gaz356

Hello again, I have just accepted an offer from VW to go 50/50 on the roof rust repair to my 2000 Lupo 1.4 Sport. I have a full VW service history on my car bar one service and I have paid VW to sort all the usual Lupo problems ( door hinge, both window motors, sticking bonnet pull and more ) so I have spent a lot with them and I think this counted for a lot and also VW did appear to have lost my first claim and I could evidence this. The work was done really well by a local bodyshop who straightened out a wobbly roof panel whilst attending to the rust ( another Lupo affliction I think from looking at other cars ). A few friends have looked at the work and we all think the metallic green paint has been matched in extremely well. Ironically having got this sorted I think I may sell it now and get something a bit newer and more sedate like a Polo 1.2 so look out for an ad here shortly. Cheers Gaz

Sure enough, left well alone and the rev counter corrected itself inside three days, well at least one fix to a common Lupo fault hasn't cost me money. Big thanks to the forum and contributors for the comments. Cheers Gaz

Ha, my Lupo Sport has just succumbed to what appears to be yet another common Lupo fault but I'm reassured to see that it should rectify itself with perhaps a little help from me. Cheers Gaz

Thank you James, I can only imagine VW wants to bury this now which is why the Watchdog idea appeals to me. I warned a work mate who was looking to buy a black 16v Lupo on a "Y" plate a few months ago to look at the roof and he said he'd got a good 'un but when we looked closely, sure enough it was bubbling. He's hovering to make a claim now. I would urge all forum members to check if they haven't done already. On mine and the others I've looked at it only appears to afflict the right side of the roof. Cheers Gaz

By all means count me in for watchdog BEP51, I do feel very let down by VW on this matter and consider they have yet to give me a good reason why my claim should be turned down. In the meantime I'll try an approach to VW customer care, whoever and wherever that is. My only regret is I didn't make a note of when I first spoke to the south east rep and make a note of his name as I suspect that will now be thrown back at me but, hey ho, hindsight is a wonderful thing. cheers Gaz

Hello, another disappointing story for the thread from Sussex. I've had my lupo 16v Sport two years and as soon as I noticed rusting in the channel, on the driver's side only and masked slightly by the private dealer who I bought it from, I reported it to caffyns at haywards heath. They arranged a VW south east area rep ( not a caffyns employee, they have been great with the car ) to inspect the rust. He said it was rusting from the outside in so was not claimable but he said he'd take some pics and report it and get back to me.In my experience if the person batting for you's not interested in your case then you're not going to get anywhere and sure enough I did get nowhere, I didn't get a reply at all. Undaunted, well possibly a bit daunted, I went through this thread and made a note of all garages that have honoured a claim. I handed it to caffyns at, I think, service time earlier this year and included details of other garages that honoured the claim and my own photos of my car all on a cdr. Fate interevened and after I hadn't heard for a while I went to caffyns and by chance ended up parking next to another Lupo that was a year newer and the same colour. I looked at it and you won't be surprised to hear it had rust in the rain channel too in exactly the same places on the driver's side. This enabled me to say to caffyns that to me it looked that this was a fault blighting Lupos and not just a one off to me and that if they wanted to they could see another Lupo of exactly the same colour in their car park with exactly the same rust. Caffyns' service dept took pics and measured the paint thickness, to ensure it hadn't been got at I presume, and put a claim in on the same day. I thought things were looking up but today the service dept at caffyns rang to say the claim has been turned down, by whoever it is that turns down these claims. The reason given to caffyns was that the rust was so noticeable in the photos that this must have been known a while ago and should have been reported by a previous owner. I think that means in their view I was claiming too late even though I am still just in the warranty period. I don't think I want to give up now though, in fact the more I get knocked back the more I want to pursue a claim particularly as I have spent a fortune putting right a list of other things that blight our beloved Lupos including two broken window motors, a dropped driver's door hinge, two clicking door check straps, a stiff bonnet pull and a heavy clutch. I've also had all the servicing and air-con servicing done by caffyns who have been very helpful and looked after my Lupo very well. I'd be grateful if someone could freshen the thread with details of who at VAG central to appeal to and I may go up to Sevenoaks which isn't too far away where I believe a warranty claim was honoured for roof rust. I think VW claims department must be well aware of the Lupo's problem with roof corrosion by now and I can't help but think they are trying to avoid a flood of potentially expensive claims. Its a shame really as my Lupo's been great fun and never missed a beat and I really need to look for a bigger car now but my experience with VW head office customer care has rather put me off owning another VW in the future. Just to reiterate, this isn't a pop at caffyns, they have looked after my Lupo very well and I always recommend them to other VW owners. Cheers Gaz

Good news from Crash, any chance you could mention the dealer's name though, I don't think you gave it. Would like to be able to drop two dealers' names next time I have a try. cheers Gaz

Can you update us when you hear please Defcon 5? Someone's used touch up paint on the rust on my roof - the trader i bought it from I suspect - which VW's expert muttered about but I think if I can quote a couple of successful claims ( and already have the Murry VWJames' info thanks ) at him I might get somewhere and so may some other sufferers. cheers Gary

Hello, I've been knocked on my roof channel rust by the area VAG person who looks at warranty claims and he claimed not to know that this was a problem with Lupos and that it was a case of water causing rust from the outside in ( although wouldn't that be a warranty issue too! ). I would like to give him chapter and verse on what dealers have honoured roof claims and so far have seen Murrys in Newton Abbott mentioned. Could those that have had this work done under warranty let us know who the dealers were that honoured claims so I can politely tell my local dealership. I'm sure if we could all quote three or four different dealers that would swing the issue for those of us still stuck with the problem. Cheers Gary

Excellent James thank you. I did pick up on another thread but missed this one completely. I read all the replies too and it seems a few people have had roof rust done under warranty, Little Rich, Lupo Joe, S2000King, Sheps and Robyn T. Murrys VW at Newton Abbott are mentioned as a garage that acknowledged this was a fault and it would be great if I could get one or two other garage names to throw at my dealer if any of those people can help with a garage name. I don't blame the dealer, it was the area warranty person that vexed me, telling me he had the last say, he had no info that this was a Lupo weak spot but rather it was water sitting on the roof channels rusting inwards ( not sure what difference that would make anyway if I had a rust warranty ). He told me he would talk to his colleagues about it and get back to me but never did. I don't intend to be fobbed off if I can help it though and its a bit irritating after I've spent the thick end of a grand with VAG on other works to the car. Thanks to everyone who's chipped in to this thread too. Cheers Gary

I have a 2000 Lupo 1.4 Sport with aircon and low miles and have fallen foul of most of the usual Lupo bugbears. I have fitted a new clutch because of a heavy pedal, fitted a new driver's door hinge because it had worn and the door had dropped and replaced the bonnet opening lever because the cable had siezed and the plastic lever stripped its splines, all work undertaken by a VAG garage. I have also paid £100 for a spare key that was missing when I got the car. I have now noticed rust in the roof channels and found that's another Lupo achille's heel. My local VAG dealer is not playing ball on a rust warranty claim and doesn't believe it is an inherent fault, but rather a case of poor maintenance. I am sure people have had this dealt with under their rust warranty and would appreciate if they could post some details here so I can try to get my VAG dealer to reconsider. I must say I was pretty pee'd off with the Lupo build quality for a while but I can't help but enjoy driving the car. I must say the main dealer has otherwise been very good and has generally undercut non-VAG garages when I've got quotes for repairs. For instance, I thought at one point my air-con compressor had gone west after the engine stalled with it on one day. A non-VAG garage quoted £400 for a new compressor plus labour on top but the VAG dealer fixed it by moving it on its mountings for free! Thank you in anticipation of your help. Gary