Hi Conniff, many thanks for your help once again. I agree, now there's momentum behind anything VW, he would be best to look at court action. The gentleman was initially trying to avoid using any form of social or other media and was hoping VW would simply hear the voice of reason. However, they have just stringed him along. Due to the horrendous nature of his corrosion, I dedicated a page on my site to show all the troubled areas and all the hoops he had to jump through just to get to a stalemate situation. During my initial dealings when I was trying to get my Passat repaired, I looked through all their glossy's and financial reports around the time the car was manufactured and hit them with all their"Quality Missions". I think he was hoping that VW would have come to their senses, seeing as he has given them every reasonable opportunity to fully repair the vehicle or compensate him. To be honest, I have been silently hoping they would not start hacking away at warranty claims, but I guess other than mass redundancies, I guess warranty work is the next easy target. And we all know by experience just how VW attempt to avoid covering issues which are well documented within the industry. You just have to look at the Injector and Injector loom issues these B6 Passats had. If my memory served me right, it was BBC Watchdog intervention that finally made VW UK relent and do a full recall. Cheers Stu

All on a day when the rest of the VAG groups vehicle emissions specifications are being investigated, I highlight the plight of a gentleman I have been assisting with regards to his Anti-Corrosion warranty claim. It would appear that a ruthless COST CUTTING exercise is already taking its grip well within the folds of VW UK. The VW customer has probably the worst case of corrosion spread throughout his car that I have come across. These are the facts All his paint depth measurements are within factory tolerance He has ROT in both rear and front wheel arches, bonnet, tailgate and doors. VW's quote to repair the ROT is £8000 They initially asked him to stump up £4000 towards the cost as they were generously giving him 50% factory goodwill towards the WARRANTY claim. After sending a letter to the current UK CEO whoever he maybe today ??? And issuing VW with a Data Access request to collate information to seek the additional costs of the repairs through the small claims court, he was passed to the team who play "Damage Limitations", ie the Management Executive Team. The customer paid for an independent vehicle assessors report to evaluate the extent of the corrosion and advise what works needed to be carried out in order to remedy the ROT. The gentleman kindly asked VW to contribute 50% towards the cost of this report. To this day he is still waiting for a response. VW agree to cover the cost of repairing 75% of the vehicle, claiming it was "Not economically viable for them to repair his entire vehicle under the terms of the Anti-corrosion warranty". They refuse to repair the Rear Wheel Arches ! The customer suggests a payment of 50% of the costs of the original VW quote (a sum of £4000) and he would get ALL the repairs done himself and sign a wavier regarding the existing Anti-Corrosion warranty. IE the anti-corrosion warranty would cease from that day. VW point blank refuse and offer him a pittance. So here we have a customer being told his vehicle, which VW are keen to sale you with the idea that your car will easily last 12 yrs and beyond due to their very comprehensive Anti-Corrosion Warranty, being told his vehicle is beyond economical repair. They wont repair it, or give him half what they were prepared to spend on it so he can get the repairs done elsewhere and the amount offered is no way near enough for him to purchase another similar year and model Vehicle. Here are examples are the corrosion on the tailgate. The rest of the vehicle is as bad.... [ATTACH=CONFIG]60122[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]60123[/ATTACH]

I know exactly what you mean. This is where we let ourselves down big time. Retailers and suppliers pretty much know that on that on the whole most individuals just cant be bothered to go to court. But occasionally there’s a curve ball thrown and an individual is prepared to fight it all the way. This is what happened in the case of the gentleman who runs rusting-volkswagen. He got to court, and literally just as they were about to enter the hearing, VW relented and gave him what he was justifiably after. I have a lot of respect for Karl as he paved the way for the rest of us. VW know they can’t win one of these corrosion claims if it went as far as court, because they have set a precedence with Karl. It was the same with the injector problems so I believe. I think it was BBC watchdog who intervened and the almighty VW were made to recall the vehicles. People in the UK never appreciate just how much influence they have when "People Power" is a applied.

Yes, agree. I would imagine it hard to believe if they pulled that off. The fact is, in the US all the corrosion issues, and other common issues like the electronic steering locking mechanisms failing, but the replacement mechanism not working with the existing CCM (communications and comfort controller if my memory serves me correctly) which also has to be replaced at a cost of £700 just for the CCM is simply covered the US. I have read of owners in the UK having to shell out near on £1000 to have what amounts to a £75 steering locking mechanism replaced. But in the US, no problem sir, take a seat we will get it done in a jiffy,,, or whatever US speak for a Jiffy is ha ha ha ha... The mechanism itself is just a plastic box with a few micro switches. How the hell can’t it work with what’s originally installed in the vehicle .... I bet our friends across the pond must learn the basics of US law and suing for compo in kindergarten .... Don’t forget,,, Where there’s BLAME, there’s a CLAIM …..

Crikey !!!!!! Never expected that when I started this thread. My site got hit by 97 users earlier when I looked. Its norm is anything around 8 - 15 per day, not unless I have had a purge on all the web forums whereby it last hit 300 in day... Regardless of all that. The MD of the UK has refused to comment on any form of "Compensation" for UK owners. I fail to see how if they compensate the US customer base, they will get away with not doing the same for the rest of the world. As previously mentioned, VW have put back £4.7bn in the way of dealing with this scandal. But after the US boss in the states was called to congress and told he may be looking at repaying every affected customer their original purchase price, this will increase their original figure by 10 in the US alone. If you multiply that to the 11,000,000 vehicles affected worldwide and say pick a midway between the high end motors and the smaller end stuff of say £15,000 per customer, it equates to a wholesome figure of £165bn ???? I would have to question if VW even have that kind of money sat around for a rainy day. That would mean a lot of very P*ssed shareholder who can kiss goodbye their dividends payments for the foreseeable future. Obviously this is all speculation. But like you said previously Conniff, I am sure Chancellor Merkel has the cash to spare !!!!

Wayward Engineers ??? Who were working as lone wolves maybe ??? I doubt it very much. So are we to believe that all "high level" technical decisions are made around the coffee machine in Wolfsburg during fag breaks by the ground crew .. It’s easy for Goliath to attempt to blame the little David in these affairs. Although it does pose the question if VW management structure are actually in control of their own company ??

The chief VW boss in the US has been up against congress and it’s been suggested VW pay back all affected customers the full purchase cost of their vehicles. This could increase VW's original estimated costs of approx. £4.7bn by ten times. VW have been accused of arrogance in the US. This accusation of "arrogance" is a true reflection on how the VW Group in the UK and Europe treats their customers. Anyone who has been through their warranty claims process in the UK or the rest of Europe and have been forced to play hard ball with them, will have certainly been exposed to their arrogant approach.

I agree, the Yanks will sue for financial gain for any given reason. I did see that VW have announced the fix will involve either software, or injectors and catalytic converts. But I really fail to see how they can make the vehicles perform under the same terms that they were initially sold. Just patching the software will not suffice, nor surely changing injectors and cats. If it were an issue with injectors and cats why didn’t they just put these "replacement" ones in the cars in the first place as any cost saving would be minimal compared to what they will now have to pay out. I heard the likes of Norway and India were seeking damages also. VW have said what the fix is, but don’t appear to have come about what the fix does.

Yes, that was exactly my first thought when VW announced they were now seeking to make massive savings. I also hope the “bean counters” don’t cut on quality. There’s only so many places they can make these savings and its either manpower, manufacturing processes and warranty claims. I feel warranties will be scrutinised further and they will simply make you jump through more hoops .. At present, the threat to take them to court and acquiring a full data access request from them under the terms of the Data Protection act to gather as much evidence for your pending court case, has been enough to twist their arms. To date I am only aware of one gentleman who took VW to court. VW settled at the last minute, just before it went into be heard. VW replaced his 5 affected panels. It’s been off the back of all his hard work, due to him setting a precedence, that the rest of us have succeeded far easier in encouraging VW to repair our vehicles. VW know they can’t win a court case. Because all the inherent issues causing the corrosion are due to manufacturing defects. These vehicles have not been sold “Fit For Purpose”. I am dealing with a couple of other guys who have taken the court stance, yet VW relented without the need for them to start a case. They have gone silent so it’s safe to believe they got the offers they were happy with without seeing the inside of a court room. I find the ones who don’t persist, or can’t be bothered to fight it and accept having to pay 50% of the cost to repair their vehicles tend to be most vocal. Those who get the 100% offer go off the radar and I never hear from them anymore. It doesn’t matter one ounce to me, because it indicates they are winning every time.

I will keep this going whilst VW are playing damage limitations with those of its customers who are just lawfully trying to get their cars repaired under the terms of VW’s 12 Yr. Anti-corrosion warranty. Just for everyone’s information, the gentleman who runs the other VW consumer related website regarding rustingvolkswagens, and who has been pinnacle in helping me in the first instance, is also seeking action against the "Independent" bodywork assessment company called PVWI, who VW always insist any customer who wishes a report uses. VW are blatant that the only report they will look at or take notice of is that done by PVWI and they insist most strongly that you use them. This is total rubbish as if you get to this point in your warranty claim, then you are seriously contemplating court action. We both recommend that to get a truly independent report done on your vehicle that you use a company called Scotia Vehicle Inspection. It’s been proven by the other campaigner I mentioned, that a report done by the PVWI, who VW insist you use, differed vastly and was contradictory in some cases to the truly independent report the gentleman had done by Scotia. I am not affiliated to Scotia in anyway, however I generally recommend anyone who has sought help from me to use them as not only are they truly independent, but their reports are "Court Approved". We always advise anyone considering this route to ask VW upfront to contribute 50% of the cost for this inspection. They always refuse and state they will not recognise this report due to it not being done by their recommended assessor PVWI. This does not look favourably in a judges eyes if you ever reach the inside of a small claims court room

In light of the recent emissions scandal, VW appear to be on lock-down in the UK. A lot of the UK media have naturally focussed their attention on Volkswagens dealings with their cars and customers. This was brought to the attention by SKY NEWS who broadcast this news report at the bottom of the page I am not permitted to show. VW are now “Silencing” customers who have fought to get their vehicles repaired under the VW 12 yr. anti-corrosion warranty. Once the customer in question has managed to gain the offer they are happy with, VW stipulate they will only carry out the repair as long as they DONT contact either two websites I am not permitted to show or make it public on any website or forum. VW literally threat to withdraw the offer in the event the customer goes public in ANY WAY ! It’s somewhat amusing the lengths VW go to in order to keep us all ignorant to the FACT that by questioning them, sending them Data Access requests in preparation to take them to the small claims court and sticking to your guns, you WILL get the result you are happy with. Although no guarantee, I know the advice given on corroding-volkswagens is still shown to be a very effective method in encouraging VW to repair our cars. Also anyone who wishes advice is more than welcome to contact the website owner. As long as everyone is getting the offer they wish for, that’s all good and well and what the website is all about.

Hi there, we believe the paint depth measurements to be between 80 - 120 microns

It amazes me how many vehicles you see advertised on eBay who’s owners omit any details on service history. I wouldn’t touch a motor whose history was questionable or missing personally. Service history at its least is a prime indicator how the things been maintained and outlines previous owners attitudes towards the vehicle whilst in their care. It’s a real issue when it comes to bodywork because most insurance companies specify where your vehicle goes to be repaired in the event of an accident. You can almost guarantee it will not be a dealer shop so you buy a second-hand motor and are oblivious to the fact it’s been repaired in some way. Not unless its blatantly shoddy work. I don’t know if either AA or RAC carry out bodywork checks as part of any vehicle assessment.

I am not entirely sure what the readings should be. I can email a guy that may know and get back to you. Although from memory when my Passat was assessed by the local dealer, 110 does sound somewhat familiar. All the owners that have gone down the small claims route have succeeded. However, I am pretty sure within the anti-corrosion warranty it does specify if the cars been repaired out of the dealer network then its null and void, or something similar. Is the corrosion on both wings ?? I just wonder what the measurement was on the other wing. Here is the warranty definition. I have taken it from another popular site. Unfortunately I can’t just link it, due to my pending banning on this site if I do so. It does mention Golfs at the bottom. I think the warranty was uniform across most models back them.... Here's what my brochures and service book have to say: “Body Protection Warranty” “The internal body sections and panels of the Scirocco are covered against rusting through from the inside for 12 years. Naturally, the Scirocco must be cared for in compliance with the operating instructions. Please consult your authorised Volkswagen retailer or repairer for full warranty details.” Sources: The Scirocco Issue: 1 August 2011 PVW287NSF, and PVW248SCPL The Scirocco price list effective 3 January 2012 Replace “Scirocco” with “Passat Estates” in above statement Sources: The Passat Estate Issue: 1 August 2008 PVW205NPE, and PVW206NPP The Passat Estate price list effective from 28 May 2007, and 1.7.2008 The Passat Estate Issue: 1 August 2007 PVW205NPE, and Issue: 1 June 2006 Replace “Passat Estates” with “new Passat Estates” in above statement Source: The new Passat Estate Issue 1 November 2005 PVW205NPE “Paintwork and body warranty Volkswagen dealers provide a warranty on the paintwork and bodies of all vehicles purchased from them. In addition to the warranty conditions for brand new Volkswagen vehicles (as detailed in the purchase contract), Volkswagen guarantees its vehicles will not be subject to paint faults and body through-rusting for a specified period: · The additional warranty on paint faults covers the first 3 years following delivery · Perforation rusting will not occur on the body during the first 12 years following delivery. However should this type of damage occur, it will be repaired free of charge for parts and labour by any Volkswagen dealer in Europe. Warranty claims will not be accepted in the following circumstances: · if damage is caused by external influence or insufficient care, or · faults on the body or paint are not repaired quickly enough according to manufacturer regulations or · the original cause of through-rusting is due to body repairs not being carried out according to manufacturer regulations If the body is repaired or painted, your Volkswagen dealer will confirm your warranty against through-rusting for the repaired section.” Source: 1.1 Service Schedule Golf, Golf GTI, Golf Plus, Touran, Passat, Passat Estate, Eos The Volkswagen service page 15, print status 09.2005 Art.-Nr.: 262.553.PNL.20 Englisch 11.2005 Not only are these statements part of a contract (to purchase) they're also an inducement to purchase as they're publically available advertising material. Including the service schedule, I mean you don't buy a car without checking its service book first do you? As such, a complaint could also be made to the Advertising Standards Authority, as well as Trading Standards. The advertising is misleading.

Hi there what they have done is to take paint depth measurements on the cars bodywork. If the measurements show the paint is still in factory spec, then it should be covered. However, in your case, if the paint depth measurements are out of tolerance, it shows the vehicle has had work done at some point in its life. If the work was never carried out in an approved VW body shop, I believe they are correct in what they are telling you unfortunately. If it were done in a VW body shop, then the wing would be covered. I am guessing you are talking about corrosion forming on the lip of the wheel arch caused by the wing liner rubbing. If so, this is an all too common issue and VW are fully aware of it. Like nearly all the other common areas that our cars corrode on, these are caused by manufacturing defects. VW and the industry are fully aware of them. You could try another dealer to see if they come back with the same results. Or ask if they can search on the VW system to see if it went into one of their shops for the wing repairs. Kind regards Stu

For those of you struggling and contemplating pursuing their claim through the small claims court, please be aware, if you are sending a "Data Access Request" to VW in order to collate evidence for your claim, VW are playing stalling tactics and being highly obstinate in dealing with other recent claims. [removed] It’s still remains a mystery why some simply have their vehicles covered, even when their service book is full of Main Dealer stamps. There appears to be two routes. 1.They do it without fuss. 2.The customer is sent down the damage limitations route where you will be stalled every step of the way, hurdles put up in front of you and whereby every step forward is a fight.

Well, my wife took the vehicle to a local reputable body shop just for a second opinion from a "Qualified eye". Two of them looked it over and basically said it’s just a poor quality job. May I add that they are nowhere near Sinclair and not in competition with them, so the advice is totally unbiased. I am waiting for Sinclair to get back to me to discuss collecting the car to have the lights fitted and further inspect the quality of their work. I am hoping it just gets resolved as I really want to just put this whole sorry episode behind me.

Well after a lot of Argy Bargy with VW, they finally relented and honoured their warranty. GREAT RESULT !! Car goes into VW Sinclair Swansea Body Shop to be repaired. Three doors and a tailgate to be precise. Whilst it’s there, they notice corrosion on both front wings so decide to repair this for me also. Another GREAT RESULT. Unfortunately, they never replaced the tailgate number plates as per the TPi, because they say that VW TPi's are "Open To Interpretation". However now that I raised the issue, they would add them to the claim and if its paid, they will order them and replace. 2nd Unfortunately, the front wings have indentation/divot like marks in them all across the wing. Sinclair Swansea rang me to advice the claim for the tailgate lights was processed successfully and that they are on order. After looking at the images of the defects in both front wings, he concluded these are stone chips that they sprayed over. As I pretty much know every surface of the car, because I am anal like that, I know where almost every stone chip is FACT. And I know there were NONE on either wings. I don’t know if these images will show just a small sample of the marks. Links to the images i.imgur.com/Smr3qXg.jpg i.imgur.com/YDzQsgg.jpg

My apologies. I have only just seen both your reply and the one above and have inadvertantly added to the post. If I have contreviened any rules, then please feel free to remove the post. My aim is not to hijack the thread, but as you say, its just a genuine offer to help others. Once more sorry kind regards Stu

Rusty's wall of shame is up and running. If ANYONE out there is struggling to get VW to take responsibility for their corroding VW, I will willing publish images of your corrosion, just to add a little more leverage to your claims process that’s all. Stu

I wash my cars by hand using only quality products on a very regular basis, so I was shocked to discover the corrosion around the tailgate lights. Then when I looked into it further, I discovered I was not alone and that they corrode around the door seams also. I have had three of the doors and tailgate repaired so far. The problem in the doors has been put down to a reaction by the sealer according the VW body shop. But you have a fight on your hands just to get them to repair your car at no cost to yourself. They will try every dirt trick in the book on you and deceive you as much as possible as I have found out to my cause. And when they do honour it, it’s out of "Factory Good Will" and nothing to do with the warranty as such. I love the car as its comfortable and practical for our every needs, so this is not me VW bashing as this is my 4th VAG product. But the reliability on B6 Passat’s you couldn’t make up. The corrosion is just the latest issue I have had to deal with.