Tiny blisters on roof

[LadyEdiSpencer]

Hi, it has taken months but we finally have the authority from Mercedes to have our first reroof so I would be very grateful if you could please send me the letters that allowed you to get yours done 4 times. Ours is a MP 2021 December model & had roof blisters
Much appreciated
Marilyn

Hi Marilyn
I’be pulled together all the key letters in the attachment. I have left out a few key names of people who helped me.
Mr Savage is the CEO of Mercedes UK and his name and email address can be found on a google search.
Hopefully this will help you. Good luck.
Andrew

 

[Marilyn]

Hi Marilyn
I’be pulled together all the key letters in the attachment. I have left out a few key names of people who helped me.
Mr Savage is the CEO of Mercedes UK and his name and email address can be found on a google search.
Hopefully this will help you. Good luck.
Andrew

Many thanks Andrew

 

[KDM]

That’s great info, ours was replaced in September 2020, so clearly using the still defective part.

That’s great info, ours was replaced in September 2020, so clearly using the still defective part.

LadyEdiSpencer, how close to the nuclear power plant to you live?!?

 

[RichardP]

Just had a response from Mercedes regarding our 2nd roof. Their initial reply was that they would offer a goodwill contribution of 50%. This was rejected by the dealership on our behalf and they have come back with two options. Either they will replace the roof free of charge, but it will have no further warranty, or we make a 10% contribution and there will be a 2 year warranty. 10% comes to £490 + VAT. In 2 years time the van will be 6 years old.

I would have thought that we could argue that the roof was 'not fit for purpose', an argument reinforced by the fact that they have had to redesign the roof and that there are so many being replaced. However, if we go down the 'free with no warranty' option, we would have 'agreed' that the roof would no longer be covered. Given that we will now get a new spec roof (although they are backorder so a new batch may be bad like the first!), I'm inclined to agree to pay 10% and have the 2 year warranty. The alternative would be to continue to argue and state 'not fit for purpose' and require a 'no strings attached' free replacement.

Just wondered if anyone has any other suggestions?

 

[LadyEdiSpencer]

Just had a response from Mercedes regarding our 2nd roof. Their initial reply was that they would offer a goodwill contribution of 50%. This was rejected by the dealership on our behalf and they have come back with two options. Either they will replace the roof free of charge, but it will have no further warranty, or we make a 10% contribution and there will be a 2 year warranty. 10% comes to £490 + VAT. In 2 years time the van will be 6 years old.

I would have thought that we could argue that the roof was 'not fit for purpose', an argument reinforced by the fact that they have had to redesign the roof and that there are so many being replaced. However, if we go down the 'free with no warranty' option, we would have 'agreed' that the roof would no longer be covered. Given that we will now get a new spec roof (although they are backorder so a new batch may be bad like the first!), I'm inclined to agree to pay 10% and have the 2 year warranty. The alternative would be to continue to argue and state 'not fit for purpose' and require a 'no strings attached' free replacement.

Just wondered if anyone has any other suggestions?

So they are still trying it on! Quoting a different price as well. They never mentioned a warranty when they changed mine. Hopefully the issue is now resolved or i will have to go into battle again. I was told the design/spec of the new roofs were changed having worked out what the initial issue was, eventually. Good luck.

 

[Marilyn]

As Carol has pointed out in her profile post, we have discovered tiny blisters on the roof of our MP. Has anyone else got the same? Anyone been to MB about it?
We will talk to MB and let you know what they say. FYI our MP is 2018 model.
Thanks ClaireDe

Hi, we have the same issue with the roof & after a considerable delay, the work has now been authorised & being resprayed at the end of the month. I’ll post how it goes

 

[The fat controller]

Glad to hear that a redesign has finally taken place and really hope that these latest refits can prove to be the last!

Meanwhile still waiting for my first new roof after taking the van to MB in Feb

 

[RichnNat]

Hi all

Listers Mercedes Body shop in Boston Linc's have been brilliant. Took it to their showroom in Hull for Service "A" (£420 quid), referred to Boston, they took pictures and got the approval and a physical roof in stock from MB to change, inside three weeks!! They cannot be more helpful and have done a few of these. They do say that the one being fitted to mine (a 2021 V300 AMG Polo) is the new version and shouldn't have the issues.

 

[Marilyn]

As Carol has pointed out in her profile post, we have discovered tiny blisters on the roof of our MP. Has anyone else got the same? Anyone been to MB about it?
We will talk to MB and let you know what they say. FYI our MP is 2018 model.
Thanks ClaireDe

We have our MP for just over a year too & it’s having the roof changed as we speak. Took quite a while to get approval & some being messed around ( sent to a different county to get a quote which they couldn’t do) but hopefully all will be well soon

 

[ChrisM]

Morning all.
We are currently looking to buy a MP and find this forum such a helpful resource so thank you.
Thought we had found the vehicle for us on Friday but after a few phone calls and a video and pics it soon transpired that the roof had the dreaded blisters and being a late 2019 MP obviously out of manufacturers warranty.
So can you offer help to me please with the following questions…
1) Will Mercedes UK offer any warranty or goodwill solution on a 4/5 year old MP with a blistered roof (taking into account it arguably should be covered the bodywork corrosion warranty?)
2) Has there been any success with a specialised body-shop repairing / repainting the roof to offer a aftermarket solution?
3) Would a professional vinyl wrap be a possible solution to cover the blisters and ‘seal in’ any further issues? Basically wrap the whole roof sealing it in the process…?
4) Am I missing anything else?

What I don’t want to do is spend my £50/60k on a MP only to face a potential big bill X months down the line. There is no other campervan we are considering but this issue isn’t helping.

These are pics of the vehicle we thought was the one - is this the blistering issue in question? The dealer selling it had no idea and had never heard of the issue before.
Thanks in advance, Chris

 

[Tony Bartlett]

I have a 2018 registered version just about to have a replacement roof fitted. I think that once osmosis has set in, there's not so much you can do to repair composites other than grinding out the affected areas and filling with epoxy before repainting. This is what's done on composite hulls of yachts and boats. I, too, have wondered about wrapping - in this case, of a new roof. However, I think the material has to be slightly porous to allow fitting (unless I am mistaken), which means that deposits of the hydrophilic resin within the lay-up will still be exposed to ambient moisture.

 

[David Fearon]

Morning all.
We are currently looking to buy a MP and find this forum such a helpful resource so thank you.
Thought we had found the vehicle for us on Friday but after a few phone calls and a video and pics it soon transpired that the roof had the dreaded blisters and being a late 2019 MP obviously out of manufacturers warranty.
So can you offer help to me please with the following questions…
1) Will Mercedes UK offer any warranty or goodwill solution on a 4/5 year old MP with a blistered roof (taking into account it arguably should be covered the bodywork corrosion warranty?)
2) Has there been any success with a specialised body-shop repairing / repainting the roof to offer a aftermarket solution?
3) Would a professional vinyl wrap be a possible solution to cover the blisters and ‘seal in’ any further issues? Basically wrap the whole roof sealing it in the process…?
4) Am I missing anything else?

What I don’t want to do is spend my £50/60k on a MP only to face a potential big bill X months down the line. There is no other campervan we are considering but this issue isn’t helping.

These are pics of the vehicle we thought was the one - is this the blistering issue in question? The dealer selling it had no idea and had never heard of the issue before.
Thanks in advance, Chris

Our roof had blisters all over the top surface of the roof as if it has some bad disease, ranging from 3mm dia to 10m dia or bigger. Those in your picture look like they follow the edge of the rubber seal so they don't replicate ours or other pictures that we have seen. Has that roof been resprayed perhaps to hide the problem?

Nobody ever offered an explanation as to the cause but MB replaced it within warranty period and it then happened on the replacement roof just out of warranty and they replaced that too. The longer it's out of warranty the less likely they are to do for free. My argument would be that a roof should last the life of the vehicle. If a body panel corroded after 5 years then that wouldn't be acceptable so how can a known and ongoing roof fault possibly be acceptable. Keeping a close eye the current roof. I think MD understands the repetitional risk.

 

[Marilyn]

We are currently in the process of having our MP roof replaced, we first raised the issue in February, waited months for warranty approval & finally dropped it if at Mercedes Colchestet on the 26th June. It was registered in December 2021 & we purchased in April 2022. Germany apparently sent 2 or 3 ‘old style’ roof’s before finally sending the right one. We have been informed that it has now been painted & is due to be replaced on Wednesday. So far it’s taken 8 weeks, we have had to cancel a tour of Europe, a week in Marlow where we had a dinner reservation & generally putting our life’s on hold while Mercedes sorted this out.
I have just been informed that our MP has just been parked up somewhere & to date has not been anywhere near a service centre. Unbelievable, the worst customer service possible. It has now been booked in for Wednesday so hopefully we will have it back by the weekend. I don’t understand how this situation is allowed to continue when everyone knows that this problem exists. Why are Mercedes still sending old style roofs when they are aware of the issue?
Let you know how it goes !

 

[Carol]

We are currently in the process of having our MP roof replaced, we first raised the issue in February, waited months for warranty approval & finally dropped it if at Mercedes Colchestet on the 26th June. It was registered in December 2021 & we purchased in April 2022. Germany apparently sent 2 or 3 ‘old style’ roof’s before finally sending the right one. We have been informed that it has now been painted & is due to be replaced on Wednesday. So far it’s taken 8 weeks, we have had to cancel a tour of Europe, a week in Marlow where we had a dinner reservation & generally putting our life’s on hold while Mercedes sorted this out.
I have just been informed that our MP has just been parked up somewhere & to date has not been anywhere near a service centre. Unbelievable, the worst customer service possible. It has now been booked in for Wednesday so hopefully we will have it back by the weekend. I don’t understand how this situation is allowed to continue when everyone knows that this problem exists. Why are Mercedes still sending old style roofs when they are aware of the issue?
Let you know how it goes !

I had similar long waiting time , also booked in last September, returned from France early specifically for replacement and then told it was cancelled, Eventually got done this year , we were also at Colchester MB dealership, the service has been disgusting

 

[Marilyn]

It’s been a nightmare! Have you had any problems since the replacement?
Did that give you a new or extended warranty?

 

[Carol]

No mention of warranty, it was my 3rd roof , was reported just under 3 years old , waited almost 2 years for replacement, l learnt that the Witham bodyshop had closed , l guess this was reason for extended delay

 

[Carol]

Let me know how you get on , the problem is the blisters only happen after sharp frosts

 

[LadyEdiSpencer]

Morning all.
We are currently looking to buy a MP and find this forum such a helpful resource so thank you.
Thought we had found the vehicle for us on Friday but after a few phone calls and a video and pics it soon transpired that the roof had the dreaded blisters and being a late 2019 MP obviously out of manufacturers warranty.
So can you offer help to me please with the following questions…
1) Will Mercedes UK offer any warranty or goodwill solution on a 4/5 year old MP with a blistered roof (taking into account it arguably should be covered the bodywork corrosion warranty?)
2) Has there been any success with a specialised body-shop repairing / repainting the roof to offer a aftermarket solution?
3) Would a professional vinyl wrap be a possible solution to cover the blisters and ‘seal in’ any further issues? Basically wrap the whole roof sealing it in the process…?
4) Am I missing anything else?

What I don’t want to do is spend my £50/60k on a MP only to face a potential big bill X months down the line. There is no other campervan we are considering but this issue isn’t helping.

These are pics of the vehicle we thought was the one - is this the blistering issue in question? The dealer selling it had no idea and had never heard of the issue before.
Thanks in advance, Chris

You might find it worth reading my posts, both on this page and page 28. The roof issue is due to the dates of roofs produced. Current ones are ’hopefully’ okay. Dealers turn a blind eye to the real cause and I only won my case when I wrote to the MB CEO. All info contained above

 

[Mark E Smith]

Its only a few blisters live with it, they don't pop if mine came back out of warranty I would not be that bothered sorting as as they are very difficult to see
I only got my roof replaced as it was in warranty !

 

[Mark E Smith]

Them images are not a blister issue may I add, something more sinister that