Tiny blisters on roof

I must be one of the few without blisters but it is probably only a matter of time.
The vehicle has been exposed to some heavy frosts when away but is kept under cover during winter when SORNed.
Has anyone contacted Mercedes UK Customer Service about the roof issue and the subsequent warranty of repairs and /or the Motor Ombudsman?
There are certainly enough around to prove its not an isolated case.
 
I've sailing GRP dinghies and catamarans for 50+ years and never come across this sort of blistering. However, a boat repairer friend said that it is as a result of poor glass lay up leaving air bubbles. Sun + dark colours heat the air in the bubbles giving rise to the blisters. My new roof has a serial number which my last roof did not so I'm hoping that quality control has finally improved.
 
David Fearon said:
Looks like new apart from the lack of Westfalia logo that MD just said wasn’t important which I was a bit miffed about but actually it means it’s not obviously a motorhome and doesn’t worry me.
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Bit of a shame its not on there, I didn't think to ask just assumed it would be replaced, I feel it won't be there. Perhaps if I put a 'Reliant Robin' decal on there the evil blister spirits will keep away :)
 
After they repaied my roof, they did not replace the Westfalia logo. My dealer got me one, just a stick on. I stuck it on myself, but in the middle rather than at the side.
 
Epigram said:
I must be one of the few without blisters but it is probably only a matter of time.
The vehicle has been exposed to some heavy frosts when away but is kept under cover during winter when SORNed.
Has anyone contacted Mercedes UK Customer Service about the roof issue and the subsequent warranty of repairs and /or the Motor Ombudsman?
There are certainly enough around to prove its not an isolated case.
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I wrote to MB UK at Milton Keynes , stating l need another new roof as my replacement had blistered , they telephoned me and told me to raise concern with my dealer , l wrote asking for some guarantee that the problem had been sorted , all they would say was the correct part would be ordered, My local M B dealer is now in liaison with the technical dept , he came back to me stating they did not know there was a roof problem , l told him this is unbelievable as through this site and Facebook l could count over 50 owners with roof problems , Seems like MB are just ignoring the problem , when we all out of warranty they won’t have to replace our roofs , l think we all need to write and put pressure on our dealerships for some guarantee our replacement won’t blister the following year when the frosts come again
 
Steve B said:
Bit of a shame its not on there, I didn't think to ask just assumed it would be replaced, I feel it won't be there. Perhaps if I put a 'Reliant Robin' decal on there the evil blister spirits will keep away :)
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My mum had a Reliant Robin in the 60’s , the whole car was fibreglass , no blisters on that anywhere
 
My local dealers latest response to my roof blisters


Thank you for contacting Mercedes-Benz Customer Service.

I am very sorry to hear you remain unhappy with the outcome of your recent complaint, I can confirm this matter has been thoroughly investigated and our position on the matter remains unchanged.

I can confirm that Mercedes-Benz of Blackpool confirmed that the paint issue you are experiencing is not down to a manufacturing defect and has being caused by an outside influence. Should you wish to discuss possible causes I would recommend contacting Mercedes-Benz of Blackpool for further information.

As myself and my colleagues have provided you with our complete response on the issue and have no further relevant information to provide, any future correspondence on this subject may be included into our case file for internal reference only.

Once again please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience that has been caused, I understand your expectation of Mercedes-Benz has not been met in this instance. I can assure you all feedback has been logged and will be put for internal review so we can improve the service we provide moving forward.

If we can assist you in the future under different circumstances, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with either myself or one of my colleagues.

If you are unhappy with this final decision or feel this matter is unresolved, you can seek advice with an CTSI Certified Alternative Dispute Resolution provider. We are prepared to engage with The Motor Ombudsman to resolve your dispute. Further details can be found at www.themotorombudsman.org, or alternatively their telephone number is 0345 241 3008 selecting option 1.
 
Unbelievable response and attitude. I've had a great service from the MB workshop in Witham, Essex, who recognise the problem and have replaced my roof twice now under warranty. They have done 11 now and tell me that about 100 have been replaced as a result of blisters in the UK.
 
I think perhaps it needs to be brought to the Motor Ombudsman attention , As I have in the past counted 37 owners with roof problems ie blisters on their roofs on the owners website and a further 8 on Marco Polo facebook chat.
They are now looking at replacing my roof again ,this will be the 3rd roof under warranty . like RFT I have had this work done at MB Workshop ,Witham.
I am sure it would be acceptable to refer the ombudsman to this site for reference. We cannot all be having a roof problem do to outside influence .My previous converted VW campervan was used and parked in same place as my MB . i sold 8 years later not a single blemish on the roof
 
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edzt said:
My local dealers latest response to my roof blisters


Thank you for contacting Mercedes-Benz Customer Service.

I am very sorry to hear you remain unhappy with the outcome of your recent complaint, I can confirm this matter has been thoroughly investigated and our position on the matter remains unchanged.

I can confirm that Mercedes-Benz of Blackpool confirmed that the paint issue you are experiencing is not down to a manufacturing defect and has being caused by an outside influence. Should you wish to discuss possible causes I would recommend contacting Mercedes-Benz of Blackpool for further information.

As myself and my colleagues have provided you with our complete response on the issue and have no further relevant information to provide, any future correspondence on this subject may be included into our case file for internal reference only.

Once again please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience that has been caused, I understand your expectation of Mercedes-Benz has not been met in this instance. I can assure you all feedback has been logged and will be put for internal review so we can improve the service we provide moving forward.

If we can assist you in the future under different circumstances, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with either myself or one of my colleagues.

If you are unhappy with this final decision or feel this matter is unresolved, you can seek advice with an CTSI Certified Alternative Dispute Resolution provider. We are prepared to engage with The Motor Ombudsman to resolve your dispute. Further details can be found at www.themotorombudsman.org, or alternatively their telephone number is 0345 241 3008 selecting option 1.
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Refer to Honest Johns website as well
 
edzt said:
My local dealers latest response to my roof blisters


Thank you for contacting Mercedes-Benz Customer Service.

I am very sorry to hear you remain unhappy with the outcome of your recent complaint, I can confirm this matter has been thoroughly investigated and our position on the matter remains unchanged.

I can confirm that Mercedes-Benz of Blackpool confirmed that the paint issue you are experiencing is not down to a manufacturing defect and has being caused by an outside influence. Should you wish to discuss possible causes I would recommend contacting Mercedes-Benz of Blackpool for further information.

As myself and my colleagues have provided you with our complete response on the issue and have no further relevant information to provide, any future correspondence on this subject may be included into our case file for internal reference only.

Once again please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience that has been caused, I understand your expectation of Mercedes-Benz has not been met in this instance. I can assure you all feedback has been logged and will be put for internal review so we can improve the service we provide moving forward.

If we can assist you in the future under different circumstances, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with either myself or one of my colleagues.

If you are unhappy with this final decision or feel this matter is unresolved, you can seek advice with an CTSI Certified Alternative Dispute Resolution provider. We are prepared to engage with The Motor Ombudsman to resolve your dispute. Further details can be found at www.themotorombudsman.org, or alternatively their telephone number is 0345 241 3008 selecting option 1.
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Got my MP back on Thursday, new roof on. Excellent service from MB Northampton, took just over a week and looks to be a good job. I could see the blisters were no more and I tried the roof out, up and down perfectly. I will give it another inspection this weekend as it was just a walk around on the day. As for the response from customer services, its just wrong, MB are replacing roofs under warranty as its a manufacturing defect. Is there another garage you could try, probably a bit of a drive but start again.
 
HI edzt. So sorry to hear of what you are going through. There are so many on this forum with this problem that have had a new roof under warranty (and we are about to hit page 20 of this topic also) that MB should recognise without issue as a manufacturing fault root cause. And I expect some or all of the rectification cost is going back to Westfalia from MB.

To the extent not tried so far, I’d suggest MBUK, MB Germany in the first instance as this has wider implications for the manufacturer. Failing that maybe suggest your next route is HJ/ Ombudsman (as suggested) but maybe also Which. Which do an annual model satisfaction survey.

We think there is a person on this forum who knows more about MB Germany / Westfalia who may be able to offer some guidance. I think the MB route the best step until exhausted.

The Marco Polo is a really fantastic vehicle and a MB is brand. I can’t help thinking the dealer is not seeing the full picture.

T
 
My roof was done in Dec 2019. They did quite a good job and I was pleased with the result.
However today I noticed the dreaded blisteres are back. I really don't know if I can be bothered to take it back and have all the hassle of having it redone again, with no guarantee that it will not recur again.
What do you think?
 
askho said:
My roof was done in Dec 2019. They did quite a good job and I was pleased with the result.
However today I noticed the dreaded blisteres are back. I really don't know if I can be bothered to take it back and have all the hassle of having it redone again, with no guarantee that it will not recur again.
What do you think?
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Get it done - it will always be on your mind otherwise
 
askho said:
My roof was done in Dec 2019. They did quite a good job and I was pleased with the result.
However today I noticed the dreaded blisteres are back. I really don't know if I can be bothered to take it back and have all the hassle of having it redone again, with no guarantee that it will not recur again.
What do you think?
Click to expand...
Why wouldn't you? The new roofs have a serial number hidden by the rubber bumper close to the front offside corner of the roof. No number means that it's previous manufacture and as I understand it not subject to current fabrication methods.
 
I am expecting a new roof , still waiting for MD at Colchester to get back to me , l want assurance it won’t happen again , l didn’t know about the serial no hidden close to front offside rubber,
 
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