Bubbling paint on trim - should I try to claim?

[judith_sw]

Hi,

I have an 05 A3 which I have owned since it was just over a year old. The car is well looked after and has done 75K miles.

Last week I noticed a huge bubble on the black trim between the driver and rear passenger window. The paint then flaked off and I not have a partch of about 8x10cm where the top coat has come off, looking quite unsightly. I have also noticed that the passenger side trim has three small bubbles which move around if you press on them.

The car is less than 5 years old, and I thought this may be covered under the bodywork warranty, but my local Audi dealer tells me that these panels are in fact trim (and so only covered under the 3-year warranty ... how convenient!). However, this is a painted part and clearly not straightforward to replace. As both sides have gone, this could indicate a manufacturer problem, and according to my local Audi indie, this is a known issue.

Does anyone know if it is worth pursuing this? The local Audi garage have been helpful and are asking Audi if there is anything that can be done as a goodwill gesture. I haven't had an answer yet, but would be grateful for any advice!!! Price to fix ...

I bought an Audi largely because it is a quality marque, but am not too impressed with this!!!

[craigyb]

It is a very common complaint on Audi's, even a 1 year old can suffer from bubbling or pasty/white trim. I bought an A8 demonstrator from Lincoln Audi, noticed the white marks on the trim in the first week, took it to Audi and they told me it's the way I'd been washing it. I pointed out that I had never washed the car in my 7 days of ownership, but for the last 12 months Audi had been washing the car themselves.

So even Audi don't know how to wash their own cars or they are just full of bu11sh1t, take it which way you want.

[Mermaid]

It is a very common complaint on Audi's, even a 1 year old can suffer from bubbling or pasty/white trim. I bought an A8 demonstrator from Lincoln Audi, noticed the white marks on the trim in the first week, took it to Audi and they told me it's the way I'd been washing it. I pointed out that I had never washed the car in my 7 days of ownership, but for the last 12 months Audi had been washing the car themselves.

So even Audi don't know how to wash their own cars or they are just full of bu11sh1t, take it which way you want.

The aluminium trim on the 2006/07 RS4 suffers the same fate. Audi of course blame aggressive cleaning materials.

The 2009 S4 has a different type of trim - make of that what you want.

To me, it's QC, and they have changed suppliers.

[judith_sw]

Surprise, surprise, Audi have got back to say that ... yes, I've been using the wrong product to wash my car! Given I don't use car washes and have only ever used good quality products, (and the bubbling is coming from below unmarked paintwork on the less damaged side) this is an incredibly lame excuse. I'm really annoyed at Audi ... this is a known issue, something that they could easily put right with a bit of good will. Is the quality of their cars really so poor that washing damages the trim??? I must admit that this attitude towards their customers would make me think twice before buying another Audi in the future. My father had an out of warranty issue with his BMW and the manufacturer met him half way on cost as a good will gesture (he bought the part, they fitted it for free).

That said, my local Audi dealer has offered to do the job at cost, for approx £50 per side. Given it looks unsightly on one side as it is, I will probably go for it, and maybe send the bill to Audi, just in case they are willing to reconsider.

Any similar stories or advice?

[Mermaid]

I must admit that this attitude towards their customers would make me think twice before buying another Audi in the future. My father had an out of warranty issue with his BMW and the manufacturer met him half way on cost as a good will gesture (he bought the part, they fitted it for free).

That said, my local Audi dealer has offered to do the job at cost, for approx £50 per side. Given it looks unsightly on one side as it is, I will probably go for it, and maybe send the bill to Audi, just in case they are willing to reconsider.

Any similar stories or advice?

Sorry to hear of your experience. I also have found BMW customer service far superior and pragmatic compared to Audi & Mercedes.