Tiny blisters on roof

[Gek]

Oh the joy of dyslexia!

2019 ... so about fits the time profile

 

[Paul Mc]

Oh the joy of dyslexia!

2019 ... so about fits the time profile

Thanks
Yes, 2017 - 2019 seems to be the worst period for blistered roofs.
MB and Westfalia would know this according to production dates and part numbers etc.

 

[Paul Mc]

Hello to everybody in the Roof Blister Club

Good and Bad News
I have just heard that our 19 plate caravansite blue MP 250D, has been accepted by MB for a new replacement roof. MB Guildford took a good, while I waited, look at it with photos and measure of paint depth etc which was then submitted for approval.
The bad news is that the previous two MP roofs they replaced had to wait 3 to 4 months for a new roof to arrive from Germany. I have been advised of the same delay. We are however grateful that something is going to be done about it under warranty.

I, like other contributors, am surprised that this issue relies on unhappy owners having to contact MB individually rather than a blanket recall to check the scope of the issue. It is probably too large/expensive a problem to resolve and it is not a safety issue.
In a previous life I was in the yacht manufacturing industry and the big worry was 'Has my yacht got Osmosis?' (blisters under the gel coat). This is a very time consuming and expensive problem to cure by specialists. Is this a similar scenario?

Just to give a final resolution, does anybody have an idea if this problem is 'book ended' i.e. the earliest/latest case?

Jarmany

Have you added your details to the online roof blisters suvey/questionnaire?

Marco Polo and Horizon roof blistering questionnaire

Hi, If you are interested in helping out to document just how many MP and Horizon roofs have been affected by blistering please read on... Enclosed in this post is a link to an online questionnaire created in Google Forms, the idea is to create a permanent document for Marco Polo and Horizon...

www.marcopoloownersclub.com

 

[Paul Mc]

Hello to everybody in the Roof Blister Club

Good and Bad News
I have just heard that our 19 plate caravansite blue MP 250D, has been accepted by MB for a new replacement roof. MB Guildford took a good, while I waited, look at it with photos and measure of paint depth etc which was then submitted for approval.
The bad news is that the previous two MP roofs they replaced had to wait 3 to 4 months for a new roof to arrive from Germany. I have been advised of the same delay. We are however grateful that something is going to be done about it under warranty.

I, like other contributors, am surprised that this issue relies on unhappy owners having to contact MB individually rather than a blanket recall to check the scope of the issue. It is probably too large/expensive a problem to resolve and it is not a safety issue.
In a previous life I was in the yacht manufacturing industry and the big worry was 'Has my yacht got Osmosis?' (blisters under the gel coat). This is a very time consuming and expensive problem to cure by specialists. Is this a similar scenario?

Just to give a final resolution, does anybody have an idea if this problem is 'book ended' i.e. the earliest/latest case?

Jarmany

Marco Polo and Horizon roof blistering questionnaire

Hi, If you are interested in helping out to document just how many MP and Horizon roofs have been affected by blistering please read on... Enclosed in this post is a link to an online questionnaire created in Google Forms, the idea is to create a permanent document for Marco Polo and Horizon...

www.marcopoloownersclub.com

 

[Paul Cardiff]

Mine went in yesterday as they are trying to find a serial number on the roof they replaced 18 months ago in order to move forward, they say it is there but need to remove roof to find it, must be the older model roof I guess. They need this in order to move forward. I only have 6 months left on warranty and so asked what happens in a years time if the same happens as this is the second time. Dan the service manager who is very knowledgable on this roof issue said they will have to sort it. He said there is/was an issue with the fibre glass roof and the paint they use. Whether that is correct I have no idea but the first time I have heard an admission something is wrong. He said basically don’t worry for the future if something goes wrong with this next one they will have to sort it. Trying to get something in writing To that affect!

Good News, MB Cardiff rang end of last week to say they have received new roof and associated parts and is now being sent to Swansea for painting. So hopefully won't be long and roof can be swapped before weather improves and we are able to use van in anger. Much quicker to receive the parts on this occasion this being the second roof. Good work by Dan of MB Cardiff, seems to know what he is doing regarding these roof swaps and the blistering issue, kept us informed throughout. Lets hope this is the last one and they've resolved the issue.

 

[Grand Tourismo]

Good News, MB Cardiff rang end of last week to say they have received new roof and associated parts and is now being sent to Swansea for painting. So hopefully won't be long and roof can be swapped before weather improves and we are able to use van in anger. Much quicker to receive the parts on this occasion this being the second roof. Good work by Dan of MB Cardiff, seems to know what he is doing regarding these roof swaps and the blistering issue, kept us informed throughout. Lets hope this is the last one and they've resolved the issue.

Good the hear you are getting sorted out Paul

Be interesting to hear what MB say to you ref future warranty on this replacement roof, but I sincerely hope you won't need it!!

 

[Paul Mc]

Good News, MB Cardiff rang end of last week to say they have received new roof and associated parts and is now being sent to Swansea for painting. So hopefully won't be long and roof can be swapped before weather improves and we are able to use van in anger. Much quicker to receive the parts on this occasion this being the second roof. Good work by Dan of MB Cardiff, seems to know what he is doing regarding these roof swaps and the blistering issue, kept us informed throughout. Lets hope this is the last one and they've resolved the issue.

That’s great news about your replacement roof and how positive MB Cardiff have been regarding the issue.
We just need reassurance from Mercedes Benz UK (in writing) that they have acknowledged the problem and will honour warranties on all defective roofs.

 

[Paul Cardiff]

That’s great news about your replacement roof and how positive MB Cardiff have been regarding the issue.
We just need reassurance from Mercedes Benz UK (in writing) that they have acknowledged the problem and will honour warranties on all defective roofs.

I did ask the question about what happens next year if again the roof blisters, this being the second time they did it. I missed a phone call, perhaps fortunately as Dan then left an answerphone message saying about the parts being ordered but if it happened again then they would have to deal with it as they know it is an issue. I thought very strange to leave such a message but one which i now have saved!

 

[Steve B]

A long time without a blisters post on this forum! Just had my MP washed as the car washes are now open (plus it wasn't that dirty); well, no blisters yet.....

 

[Paul Cardiff]

A long time without a blisters post on this forum! Just had my MP washed as the car washes are now open (plus it wasn't that dirty); well, no blisters yet.....

Did you have a roof replaced already with the new version? Lost track! Mine is ready tomorrow so third time lucky hopefully

 

[Steve B]

Yes, earlier this year a new roof. Lets hope the current batch is blister proof

 

[RFT]

As promised I have now spoken to Rob Halloway who is Marketing Director at MB, on the board and reports directly to the UK CEO. He was joined on the call by Sam Johnson who is the Customer Assistance Manager and who heads the department that deals with escalation of problems. Neither claimed any knowledge of our roof blister problem.

My roof was last replaced in January, with one with a serial number, and so I'm hopeful that this latest iteration of roof will sort my own problem. However, I made it very clear that inside or outside the 3 year warranty, roofs need to be replaced until the problem is finally fixed.

I would recommend that everyone emails MB with their own story, whether they are in warranty and having knock back from their dealer, out of warranty and have had their claim kicked out or currently problem free (like me) but registering their concern that their current roof may not be any better than their previous roof.

I specifically requested that a specific person be nominated at MB to be their point man and I was disappointed that after the call I was given by text what looks like a generic email address me but advised that it was not generic! Whether you have used the email below previously or not please refer to the Marco Polo roof matter that has been discussed with Rob Halloway and Sam Johnson.

If you still receive a less than helpful reply that looks as though it has not been escalated please tell me and once I have a handful I will tell Rob and Sam that their suggestion hasn't worked and if they then fail to take appropriate action I will release their email addresses and direct numbers.

Obviously the more people that email with their concerns the better: [email protected]

 

[askho]

Went to see the warranty manager at my local MB dealer to ask about my second replacement roof. He said it's on order and should be here about June. He said all roofs after Oct 2020 are manufactured under a new process and should not have the blistering problem. How true that is I have no idea, because sometimes I get the feeling they just make things up as they go along.

 

[Grand Tourismo]

Went to see the warranty manager at my local MB dealer to ask about my second replacement roof. He said it's on order and should be here about June. He said all roofs after Oct 2020 are manufactured under a new process and should not have the blistering problem. How true that is I have no idea, because sometimes I get the feeling they just make things up as they go along.

Hi Askho, somewhere in my distant memory I remember another forum user mentioned the same response but specifically September '20, which could mean that there is a grain of truth in their somewhere

 

[The fat controller]

As promised I have now spoken to Rob Halloway who is Marketing Director at MB, on the board and reports directly to the UK CEO. He was joined on the call by Sam Johnson who is the Customer Assistance Manager and who heads the department that deals with escalation of problems. Neither claimed any knowledge of our roof blister problem.

My roof was last replaced in January, with one with a serial number, and so I'm hopeful that this latest iteration of roof will sort my own problem. However, I made it very clear that inside or outside the 3 year warranty, roofs need to be replaced until the problem is finally fixed.

I would recommend that everyone emails MB with their own story, whether they are in warranty and having knock back from their dealer, out of warranty and have had their claim kicked out or currently problem free (like me) but registering their concern that their current roof may not be any better than their previous roof.

I specifically requested that a specific person be nominated at MB to be their point man and I was disappointed that after the call I was given by text what looks like a generic email address me but advised that it was not generic! Whether you have used the email below previously or not please refer to the Marco Polo roof matter that has been discussed with Rob Halloway and Sam Johnson.

If you still receive a less than helpful reply that looks as though it has not been escalated please tell me and once I have a handful I will tell Rob and Sam that their suggestion hasn't worked and if they then fail to take appropriate action I will release their email addresses and direct numbers.

Obviously the more people that email with their concerns the better: [email protected]

As promised I have now spoken to Rob Halloway who is Marketing Director at MB, on the board and reports directly to the UK CEO. He was joined on the call by Sam Johnson who is the Customer Assistance Manager and who heads the department that deals with escalation of problems. Neither claimed any knowledge of our roof blister problem.

My roof was last replaced in January, with one with a serial number, and so I'm hopeful that this latest iteration of roof will sort my own problem. However, I made it very clear that inside or outside the 3 year warranty, roofs need to be replaced until the problem is finally fixed.

I would recommend that everyone emails MB with their own story, whether they are in warranty and having knock back from their dealer, out of warranty and have had their claim kicked out or currently problem free (like me) but registering their concern that their current roof may not be any better than their previous roof.

I specifically requested that a specific person be nominated at MB to be their point man and I was disappointed that after the call I was given by text what looks like a generic email address me but advised that it was not generic! Whether you have used the email below previously or not please refer to the Marco Polo roof matter that has been discussed with Rob Halloway and Sam Johnson.

If you still receive a less than helpful reply that looks as though it has not been escalated please tell me and once I have a handful I will tell Rob and Sam that their suggestion hasn't worked and if they then fail to take appropriate action I will release their email addresses and direct numbers.

Obviously the more people that email with their concerns the better: [email protected]

Great work for the common good.

 

[GeorgeG]

Just giving my MP a Spring clean after being off the road for 6 months and before we get away for a few days. Horror of horrors - my replacement roof has blisters. It seems I had a replacement roof before the issue was identified and a solution found.

Warranty is up in June, so I’m off to dealer in Poole tomorrow. I’ll report back.

Brilliant work by RFT. Just hope I dont need to escalate the claim.

 

[Grand Tourismo]

Just giving my MP a Spring clean after being off the road for 6 months and before we get away for a few days. Horror of horrors - my replacement roof has blisters. It seems I had a replacement roof before the issue was identified and a solution found.

Warranty is up in June, so I’m off to dealer in Poole tomorrow. I’ll report back.

Brilliant work by RFT. Just hope I dont need to escalate the claim.

Sorry to hear that your roof has the dreaded blisters back, can I ask roughly when this roof was replaced?

Also given a couple of other recent responses it is worth double checking what your warranty period on the new, new roof will be.

 

[GeorgeG]

Sorry to hear that your roof has the dreaded blisters back, can I ask roughly when this roof was replaced?

Also given a couple of other recent responses it is worth double checking what your warranty period on the new, new roof will be.

Hi GT,

Visited dealer in Poole today. The after sales manager looked at the blisters on the roof they replaced in July 2019 and expressed surprise, saying they had not replaced any replacements yet, despite the fact they have changed several roofs. He said he was unaware of there being any issue with the replacements and cautioned me against believing what I read on the internet

This is a standard dealer response I have come across before. I had several issues with my California a number of years ago which were common knowledge in the California ‘community’, but which dealers refused to acknowledge for some considerable time and after much argument.

They are putting a claim in for a new roof and I’ll just have to hope Mercedes agree to cover the cost.

A further aggravation on the way home was the Bluetooth activation packing up despite it having worked on the way there

 

[Grand Tourismo]

Hi GT,

Visited dealer in Poole today. The after sales manager looked at the blisters on the roof they replaced in July 2019 and expressed surprise, saying they had not replaced any replacements yet, despite the fact they have changed several roofs. He said he was unaware of there being any issue with the replacements and cautioned me against believing what I read on the internet

This is a standard dealer response I have come across before. I had several issues with my California a number of years ago which were common knowledge in the California ‘community’, but which dealers refused to acknowledge for some considerable time and after much argument.

They are putting a claim in for a new roof and I’ll just have to hope Mercedes agree to cover the cost.

A further aggravation on the way home was the Bluetooth activation packing up despite it having worked on the way there

Thanks for the update, and although not ideal I am confident they will uphold your claim for the second roof.

Further aggro with the BT activation, hopefully this will reset itself.

 

[GeorgeG]

Thanks for the update, and although not ideal I am confident they will uphold your claim for the second roof.

Further aggro with the BT activation, hopefully this will reset itself.

Thanks for optimism GT. Any idea of current timescale on roof replacement?

BT reactivated after leaving it switched off for a couple of hours. Irritating!