Rust on tailgate, only 9 weeks old!

[kenny.s]

Just been along to the dealer. It just so happened that the Arnold Clark warranty guy for this area was in at the time. Both him and the service manager came out to look at it. The warranty guy seems to think that the surface of the paint has been damaged and this has allowed the moisture to get in  I tried to point out that the bubble on the other side is actually under the edge of the glass so how could the paint get chipped or damaged? He didnt really have an answer for this.

He said i've now got 2 options, get this,

"As a gesture of good will we will put it down as a paint defect and get the boot repainted"

I asked if they would replace the tailgate and he said no, they wont even take the window out!!

or

"We can get an independant paint inspector to come in and look at it and give his opinion on what has caused it"

They then tried to put the wind up me at this point by saying that if he says the rust is a result of the paint being damaged i wont be entitiled to a warranty claim  I told them to go ahead and get the inspector out as I dont believe for a second that this is a result of the surface of the paint being damaged.
For paint damage to cause rust it would need to go through the lacquer, base coat, primer and then through the galvanised coating and expose bare steel, some how i dont think so.

I'm just off the phone to VW customer services, the guy i spoke to seemed pretty good about it and didnt immediately rule out the possibilty of being able to reject the car. Need to wait for the guy who's going to be dealing with the case to call me back, we'll see what he says.

Are you sure that is a rust spot in the first picture because it looks more like a blob of molten metal. Not to start a panic but its like blob from a body repair with a stud welder

The pictures were taken in macro so the raised bit in the first picture does look a bit like something poking through the paint but i think it's just the way the rust is pushing through.

Could you pop the trim off the inside of the tailgate and see if there's been some repair work done to the metal? That shouldn't happen.

I've not taken the trim off, dont want to touch anything just now. Going to wait till this inspector has a look and i hear back from VW before i do anything.

[john_o]

write all names/facts down now , and contact VW Uk now.
Maybe even an independent inspection.
I dont know the law but is a rejection time limited???

VW have quality control from factory , so it would be unusual for it to get to you in that state.
However even if they did miss a problem (which would need to be very small) , there is no way it could rust to that degree in such a short space of time.
Rust does happen fast , but enough to bubble a panel on a galvanised car in x weeks?

Either its been repaired after leaving factory , or the factory missed it.
If it was a factory flaw then you say there are 2 flaws you can see at the moment , what else is hidden?

Go over rest of car , has it been in a flood? If you can get the boot interior panel do so.

Mistakes can and do happen , I accept that for only 1 area ,
but you have it on both sides of the car indicating the entire car may be suspect.

I hate to be so cautious but I'd be lining up to reject the car irrespective of whether they are nice or not.
Something just doesnt add up. Its your new car so dont let them fob you off.

Good Luck

[kenny.s]

I've been in touch with VW Uk, and the case has been raised, i'm just waiting to hear back from the guy it's been allocated to.

VW have quality control from factory , so it would be unusual for it to get to you in that state.
However even if they did miss a problem (which would need to be very small) , there is no way it could rust to that degree in such a short space of time.
Rust does happen fast , but enough to bubble a panel on a galvanised car in x weeks?

Either its been repaired after leaving factory , or the factory missed it.
If it was a factory flaw then you say there are 2 flaws you can see at the moment , what else is hidden?
 

This is exactly my point which they didnt seem to appreciate, why should i be left with a brand new car thats had to be patched up as a result of a paint flaw?  I've had a good look round the rest of the car but i havent found anything, but like you say what else is hidden?

Feel completely dejected right now, buying a brand new car is supposed to be an enjoyable experience.

[john_o]

I fully understand but keep your chin up 

[Hurdy]

Let us all know if you don't get anything sorted.......and we'll sort them for you PEOPLE POWER

[kenny.s]

 

You've gotta laugh haven't you, either that or cry.

The worst bit is i'm not even sure what to push for. If i go down the route of rejecting the car and asking for a new one it'll looks like it'll come with full leather which i dont want. I doubt very much if they'd let me have an ED30 even if i paid the difference, i could live with half leather.
Or do i just ask for my money back and call it quits 

[No Golf Clubs at all]

Arnold Clark where? are you willing to say?  I remember when I was buying there was a black gt '07 (170) tdi that had been trashed by one of the pimply faced sales monkeys at Springburn Glasgow..i know a sales guy in another AC branch...done some digging for me and told me to give it a wide berth.

However you have a gti? yes? and its new...so it cant be that car,  but let me tell you new or old these guys are forever getting cars scratched and bashed...they move so many cars around I guess its largely unnavoidable. They have call off contracts with people like chips away, dentmaster etc...have seen them in myself many times.

It therefore would not surprise me that they had damaged your car and affected hasty repair...take it all the way pal...when you feel its ok to do so...name and shame.  Pity your new car experience is tainted.  

[Makaveli]

Push for an ED 30 

Seriously if you are not happy get your money back and go somewhere else.  It is a lot of money for you to have a nagging doubt in the back of your mind.  In the UK we tend to just accept things all too easily and tend to get fobbed off.

Stand your ground if you are not happy then make sure you get what you want till YOU are happy

[R32UK]

it defo look like a panel defect to me. That rust hasnt just poped up in the last couple of weeks. Its a defo reject for me, unless they are willing to change the panels... and even then I would reject just because whenever dealer repair anything, they always ruin something else :embarassed:

[kenny.s]

I dont want to say too much just now.
When i had the car detailed (not long after i got it) they measured the paint thickness on all the panels using ultrasound, i spoke to them today and they said the boot was between 80-90 mircons at various points. A bit on the thin side but this isnt out of the ordinary on todays cars. Had the boot been repainted it would have been noticably thicker and they would have mentioned it to me.
The point i was trying to get across to this warranty guy and the service manager was what happens when i go to sell this car and someone notices that the tailgate has been painted? I'm potentially going to loose money as a result of a manufacturing fault.