A question for members who have had slider window replacement .

Leaky windows

New Member
T6 Pro
Could any members on here who have had their T6 slider windows replaced under warranty [ or not ] because of leaking be so kind to let me know if they replace the entire side window [ fixed piece + slider window ] or just the slider window itself ? It will help in ascertaining whether VW were / are aware of the serious , corrosion safety issue .
 
I replaced everything different sliders, i knew they leaked as standard so was better to get rid sooner. If you want the oem look then there are some companies that do them, camper glass is one i think.
 
I replaced everything different sliders, i knew they leaked as standard so was better to get rid sooner. If you want the oem look then there are some companies that do them, camper glass is one i think.
Thanks very much for the reply Sam but I was trying to find out what VW do when replacing leaky windows because if they replace the entire unit they would be able to see the corrosion that happens to the back of the slider rail as you cannot miss the rust drip - well aware of it and the danger in other words .
 
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Thanks very much for the reply Sam but I was trying to find out what VW do when replacing leaky windows because if they replace the entire unit they would be able to see the corrosion that happens to the back of the slider rail as you cannot miss the rust drip - well aware of it and the danger in other words .
Yes they replace the whole thing as they don’t come in separate parts.
 
Yes they replace the whole thing as they don’t come in separate parts.
Thanks very much Rslad - if that's the case considering the 1000's of replacement's they have done due to leaks then they would have seen the corrosion on the bottom of the slider rail and been aware of the danger it posed :thumbsup:
 
I work with hundreds of T5’s and 6’s and have never seen or heard of the issue you have. Yes they leak, but I do think yours is a very isolated incident.
I hope you get it resolved.
 
I’ve only been on the forum 2 1/2 years and have read lots about leaky windows but nothing about rusty rails. Also, because its all encapsulated in trim I doubt we or VW would see the extent of rust if any.

Also, thinking through the warranty returns process, I expect VW would have stripped apart a few faulty windows in the early days, decided on a revision/upgrade (or not!!) then subsequent windows just get binned as the fault is known.


This is a very serious matter, am glad your wife is OK and grateful you have brought this to our attention. I think you should focus on all the information you know for certain rather than speculate on what VW may or may not know about rust. Even if they did know, they wouldn’t admit it as they bury their heads in the sand with lots of other known issues.

I would consider legal routes and getting an independent assessment of the window (if you still have it)

Good luck with pursuing the matter.

Ian
 
I work with hundreds of T5’s and 6’s and have never seen or heard of the issue you have. Yes they leak, but I do think yours is a very isolated incident.
I hope you get it resolved.
For safety's sake let's hope it is isolated but they have already stated that if this can happen to me it can happen to any T6 with leaky windows - something waiting to occur . The problem is that owners who have have had their windows changed 2 , 3 and some 4 times would not have sliders that had got to fail stage so to speak . Owners like myself who never had the windows changed are the most vulnerable as the corrosion has had more time to cultivate and become perilous . Also if you remove the entire unit [ you may have done this yourself ] you would not neccessarily see the corrosion as it is between the slider rail back and glass [ on mine the rust drip marks are clearly visible on the bottom interior of the fixed glass now that the slider rail has completeyly fallen off ] :thumbsup:

I’ve only been on the forum 2 1/2 years and have read lots about leaky windows but nothing about rusty rails. Also, because its all encapsulated in trim I doubt we or VW would see the extent of rust if any.

Also, thinking through the warranty returns process, I expect VW would have stripped apart a few faulty windows in the early days, decided on a revision/upgrade (or not!!) then subsequent windows just get binned as the fault is known.


This is a very serious matter, am glad your wife is OK and grateful you have brought this to our attention. I think you should focus on all the information you know for certain rather than speculate on what VW may or may not know about rust. Even if they did know, they wouldn’t admit it as they bury their heads in the sand with lots of other known issues.

I would consider legal routes and getting an independent assessment of the window (if you still have it)

Good luck with pursuing the matter.

Ian
Thank you Ian :thumbsup: I am waiting to hear from VW UK after opening a case - they were very , very concerned as you might expect . I will be getting in touch with the DVSA for a report as this issue ticks every box on their GOV. website 'what counts as a serious safety defect' . As you say a very serious matter that they have already stated - that if it can happen to me it can happen to any other owner with the same problem . I cannot stress enough how dangerous this is and my wife was extremely fortunate not to be seriously injured or worse . My T6 is stored now 'as is' for any inspection / legal reasons although it has to go to the dealership I purchased from tomorrow as part of the 'process' .
 
For safety's sake let's hope it is isolated but they have already stated that if this can happen to me it can happen to any T6 with leaky windows - something waiting to occur . The problem is that owners who have have had their windows changed 2 , 3 and some 4 times would not have sliders that had got to fail stage so to speak . Owners like myself who never had the windows changed are the most vulnerable as the corrosion has had more time to cultivate and become perilous . Also if you remove the entire unit [ you may have done this yourself ] you would not neccessarily see the corrosion as it is between the slider rail back and glass [ on mine the rust drip marks are clearly visible on the bottom interior of the fixed glass now that the slider rail has completeyly fallen off ] :thumbsup:


Thank you Ian :thumbsup: I am waiting to hear from VW UK after opening a case - they were very , very concerned as you might expect . I will be getting in touch with the DVSA for a report as this issue ticks every box on their GOV. website 'what counts as a serious safety defect' . As you say a very serious matter that they have already stated - that if it can happen to me it can happen to any other owner with the same problem . I cannot stress enough how dangerous this is and my wife was extremely fortunate not to be seriously injured or worse . My T6 is stored now 'as is' for any inspection / legal reasons although it has to go to the dealership I purchased from tomorrow as part of the 'process' .
When they change the unit they take the plastic trim along the top and bottom and fit to your new unit, so it would be the glass company not VW that notice anything wrong.
 
VW fitted new windows 4 - 5 months ago now and fortunately these ones do not leak which is a good thing as I've come to the end of the road with my T6 and it will be going up for sale soon .
 
VW replaced the whole thing, but that was in 2017 on the Near Side. Not had a problem with that side since. The Off Side window slider started to leak when the warranty had ended. I found a fix for this but you have to be brave!
  1. Remove the slider, (carefully)
  2. Clean the gasket with soapy water make sure you remove all of the dirt and grit
  3. Unblock the 2 drain hole slots with a very thin plastic cable tie
  4. Unblock the round hole drain hole using a syringe filled with water (do not poke anything down this hole)
  5. Replace the sliding glass (carefully)
Job done!
Also try to park the van nose down to ensure any leakage through the gasket can actually go down the drainage system.

Hope this helps.
 
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