Advice on car not suitable for the outdoors

Goudy

AJ84 said:

  Audi do not build cars for the UK environment (ie wet) and if bought used, will charge you £2.5k to resolve should the moisture/rain/snow we have for 80% of the year get into badly sealed panels and accessories.

Not something I read in the brochure I have to say!

Actually that is unfair- they do, but only for the first 3 years.

Yes, that's right. But no one does.
Cars are mainly made out of metal bits and they will eventually rust.

The speed this happens depends on all sorts of factors.
The quality of the metal, how well it was protected and put together, the local environment and so on.


For example, years ago the Italian government did a deal with Russia and as part of that deal Russia supplied them with a lot of cheap recycled steel.
They then decided to build cars out of it in places like Naples, close to the sea, as cheaply as they could with fairly unskilled workers. (under a plan to bring work and prosperity to the south of the country).
It was a disaster. Their cars didn't go rusty, they were built rusty to start with.

And on the other hand, all those old aircraft, again made out of metal bits are stored in boneyards in places like the Mojave desert. The climate is perfect for storing them as there is so little moisture in the air all year around. They just sit there unaffected by the climate. 

We live in a damp climate, on an island often close to the sea and spread grit salt, which is corrosive all over our roads every year that chips away at any paint protection.
Manufacturers build cars to a price point, so only build them as well as they can get away with.

So the metal bits will last longer in ideal climates and environments and a lot less in less then ideal climates and environments.

No two cars are the same. Where they are kept, how they are used and how they are looked after all influence them over the weeks, months and years.

Your car probably has had some body work at sometime and the quality of that work will influence it.
It may have lived on the coast by the sea and lightly protected metal parts are now starting to show signs corrosion, who knows.

Generally, manufacturers will warranty car bodies for perforation.
That is rusting inside to out, but there will be clauses in that warranty, like previous bad repairs, paint chips and scratches and so on.

All the other bits bolted to the body aren't really covered.
All those suspension parts bolted to the body, door handles, wheels and so on.
All these parts aren't usually made by the car manufacturer, but bought in and the cheaper that part is the better it is for the manufacturer, so they don't get the same level of protection which is why they start to rust sooner than the car body.


 

AJ84

Frozen_up_north said:

Our last Seat had a seriously corroded high level LED brake light printed circuit board. That was caused by condensation in an airtight enclosure (should have had a small vent hole). The board was not properly conformal coated, something that can be done with a can of polyurethane type spray by anyone for little cost... I doubt any VW Group vehicle is European climate resistant to any extent.

I think you are right!
When it comes to sunroof, amazing how many threads come up all over the place around VAG cars leaking from sunroofs for all sorts of issues.  I then did the same search for BMW and Merc - both brands I'm not interested in but thought it was a fair comparison - only a handful come up with the same issue - clogged drains or twisted pipes.  

Currently it is with Audi UK and the dealer who are working out how to help.  If there is no satisfactory solution, I'll probably grab it back as is and get rid / jump ship altogether - maybe I'm a little too comfortable with VAG after 10+ Audis without a break.

Thanks for all the advice!

AJ84

No real update as of yet - I did however find (not sure if I mentioned) a technical bulletin for my VIN range including my VIN itself regarding sunroof leaking!
So frustrating as despite Audi knowing about this, it is still chargable.

I have managed to get a little reduction but wanted to ask if anyone has any advice on the following options:

1. Take the car back as is - manage the issue (its always parked under a roof be it at work or home) leaving just the days out.  Once I hit April, hand the car back and call it a day.  
Note, my intention was to buy the car as it makes sense for age/spec.

2. Audi UK escalated the issue and I have a case handler now who agreed on a number of points I made especially around the technical bulletin.  He is now working with the dealership (why can they not just apply the fix) and the supplying dealer (if they're prepared to contribute).

IF I do pay the fix for the sunroof leak, am I essentially throwing away any possible goodwill (as a partial/whole refund this time)?

3. Pay it and call it a day/lesson learned with 0 expectation of a refund/partial refund - and if at some point Audi UK decide they want to go down goodwill, treat it as a bonus?


The above is only around the sunroof - 
The handle/s went from bad to worse in that note only did they ask initially for £1300 or so but they want a further £750 to further diagnose whether the corrosion has gone further past the handles.
So minimum to fix this is £2050 + IF they find more, then that on top.

Given the sad story of the Tesla crash recently where firefighters could not get the doors opened due to non-functioning handles, it does scare me!  But at £2050, I can simply buy a door with all the gubbins in it and swap the sensors/wiring over so I'm probably going to park this one.  Again if 


Thanks again!