VW CORROSION WARRANTY
Discussion
Has anyone had any dealings with VW over the 12 year corrosion warranty. I have an 05 plate Passat which has started developing rust around the edge of the passanger side wing and also around the rear number plate light. As soon as I found it I took it to my local VW dealer. They had a look and confirmed that there was no damage that had caused it and it had had no previous damage repaired , they front wing was due to the plastic inner wheel arch rubbing and they had had loads of them and put the warranty claim through.
Today I found out that VW UK have refused the claim because the plastic wheel arch has caused the problem which is a mechanical fault and that only has a 3 year warranty , even though it was this that caused the rust. The wheel arch is not loose so thats the way it left the factory when new, they also came up with a similar excuse for the number plate lights . I have fulfilled every part of the bodywork warranty which was expected of me, the rust was not caused by damage or neglect , anyone any ideas on what to do next.
Regards Bri
Today I found out that VW UK have refused the claim because the plastic wheel arch has caused the problem which is a mechanical fault and that only has a 3 year warranty , even though it was this that caused the rust. The wheel arch is not loose so thats the way it left the factory when new, they also came up with a similar excuse for the number plate lights . I have fulfilled every part of the bodywork warranty which was expected of me, the rust was not caused by damage or neglect , anyone any ideas on what to do next.
Regards Bri
Is it a 12 year corrosion warranty, or is a 12 year perforation warranty?
I would guess it was the latter, with surface corrosion and paintwork defects only being covered for the first 3 years.
If the arch liner has rubbed through the paint opening the steel up to the elements, then it would be surface corrosion not perforation - And therefore as above would only be covered for 3 years
I might be wrong though - What does the owners manual say?
ETA - taken from the VW website - See the note in bold
Body protection warranty
All current Volkswagen vehicles are fully protected during manufacture against through corrosion for 12 years from the date of first registration (6 years for the Sharan models).
The only preconditions are:
•The defect must be reported to a member of the Volkswagen Authorised Network as soon as it is discovered and within the warranty period.
•The perforation must not have been caused originally by damage, neglect, insufficient care or maintenance or by external rusting.
•A member of the Volkswagen Authorised Network must be advised about any rusting as soon as it is found.
•All body repairs will be carried out promptly in accordance with the manufacturer's specification and procedures, using only approved parts and materials, so the original level of anti-corrosion protection is maintained.
I would guess it was the latter, with surface corrosion and paintwork defects only being covered for the first 3 years.
If the arch liner has rubbed through the paint opening the steel up to the elements, then it would be surface corrosion not perforation - And therefore as above would only be covered for 3 years
I might be wrong though - What does the owners manual say?
ETA - taken from the VW website - See the note in bold
Body protection warranty
All current Volkswagen vehicles are fully protected during manufacture against through corrosion for 12 years from the date of first registration (6 years for the Sharan models).
The only preconditions are:
•The defect must be reported to a member of the Volkswagen Authorised Network as soon as it is discovered and within the warranty period.
•The perforation must not have been caused originally by damage, neglect, insufficient care or maintenance or by external rusting.
•A member of the Volkswagen Authorised Network must be advised about any rusting as soon as it is found.
•All body repairs will be carried out promptly in accordance with the manufacturer's specification and procedures, using only approved parts and materials, so the original level of anti-corrosion protection is maintained.
Edited by Superhoop on Tuesday 9th March 19:28
If you look just above the bit you highlighted it says its a 12 year through corrosion warranty. The body manager thought I would have no problem and seemed just as shocked as I was because its obvious the rust has come from behind the plastic inner arch.If you look at the stipulations on the body warranty I have done everything expected of me by letting them know asap , the rust has not been caused by neglect or damage its a manafacturing defect which it left the factory which has caused the problem. I will just have to try and keep pushing and see were I get.
regards
regards
Not much help in your case, but I had a Skoda Octavia from new and a few months into ownership I noticed a small area of bubbling paint on the roof. Cutting to the chase, Skoda UK deemed this to be a stone chip and therefore nothing to do with them.
Good luck to you. As said above, you know which cars to avoid next time!
Good luck to you. As said above, you know which cars to avoid next time!
I think VW's reputation for reliability comes from TV advertising they commissioned decades ago. I have a 56 plate Polo GTi that has always been kept clean, waxed and garaged and has corrosion on the wheels and bodywork already. A quick look around my works car park will reveal another Polo and a Golf in similar condition. The lesson I've taken is to avoid the Volkswagen brand in future or at least avoid paying top money for them and try not to expect too much.
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