Is Volkswagen liable to fix my Polo?
I purchased a Volkswagen Polo 1.2 new in May 2015 from a Volkswagen supplier and have had it regularly serviced with them. Early this year, after heavy rain, I noticed that on opening the rear passenger doors water was evident along the lower door trims. On the last service in April this year, I pointed this out to the garage and on returning the car they confirmed they had made modifications but said it if happened again to contact them. However, the problem is still there and now, both front door trims are showing water but not as much as the rear. I contacted my garage and they collected the car but soon telephoned to say that they had water tested the doors and they could see no problem. They also said that it is normal for cars these days for this to happen. I pointed out about rust but they said the finish of the sills is the same as the bodywork so this will not happen.
Volkswagen usually have damp proof plastic membranes inside the doors between the door structures and the door trims. If these are broken or perforated, water will enter the car and the supplying dealer is liable to replace them (a fiddly and time-consuming, but straightforward job). Reads to me as if the dealer is trying to avoid this. The other factor is the drain holes in the bottoms of the doors. These can sometimes get blocked with anti corrosion sealing wax. If so, they need poking through with a wooden kebab stick (nothing metal because that could scratch the paint and lead to rusting).
Answered by Honest John on
