit of fifteen years from the accrual of damage.

In other words, the Latent Damage Act introduces an element of 'discoverability' which provides for a further period of three years from the discovery of the latent defect, and yet still provides some element of certainty to construction contractors with the creation of a final claim date of fifteen years from the accrual of damage.