VW California T5 ONLY Roof Corrosion - General Discussion

[Boz1972]

Hi,
I have just had my second repair on the same panel agreed under warranty, the first being completed approx 18 months ago and came back with in a year. VW customer services have been helpful over the last couple of years but they are limited with what they can do with regards to the main dealerships. The first van centre I dealt with who carried out the first attempted repair were the worst van/ car dealership I have ever had the misfortune to use (Martins of Basingstoke). They managed to cut the hydraulic lines in the roof, recked the headlining, broke all the internal pillar panels, got a paint finish that resembled something my 4 year old nephew might have done at school and then blamed me for deliberately damaging my own vehicle. Then decided that it was another VW dealer that caused the damage! My vehicle was away from me for nearly 8 months due to this! Luckily, because of the way they treated me a couple of friends have decided not to purchase their new cars from that dealer. Thats the only compensation I can get from the shambles.
My advice to anyone with any issue is to contact VW Customer Care direct as it is my understanding (correct me if im wrong) that all VW dealers are franchises and so are independent, and also they do not get paid much from VW for warranty work apparently. In some instances I think that certain dealers would look to cut corners to earn a better profit, but that is my opinion. Still love the van but aftersales service would need to improve at dealer level before I buy another one.

 

[jts46]

Neither will they look at mine Barry

John

 

[AlisonM]

I have blistering on the front only. I haven't contacted my dealer as I live in Northern Ireland and the dealers who can fix this are all a ferry ride away. Has anyone in Northern Ireland contacted Agnews?

 

[Martin]

Alison,

I would of thought it is VW that has to foot the bill for collection, even from Northern Ireland with the ferry crossing, I would call customer services first to get some advice. It would be interesting to hear what they say

 

[Andy]

I seem to remember an Irish Cali being collected & bought to Uk for the repair a while ago, possibly the first to be done. Details posted on this thread I believe.
So I would definitely contact customer services.

 

[josos1965]

Hi

I bought my Cali in May this year it was a demo from Listers of Coventry 12 months old 3,000 on the clock, it has been back and forth since then numerous times with issues. I checked my roof having recieved your email and yes I have corrosion. I took photos and called into Lister who said to take it to their body shop and it would start the ball rolling. I did that and photos were taken and a job card started. I was told I would be contacted within a week. A month later I called the main Listers group complaints line as I had had enough of the appauling service I had recieved since buying the camper. I started the ball rolling then I think. I am awaiting to here what the next step will be. I will try to upload the photos I took.

Josos

 

[700870644]

I own a 2012 California sunny yellow beach , after reading your thread , discovered corrosion
On the roof area , between front windscreen and the pop up roof.
I contacted vw dealer and they took photos and said they would let me know, but they were aware of the problem. I had a letter in July , as follows,

We are finally in a position to have the repairs to the corrosion on the front of your California carried out. I have forwarded your information to the nominated VW approved bodyshop who will contact you directly. The Bodyshop name is Westbury Bodyshop, which is part of the Heritage Automotive group and based in Bristol.

The bodyshop will arrange through the AA to have your vehicle picked up and transported via lowloader to have the repairs carried out. They will then return the vehicle the same way once repairs are complete. It is anticipated the vehicle will be at the bodyshop for around 2 weeks during which time you will be supplied with a California to use.

If you have any questions which the bodyshop are unable to answer, please don’t hesitate to call myself or VW CV Customer Care.

Thank you for your patience in this matter


As of this date I am still waiting for a date, but in have noticed the corrosion getting worse.
I have not found any evidence of corrosion on the pop up roof as yet.
As an idea they put an estimate in the email of approx £1800

 

[777111]

I own a 2012 California sunny yellow beach , after reading your thread , discovered corrosion
On the roof area , between front windscreen and the pop up roof.
I contacted vw dealer and they took photos and said they would let me know, but they were aware of the problem. I had a letter in July , as follows,

We are finally in a position to have the repairs to the corrosion on the front of your California carried out. I have forwarded your information to the nominated VW approved bodyshop who will contact you directly. The Bodyshop name is Westbury Bodyshop, which is part of the Heritage Automotive group and based in Bristol.

The bodyshop will arrange through the AA to have your vehicle picked up and transported via lowloader to have the repairs carried out. They will then return the vehicle the same way once repairs are complete. It is anticipated the vehicle will be at the bodyshop for around 2 weeks during which time you will be supplied with a California to use.

If you have any questions which the bodyshop are unable to answer, please don’t hesitate to call myself or VW CV Customer Care.

Thank you for your patience in this matter


As of this date I am still waiting for a date, but in have noticed the corrosion getting worse.
I have not found any evidence of corrosion on the pop up roof as yet.
As an idea they put an estimate in the email of approx £1800

The advice here is to take a very careful look under the rubber seal all around the main roof. It slides off, bit stiff at first, but you will almost certainly find corrosion bubbles under there. If you cant do this then make sure you get the dealer to do this as it makes sense to get both roof parts done at the same time.
Hope that helps.

 

[David Eccles]

Hi

A month later I called the main Listers group complaints line as I had had enough of the appauling service I had recieved since buying the camper. I started the ball rolling then I think. I am awaiting to here what the next step will be. I will try to upload the photos I took.

Josos

I am sorry to hear this..Listers Van Centre in Coventry is the place I use and I have only had good experiences with them. I suggest you phone and ask for Phil who seems to be the man who is on the ball re the roof probs and procedures and ask him if he has sent your claim in to VWCS, if so is it approved, and if so has he sent paperwork onto Shorade (whom they use).
If all the above has been done then its a case of waiting....you could also phone Shorade who can tell you where you are in the queue
I don't understand why they would refer you to their bodyshop they do not do this roof work! Phil takes pics at the dealership and does all the paperwork and contacts with VWCS and when approved he sends it to Shorade...
According to VW, Shorade should contact you direct to say they have you on the list..last week I was told specifically by VW that the 4 bodyshops should be doing this now...

 

[snowy55]

What's the warranty on the resprayed roof and front panel?

Has anyone found the answer to this question yet?

 

[jts46]

I would imagine a repair on front panel and respray 3 years, or depending how much warranty is left, but not sure for certain.

John

 

[Nick_D]

VW California 2011.
I noticed some corrosion on the panel in front of the lifting roof where the roof meets that panel –bubbling under the paint – in October 2014. I mentioned it when I took the van for a service at it to Southern Motor Group, Cowfold. They explained that earlier claims had been sent for a respray but that now VW Germany were working on a resolution to what appeared to be a common issue so it would be better to wait until that was in place before making a claim.. I called them after a month or so to say I was concerned that any claim might be “timed out”. They put me in contact with Volkswagen Customer Services who confirmed the story and took details of my vehicle. In January this year some idiot ran into the back of the van whilst stationary and I took it for repair to Abridge VW and brought the corrosion to their attention. They put in a warranty claim, I called them several times to see if there was any movement throughout this year and then, two weeks ago, I received a letter from A.B. Crush Panelcraft to say that my van is in a queue for repair and expected lead time is expected to be “later in the year”.

In summary: delighted with the van, disappointed in the issue, pleased that it is being resolved.

 

[Stu]

Re: Has anyone done the Maths

I have heard that its several thousand for each bus!
with potentially HUNDREDS to do ...
I too wonder about the future of the Cali with the new T6 when it arrives, especially given the new forthcoming Westy version with manual elevating roof in pipeline, and VWs renewed relationship with Westfalia now they are not owned by rivals!

remove a small panel, reprint, refit with a rubber gasket will not cost thousands. Perhaps an paint shop would try and charge you a good few hundred if you wonder in and ask them. Compared to dodgy brakes, airbags and accelerators that Toyota and Co have to deal with I know which I would prefer!

The parts cost is £2.2-£2.5k alone for the current VW repair process. The full repair including elevating roof will be twice that figure.

 

[gingerscott]

Hi, thanks to the forum for informing me of the corrosion, we have a March 2014 California with corrosion to the main roof at the side and the rear under the black seal, I have only just got round to getting to the dealer and my claim has been approved but I was shocked to find out I am 176 in the queue Can I expect to have this repaired this year as we are looking to sell our California in the spring as we were only using it for a 4 month tour of Europe.

Oh yes, they said they have no parts at the monent as they are all on back order.

 

[smgcowfoldparts]

Re: Has anyone done the Maths

I watched the body shop do mine (front Ali roof panel), they were working to vw instructions, there was no need to remove the roof assembly or fit new bellows.

If you are talking about a new roof after the scissor mech caught the canvas and kinked the roof then I agree a few K.

The previous repair was to repaint/repair the front faring in situ and the price you have given is about right for the previous repair.

The new repair is a one to two week repair including a new front roof faring. To remove that the whole roof needs to be removed and it is a massive, massive job.

thanks

 

[Ambler]

Ditto here.
Been meaning to inspect and when I do i find bubbling under the seal on one side only of the main roof.
This van was ordered in Nov 13 and manufactured in January 2014 for March delivery.

Now got to go through all the faff of visiting dealer etc.

Clearly a manufacturing fault. Do they not employ metallurgists in Germany?

 

[snowy55]

Plenty of metallurgist in Germany but also plenty of bean counters who if they can save a few euros per vehicle will always win.

 

[sidtowe]

Front panel inspected today by my dealer in N Ireland - problem is known to them but no dealership in NI has been trained to deal with the corrosion. Issue has been escalated to the dealership warranty manager. Hopeful that a technician will be flown over or van transported by ferry.
cali 3630

 

[Raggedroy]

Just been told by VW that my front panel will be replaced/ repaired by Shorade and a local body shop (Peterborough) will repair my main roof.

A few weeks ago I was No.19 on the list for Shorade and now I'm told No.20. This sounds like it might take a while.

 

[MarkW]

Re: Has anyone done the Maths

Hi Alex,

Please can you confirm your understanding of what the repair is for the "main" roof corrosion?

People are suggesting the main roof will be repainted but unless VW has identified (and documented) the root cause and remedy surely the corrosion will reappear?


regards...

 

[Stu]

Just been told by VW that my front panel will be replaced/ repaired by Shorade and a local body shop (Peterborough) will repair my main roof.

A few weeks ago I was No.19 on the list for Shorade and now I'm told No.20. This sounds like it might take a while.

That doesn't make sense. Shorade will be removing the roof for the front panel repair so it would seem silly not to repair it properly at that point.

 

[PETER152]

Ditto here.
Been meaning to inspect and when I do i find bubbling under the seal on one side only of the main roof.
This van was ordered in Nov 13 and manufactured in January 2014 for March delivery.

Now got to go through all the faff of visiting dealer etc.

Clearly a manufacturing fault. Do they not employ metallurgists in Germany?

Can you not reject the van as its so new?

 

[Raggedroy]

Just been told by VW that my front panel will be replaced/ repaired by Shorade and a local body shop (Peterborough) will repair my main roof.

A few weeks ago I was No.19 on the list for Shorade and now I'm told No.20. This sounds like it might take a while.

That doesn't make sense. Shorade will be removing the roof for the front panel repair so it would seem silly not to repair it properly at that point.

I'm waiting for vw to call me back as I don't understand why mine is being treated differently.

 

[jibjab]

I'm once again a prospective California owner, and to that end I have been watching the For Sale forum, waiting for the right-for-me vehicle. I am not new to the California, having previously owned from new a 2009 174 Tiptronic in gleaming silver, which I sold on when I went to live for three years in South America.

I have been dismayed to learn that there is widespread roof corrosion. It is reassuring that VW UK have now 4 repair centres and a defined repair procedure. However, as a fly on the wall, I can't help but observe that the road from initial reporting and leading to the repair being approved is not as joined up as it ought to be.

Rather than individual owners having to approach their local van centre to explain what is required, VWCS could produce an introductory letter, made available to download from this forum, and elsewhere, and by post from VWCS on request. The letter would explain to the van centre what was required and the reporting chain. That would alleviate much of the grief and uncertainty being faced by far too many California owners.

Better still would be that VWCS provide a hotline number for California numbers to report corrosion. VWCS would then contact the dealer of your choice, identify a point of contact (POC) at that dealer, and tell them what is required, preferably backing that up by sending the POC written details of the approved procedure, from initial inspection through to repair approval. VWCS would then contact the Cali owner to advise them of the name of the POC, who the California owner would then contact to make an appointment to bring the vehicle in for inspection. That would surely make the process less painful for the California owner and help provide a better consistency in the process.

Once the repair is approved the dealer should then be out of the loop and it left to VWCS to manage the process thereon. VWCS should also have a process in place whereby, once initial contact has been made via the above mentioned hotline, affected California owners are kept in the loop about progress and given regular (monthly?) updates on their position in the repair queue.

Non of this is rocket science. I would be delighted to draft the necessary processes and procedures, and assist VWCS in their implementation, if requested.

 

[smgcowfoldparts]

Re: Has anyone done the Maths

Do you mean the front faring or the pop-up roof?

Thanks