Paint Blisters

[MDS]

Hi all,
Just wanted to get a broad range of opinions please....
So I noticed a few small paint blisters on the rear wheel arch...as the van was going in for it’s first service thought I’d give her a good clean...
In the end I’d noticed enough blisters to cause real concern. Some of the blisters are in the middle of side panels, but most are on lower sections of wheel arches and doors!
I noted down their locations and spoke to Vw when the van was in for its service..
They quickly dismissed these blisters as “out side influences “ and stated not a warranty claim as caused by stone chips....
Now, I’m not disputing there are stone chips on the vehicle, but it’s the reaction the paint has had to blister so easily. Some blisters have no visible stone chip on them(unless so small they are not visible to naked eye)
There are bigger, deeper stone chips on the bonnet/front wing and they show no signs of blistering....
Vw approved paint shop stated they had grave concerns over the quality of the paint and hadn’t seen a new vehicle with blisters like on mine...
Obviously VW customer services are sticking with the comments of the Warranty guy at the dealership where I bought the van...
Next step is to pay for an independent paint warranty expert to examine, at my own cost!!

Any one else got blistering paint, or have I really spent 30k on a lemon/Friday after paint job...

 

[Tourershine]

Pictures would help, but do they look like the same issue in this thread? Paint Bubble

 

[MDS]

Thanks for the reply...
Yes looks similar, but as the poster said, they’re hard to photo and show in detail.
I’ll try and get some photos.
But Surely paint shouldn’t blister from a tiny stone mark!!!

 

[Tourershine]

Thanks for the reply...
Yes looks similar, but as the poster said, they’re hard to photo and show in detail.
I’ll try and get some photos.
But Surely paint shouldn’t blister from a tiny stone mark!!!

Your right, they won't blister from a stone chip, but if you read my response to that thread, it's not uncommon for there to of been a repair to a vehicle, even if that vehicle is brand new.

A picture might help, but as you said, it's not easy to get a good quality photo. Also, any good independent bodyshop will confirm any previous repairs if you ask them to look.

 

[MDS]

Thanks tourershine.
I did get the paint looked at and checked with a paint depth meter... the guy said hadn’t been resprayed in his opinion...

Think I’m going to have a fight on my hands with this!!!
So Vw think it’s ok that the paint can bubble off with Water going in to a pin whole using only capillary action!!!

My last T5 had loads of stone chips during its 8 years with me, but they never blistered like this.

 

[Tourershine]

Did the guy that checked it work for VW?

 

[tubs]

Exactly the same problem , VW customer care was called yesterday and a Manager is dealing with it, they said they would phone me back today ... they never !!

 

[Tourershine]

Do you have any good pictures of your issue @tubs ?

 

[tubs]

Here are the pics from another thread , while washing the van at the weekend I found another one on the sliding door as well .....I'm really pissed off with this to say the least !

 

[Tourershine]

Sorry, I didn't realise yours was the same one from the other thread.

That response must be gutting, and I'd be taking it to an independent for their opinions.

 

[tubs]

The Van is a 07/16 and I've only owned it for 8 months , its never been painted and has 16000 miles on it , you spend good money on the VW brand and this is the outcome !

 

[MDS]

I spoke to VW customer care yesterday. Very nice lady told me that my next step should be to get an independent paint check and recommend a company called PVWI.
She apologised that she had known expert knowledge of paint defects, and that the ‘specialist trained warranty guy’ at the dealers is who’s advice they’re judging it on’!!
They are calling it a corrosion from outside influences!! I’m segueing it’s A PAINT DEFECT and not a corrosion issue....YET!!
I’ve emailed PVWI, but haven’t had a response. Apparently they are impartial!!
So far I’ve no written correspondence from either the dealer or Vw customer care...
So today I’m phoning dealer to put their findings in writing and give me a copy of the report they sent to VW customer care...
Apart from my van looking like it’s got acne, I’ve found the lack of professionalism from the dealer and Vw customer care as shocking...

 

[Pauly]

Persist mate and keep on at them, dont accept any kind of warranty rejection and if they try to fob you off go up the food chain
If you write to them they will reply so you have a paper trail, keep a record of all dates and events so you have a log of events
If they mess you around putting things into writing then remember you can request the info under the data protection laws and they have to provide
customercare@vwcv.co.uk

 

[mmi]

When I did on my van first thorough cleaning and polishing (@Tourershine style) I discovered quite a few spots of concern. So took the van to the dealer for documenting as I had concerns that eventually I would end up at similar situation. The van was about 5 months old then. Build date of the van was Nov-2015.

Of course they asked me check they are not stone chips, dirt spots, etc. Anyways, stopped by and a total of 27 spots of “imperfections” were documented. All of them were verified to be under the top coat, none of the documented were definitely not of origin “external influence”.

Attached are a few pictures. They are very close up pictures, so here they look worse than they actually are but as above I had concerns them sooner or later cause problems.

For scaling the blue tape/stripe in the pictures is 15mm. And even though you might think something is on or through the paint, the “things” really are covered by top coat.

Status as of April-2018 – they are still in “stable state”, no signs of deterioration. Sorry not really helping but perhaps having a careful look by cleaning (and may be even polishing) nearby areas might reveal spots under top coat waiting to burst.

Blue spots are the marking tape (seen in magnified pictures).


Top left in the picture.


In front of right rear wheel. As said - all were verified to be under top coat.

Fortunately only two spots of concern in "visible" areas.


But, the roof - blue marking tapes to pinpint the locations.


On the roof.

 

[tubs]

Another couple of pictures of the issue !

 

[MDS]

Another couple of pictures of the issue !

View attachment 22090

View attachment 22091

Hi mmi & tubs, those last photos are exactly the same as mine.
I’ve not counted up how many, but I think close to 20... hadn’t thought to even check on the roof!!!
I’ve spoken to a guy from a company called PVWI. He really knows his stuff and is aware of this problem, and has seen it on various different vehicles of different makes.
He states a stone chip would not cause it and its known in trade as ‘zinc incrosion’ . Caused by a reaction between the zinc galvanise and the steel panels and thus causes oxcidisation to start and bubble the paint from below
(probably due to foreign contaminates during galvanising)
I’ve requested a vehicle examination from him (£180) which will then be forwarded to the dealer I bought from...
Best evidence is to photo as many blisters as possible which have not popped or split the paint, as any sign of paint damage and the dealers will revert to their standard ‘outside influences’ get out clause...
I’m certainly not going to except this quality of paintwork on a vehicle costing over 30k

 

[mmi]

Hi mmi & tubs, those last photos are exactly the same as mine.
I’ve not counted up how many, but I think close to 20... hadn’t thought to even check on the roof!!!
I’ve spoken to a guy from a company called PVWI. He really knows his stuff and is aware of this problem, and has seen it on various different vehicles of different makes.
He states a stone chip would not cause it and its known in trade as ‘zinc incrosion’ . Caused by a reaction between the zinc galvanise and the steel panels and thus causes oxcidisation to start and bubble the paint from below
(probably due to foreign contaminates during galvanising)
I’ve requested a vehicle examination from him (£180) which will then be forwarded to the dealer I bought from...
Best evidence is to photo as many blisters as possible which have not popped or split the paint, as any sign of paint damage and the dealers will revert to their standard ‘outside influences’ get out clause...
I’m certainly not going to except this quality of paintwork on a vehicle costing over 30k

Hi @MDS, thanks for all the info. That's new news to me. Well, when I checked the roof came into my mind that they had done the painting outdoors .
Google gives astonishing results by "zinc inclusion vw" . Obviously I need to have yet another, more careful look over the van

 

[Tourershine]

For all my helpful advise, it seems that i'm now part of the club.
I've been down to my bodyshop and they think it looks like corrosion.

 

[tubs]

For all my helpful advise, it seems that i'm now part of the club.
I've been down to my bodyshop and they think it looks like corrosion.

View attachment 22110

It must be contagious !

 

[Tourershine]

It must be contagious !

I'd be interested to know the outcome on this issue, because although it's potentially a warranty issue, i'm not likely to let VW carry out any paint repairs to my van, because of the access I have to a bodyshop that does all my business work.
If VW stick to their story that it's not a fault with the paint or body, i'm more than happy to take detailed pictures of mine as I strip back the paint if I get it repaired myself.