Subaru Paint Warranty

[badbaz]

When giving the car a good going over before The McRae Gathering I noticed that the windscreen and rear window rubbers have rubbed through the roof paint and it's starting to bubble with rust at some points. Cars three year warranty expires in a week and it being only three years old I'm a bit miffed at this.

Is this a common problem with the Impreza?

Anyone had paint issues?

[colzo]

Your car must have been registered the same time as mine. I might be wrong but I was sure the anti corrosion warranty was for 5 years but only if you have kept your Body Service schedule up to date. You haven't had the rear window / windscreen replaced? Never noticed rust in this area on any of my previous Imprezas.

[craigdmcd]

I'll post my disbelief at how bad the Subaru anti-corrosion paint warranty later on, but yes my wife's car has a similar problem and Subaru don't want to do anything about it!

[badbaz]

Neither windows replaced, not by me anyway. They are etched with chassis number as per side windows so although this could have been re-done, it points to them being original. There are no other signs of them being changed.

Doesn't sound good if craigdmcd you are not having any joy with paint warranty.

How do you keep up your paint warranty, surely if you've had the car in for services as per the schedule the paint thing shouldn't be missed out?

Which dealer is your problem with Craig?

[sti pretender]

Your have to pay for the body warranty inspections, should be stamped in your warranty book.

[craigdmcd]

Neither windows replaced, not by me anyway. They are etched with chassis number as per side windows so although this could have been re-done, it points to them being original. There are no other signs of them being changed.

Doesn't sound good if craigdmcd you are not having any joy with paint warranty.

How do you keep up your paint warranty, surely if you've had the car in for services as per the schedule the paint thing shouldn't be missed out?

Which dealer is your problem with Craig?

I've had both the paint inspections as per schedule (actually the 3 year one was a couple of months early). The car went in to Halley's for the 3rd service (My wife got the car in May 04 when 3 years servicing and warranty was included in the price) in March 07, and I complained about a few niggles (like a duff washer jet that I had complained about since the first service 2 years prior, a noise from the air-con and a slight rattle from the front suspension that was only really loud for the first few major bumps down the hill from my house), but also that some bits of the roof were starting to rust.

I finally got my washer jet replaced, but was asked to let the other noises "develop" as they weren't severe enough to do under warranty- even though the car was left with them whilst I was away so they could get the suspension knock from cold! I was also told that the paint was not covered under warranty as it was due to stonechips. I work in the motortrade, and am not stupid enough to ask for the stonechips on my bonnet to be covered under warranty, but above a windscreen !! So to save meeting the monkees, I asked for a meeting with the first organ grinder in the chain of complaint - A Mr Kenneth Davidson who is the Regional Service Manager for Subaru UK. A meeting was arranged, and as polite and helpful as he was , the answer was the same - the damage on the roof was due to stonechips. I asked to see what chips he was referring to and he pointed to a few above the screen - and was a little shocked when the ones I was referring to were after the sunroof (the WRX is a SL model) halfway down the roof!!!!!! He inspected them and told me that as stange as it was, the damage was also by stonechip by abrasions cutting through the paint and his hands were tied, and could not authorise a repair. My actual gripe is probably more against how poor quality the paint and it's thickness must be if a slight abrasion on the trailing edge of a roof can start to rust.

The roof is also starting to rust under the seal on the front and back screen as is yours, but after the last hassle, I don't know if I can be bothered fighting with them again.

This was my first ever brand new UK registered Subaru, and because of this it wiill be my last. JDM or European import if I ever get another now, so I can put the money I've saved to the few bits of warranty that they didn't want to fix.

Oh, and the suspension noise and the air-con clutch noise is still there.

[colzo]

A mechanical service and a body service are 2 separate things. The old stonechip get out clause is expected. On all the new Imprezas I've owned I have got the 1st year body service done then just topped up the underseal, waxoyled the inside of the panels and checked all the drain holes myself. Body Service around £120, can of waxoyl and underseal around a tenner!!!

[colzo]

craig - sorry to hear about all your problems. To be honest I've heard a lot of negative comments about Halleys not being helpful. I bought my car from Ian Grieves and they look after all the mechanical work, can't fault them at all.

[craigdmcd]

The body service is "only" £75.79 inc VAT, but I would have been better spending that money on Lottery tickets - that way I might have got something back for it. I did actually get the the thickness of the paint checked at the Mercedes Benz bodyshop (I used to work in the Passenger Car workshop), and it was on average 70microns thick - which is classed as bare minimum by industry standards apparently. Even Ford's paint is up to 120microns thick these days. If I had wanted thin paint I would have bought a Spec C.

[colzo]

When my car was up at Polished Bliss they told me that Subaru paint is hard but very thin. I would say 70 - 80 microns will be about average. Not good at all.

[euan_r]

very common mines got it but is ten years old, wouldnt be impressed on such a new car.

[scoobymark]

The only Guarantee is that the paint is thin,

Iam sure is says in the paint section of the subaru handbook

"Guaranteed till you get oot the shop"

As colzo says take it to Ian greives subaru in camelon and get a professional opinion

Edited September 4, 2008 by scoobymark

[craigdmcd]

craig - sorry to hear about all your problems. To be honest I've heard a lot of negative comments about Halleys not being helpful. I bought my car from Ian Grieves and they look after all the mechanical work, can't fault them at all.

Colzo, to be fair, I dealt with Harvey on the purchase of the car, and apart from a slight communication problem to do with the date of delivery, he was excellent. As for the Parts department, I always use Paul (I think I am right in saying he is the parts manager), and cannot praise him highly enough. He even has a jap import disc still in japanese, but knows how to navigate the system well enough to not need the language and just get the part numbers he needs from the screen. This comes in very helpful to myself since I have 2 JDM Legacies.

It is with the service department that I have the problem - another simple fault - I am willing to drive my car in for a service from Hamilton, a distance of 21 miles. The courtesy car I have to pay to insure (understandable) will only be given to me on the understanding that I am allowed no more than 25miles per day without incurring a mileage charge!! A round trip to my house is 42 miles before I even go to my work (another 17 miles away). I would be cheaper to hire a car from Arnold.

I'm away to sit in a dark corner and let my blood pressure drop.