Not joined yet? Register for free and enjoy features such as alerts, private messaging and viewing latest posts and topics.

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Online
Pondrew
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 8324
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2021 7:20 pm
Location: Spaldingski

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by Pondrew » Wed Apr 28, 2021 7:35 pm

It has become clear there is a potential issue with corrosion to both roof panels on the E89. The affected vehicles seem to be mostly, but not only, earlier ones at present.
I thought it may be a good idea to start a database of affected vehicles. This could help people going forward to identify what to look for and be a reference for claims should the dealers/ BMW UK try to dismiss legitimate claims under the *12 YEAR CORROSION WARRANTY* offered by the manufacturer.
Please post your car's details if you have, or previously had, this corrosion issue to either, or both, roof panels. Pictures of the affected areas are imperative, along with a description of the areas affected.
It would be useful, to gain an overall picture, to provide the following in addition:

Registration date of vehicle:
Vehicle external colour:
Designation number of vehicle (23i, 35i etc):
Vehicle generally kept under cover or outside:
Name of dealer claim lodged with:
Outcome of claim and reasons given if claim rejected:

If anybody can think of any further information which would be helpful, please feel free.
The moderators have agreed to make this thread a sticky.
All good things come to those who wait. I'm really impatient which explains a lot.

F31 320i. Good car.
E89 20i Now fully dried
Z3 'free litre'. Project and a half. Complicated!
Mazda3 sold
Tatty old R56 Mini Cooper. Money pit!

AnubisZed
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 1774
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2012 2:24 pm
Location: Lincolnshire, UK

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by AnubisZed » Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:52 pm

Yeah mines been through it, so here you go.....


Registration date of vehicle: 03/2011
Vehicle external colour: Space Grey
Designation number of vehicle (23i, 35i etc): 23i
Vehicle generally kept under cover or outside: outside
Name of dealer claim lodged with: Sytner, Nottingham
Outcome of claim and reasons given if claim rejected: All sorted.

Hope that helps :thumbsup:
Dave
2011, 23i, Grey with Red leather. 8)

My E89 YouTube channel - BMW Z4 Mods
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttNBt ... UQnoEvKB2Q

firebobby
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 9529
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South west Buckinghamshire

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by firebobby » Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:04 pm

AnubisZed wrote: Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:52 pm Yeah mines been through it, so here you go.....


Registration date of vehicle: 03/2011
Vehicle external colour: Space Grey
Designation number of vehicle (23i, 35i etc): 23i
Vehicle generally kept under cover or outside: outside
Name of dealer claim lodged with: Sytner, Nottingham
Outcome of claim and reasons given if claim rejected: All sorted.

Hope that helps :thumbsup:
Don't forget your bank account details and PIN number :whistle: :whistle: :wink:
BMW Z4 30i 2003 auto 107's Whippy Toledo Blue
Beige M sport seats, wood dash
Toyota MR2 NA 1995
Triumph GT6 1972 (project)
Land Rover Discovery 1994 TDI (Tow car)
Mini 1000 1981

Mojito
Member
Member
Posts: 199
Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 12:58 pm

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by Mojito » Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:59 pm

Registration date of vehicle: 30th March 2015
Vehicle external colour: M Grey Metallic
Designation number of vehicle (23i, 35i etc): 20i M sport
Vehicle generally kept under cover or outside: Outside in current ownership (1 year), believe previous owner garaged from new
Name of dealer claim lodged with: Ocean Falmouth
Outcome of claim and reasons given if claim rejected: Rejected, I'm now in process of logging a very detailed complaint with BMW Customer Services. Ocean Falmouth advised they had never seen this issue previously and both their Bodyshop and Workshop Controller said it was not a warranty issue and this was confirmed by their Area technical manager who makes their final decision. They advised only way forward to pursue this issue would be to log a complaint with BMW Customer services.

Attached three photographs below showing the usual 'worm like' corrosion and underside of the panel in this area. Dealer adised that on the underside of the roof panel near to the largest area of corrosion the paint is worn down to the primer in a small thin 'strip' - see photo. This has caused damp to track round underneath the laquer and caused the corrosion. The very small worn down 'strip' closes against the rubber roof seal and is apparently likely to have been caused by dirt rubbing as the car flexes. The corrosion is therefore down to me.

However as my photos shows there is also a small area of corrosion on the other roof panel and the underside of that panel has absolutely no wear. No explanation has been given for that so far, so I'm pursuing. I will update when I know more.

Thank you Pondrew for starting this thread, this is a vital issue and I'm not a happy man :headbang:
Attachments
IMG_2972.jpeg
IMG_2972.jpeg (82.54 KiB) Viewed 2532 times
IMG_2971.jpeg
IMG_2971.jpeg (153.61 KiB) Viewed 2532 times
IMG_2970.jpeg
IMG_2970.jpeg (133.46 KiB) Viewed 2532 times
E85 3.0i SE Sterling Grey, 2004
E89 20i SDrive M Sport - Mineral Grey - Sold

Vonlipvig
Member
Member
Posts: 636
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 4:34 pm
Location: West Devon

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by Vonlipvig » Thu Apr 29, 2021 6:02 pm

Mine too has been through it. Think a useful addition will be month/year that claim was accepted if this is going to be a long term thing

Registration date of vehicle: 09/2009
Vehicle external colour: Sapphire Black
Designation number of vehicle: 23i
Vehicle generally kept under cover or outside: Outside
Name of dealer claim lodged with: Ocean
Outcome of claim and reasons given if claim rejected: Accepted
Date of claim: 04/2021
Middle Roof panel impacted
2009 Sapphire Black 23i

Stash36
Member
Member
Posts: 148
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2020 7:43 pm

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by Stash36 » Sat May 01, 2021 11:06 am

Registration date of vehicle: June 09
Vehicle external colour: Blue
Designation number of vehicle (23i, 35i etc): 23i
Vehicle generally kept under cover or outside: Outside now, no idea earlier
Name of dealer claim lodged with: Williams Bodyshop Bolton
Outcome of claim and reasons given if claim rejected: Under assessment 23 April.
Update rejected 12 May.

BMW claims advised paint has been damaged previously, not rotting from the inside.
At least that's a new one.
Attachments
IMG_20210501_101433.jpg
IMG_20210501_101433.jpg (114.27 KiB) Viewed 2465 times

Mojito
Member
Member
Posts: 199
Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 12:58 pm

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by Mojito » Thu May 13, 2021 7:15 am

Update on my Roof corrosion saga - see earlier post on this thread.

Registration date of vehicle: 30th March 2015
Vehicle external colour: M Grey Metallic
Designation number of vehicle : 20i M sport
Vehicle kept outside in current ownership (1 year), believe previous owner garaged from new
Name of dealer claim lodged with: Ocean Falmouth
Outcome of claim and reasons given if claim rejected: Rejected

So having had my warranty claim rejected I did as my dealer suggested and contacted BMW Customer Service with a very detailed email with photos requesting that they re consider my claim.

I received a prompt ’stock’ reply and I quote from it - “The best thing to do is to have your car looked at by your local BMW Approved Centre. I can’t guarantee we’ll help with the repair costs, but I can promise you we’ll look into this fully and fairly for you”. Sounds good doesn’t it, but they were just sending me back round the circle, because of course a dealer had already inspected my roof corrosion and suggested I contacted Customer Services! I’m absolutely convinced BMW Customer Services hadn’t even bothered to read my complaint properly.

I replied setting out my claim again ….. and they might just have detected a note of irritation in my response. Once again I received a very prompt response and I quote:

"BMW UK don’t make decisions on repairs under warranty, our Approved BMW Centres are factory trained and are given the autonomy to make decisions on behalf of BMW UK. If needed, BMW UK will review claims, but we only do so on the information provided by the BMW Centre. With that being said, from looking into the details of your case I can see a claim was sent across to BMW UK for review with BMW UK confirming the corrosion on your roof panels has not been caused by a manufacturing defect. While I can appreciate your frustration with the situation, as no warrantable defect has been confirmed BMW UK are unable to support with the repair costs.” :headbang:

So, it’s down to the individual dealership to approve a claim. My advice to anyone who is about to embark on a roof corrosion claim is to make sure the dealer who is assessing the damage is familiar with the problem - mine had never seen the problem before. Based on various threads on the forum, some dealers seem to welcome roof corrosion claims and they are approved. Having said that, with the number of claims building, I can see it's going to be much harder…..

As for me, alas like others, I have more pressing concerns than an ongoing argument with BMW that is going nowhere and one I won’t win - at the end of the day BMW are Judge and Jury. Yesterday morning I had my roof inspected by a high end bodyshop I have used previously and agreed their quote for nearly £1,000 to sort my roof corrosion.

Frustrated and very irritated…. but it was a great drive to the bodyshop.
E85 3.0i SE Sterling Grey, 2004
E89 20i SDrive M Sport - Mineral Grey - Sold

User avatar
Smartbear
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 13685
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 6:54 pm
Location: a barn in Somerset

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by Smartbear » Thu May 13, 2021 7:47 am

Mojito wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 7:15 am Update on my Roof corrosion saga - see earlier post on this thread.

Registration date of vehicle: 30th March 2015
Vehicle external colour: M Grey Metallic
Designation number of vehicle : 20i M sport
Vehicle kept outside in current ownership (1 year), believe previous owner garaged from new
Name of dealer claim lodged with: Ocean Falmouth
Outcome of claim and reasons given if claim rejected: Rejected

So having had my warranty claim rejected I did as my dealer suggested and contacted BMW Customer Service with a very detailed email with photos requesting that they re consider my claim.

I received a prompt ’stock’ reply and I quote from it - “The best thing to do is to have your car looked at by your local BMW Approved Centre. I can’t guarantee we’ll help with the repair costs, but I can promise you we’ll look into this fully and fairly for you”. Sounds good doesn’t it, but they were just sending me back round the circle, because of course a dealer had already inspected my roof corrosion and suggested I contacted Customer Services! I’m absolutely convinced BMW Customer Services hadn’t even bothered to read my complaint properly.

I replied setting out my claim again ….. and they might just have detected a note of irritation in my response. Once again I received a very prompt response and I quote:

"BMW UK don’t make decisions on repairs under warranty, our Approved BMW Centres are factory trained and are given the autonomy to make decisions on behalf of BMW UK. If needed, BMW UK will review claims, but we only do so on the information provided by the BMW Centre. With that being said, from looking into the details of your case I can see a claim was sent across to BMW UK for review with BMW UK confirming the corrosion on your roof panels has not been caused by a manufacturing defect. While I can appreciate your frustration with the situation, as no warrantable defect has been confirmed BMW UK are unable to support with the repair costs.” :headbang:

So, it’s down to the individual dealership to approve a claim. My advice to anyone who is about to embark on a roof corrosion claim is to make sure the dealer who is assessing the damage is familiar with the problem - mine had never seen the problem before. Based on various threads on the forum, some dealers seem to welcome roof corrosion claims and they are approved. Having said that, with the number of claims building, I can see it's going to be much harder…..

As for me, alas like others, I have more pressing concerns than an ongoing argument with BMW that is going nowhere and one I won’t win - at the end of the day BMW are Judge and Jury. Yesterday morning I had my roof inspected by a high end bodyshop I have used previously and agreed their quote for nearly £1,000 to sort my roof corrosion.

Frustrated and very irritated…. but it was a great drive to the bodyshop.
£1000 to treat that small piece of corrosion? Don’t you think that’s a little excessive?
Rob
Image

e89 Sdrive 20i, plenty of mumbo & good economy-the thinking bears z4
e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
e85 3.0si sold

Mojito
Member
Member
Posts: 199
Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 12:58 pm

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by Mojito » Thu May 13, 2021 8:01 am

Hi Smartbear,

Couldn't agree more - it's a lot of money to fix what is essentially a very small problem and really hurts me to have to pay it. However to repair it properly involves respraying both of my roof panels and I know this bodyshop will do a really good job. Ultimately I'm concerned about keeping the value of my car and it offends me every time I look at the corrosion. I don't see that I have much option :(
E85 3.0i SE Sterling Grey, 2004
E89 20i SDrive M Sport - Mineral Grey - Sold

User avatar
Ole gits rule
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 4541
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2020 5:49 pm
Location: Pont-y-Pwll

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by Ole gits rule » Thu May 13, 2021 8:21 am

Mojito wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 8:01 am Hi Smartbear,

Couldn't agree more - it's a lot of money to fix what is essentially a very small problem and really hurts me to have to pay it. However to repair it properly involves respraying both of my roof panels and I know this bodyshop will do a really good job. Ultimately I'm concerned about keeping the value of my car and it offends me every time I look at the corrosion. I don't see that I have much option :(
While this is your pride and joy and you want the car fixed (same as myself), there is no way I would pay £1000 for that repair unless they are taking the roof off.

I know you trust the bodyshop but for peace of mind I would be doing some research and finding a few other decent bodyshops locally and getting a few alternate quotes, you could be saving 50% of that cost with a few hours work - just my opinion.
M4 Vert in Yas Marina Blue
2011 23i M Sport Highline in Alpine White with Smart Top installed - Gone but not forgotten.

Mojito
Member
Member
Posts: 199
Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 12:58 pm

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by Mojito » Thu May 13, 2021 10:09 am

Hi Ole Gits Rule,

Thanks for that - good advice.

As it happens I did get another quote - from my local BMW dealer :o Estimate for stripping down and repainting was aprox £1,600 and there was the strong suggestion that all roof seals should be changed at the same time - I guess so they would warranty the work on the roof they won't uphold a warranty on :x They cost of seals would be on top of this.

Frankly I've reached the point where I want it sorted and if it costs me slightly more for peace of mind then so be it... I just want to enjoy my car this Summer.
E85 3.0i SE Sterling Grey, 2004
E89 20i SDrive M Sport - Mineral Grey - Sold

User avatar
Ole gits rule
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 4541
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2020 5:49 pm
Location: Pont-y-Pwll

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by Ole gits rule » Thu May 13, 2021 4:34 pm

Mojito wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 10:09 am Hi Ole Gits Rule,

Thanks for that - good advice.

As it happens I did get another quote - from my local BMW dealer :o Estimate for stripping down and repainting was aprox £1,600 and there was the strong suggestion that all roof seals should be changed at the same time - I guess so they would warranty the work on the roof they won't uphold a warranty on :x They cost of seals would be on top of this.

Frankly I've reached the point where I want it sorted and if it costs me slightly more for peace of mind then so be it... I just want to enjoy my car this Summer.
BMW are again taking the Mickey with their pricing - I would go to a reputable indy but at the same time, I can understand your viewpoint on getting it sorted so that the car be enjoyed the summer.

Just so annoying that one BMW dealer says yes its covered and one says no way - there should be some level of consistency.
M4 Vert in Yas Marina Blue
2011 23i M Sport Highline in Alpine White with Smart Top installed - Gone but not forgotten.

sumotan
Member
Member
Posts: 241
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 3:31 pm

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by sumotan » Wed May 19, 2021 5:02 am

Smartbear wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 7:47 am
Mojito wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 7:15 am Update on my Roof corrosion saga - see earlier post on this thread.

Registration date of vehicle: 30th March 2015
Vehicle external colour: M Grey Metallic
Designation number of vehicle : 20i M sport
Vehicle kept outside in current ownership (1 year), believe previous owner garaged from new
Name of dealer claim lodged with: Ocean Falmouth
Outcome of claim and reasons given if claim rejected: Rejected

So having had my warranty claim rejected I did as my dealer suggested and contacted BMW Customer Service with a very detailed email with photos requesting that they re consider my claim.

I received a prompt ’stock’ reply and I quote from it - “The best thing to do is to have your car looked at by your local BMW Approved Centre. I can’t guarantee we’ll help with the repair costs, but I can promise you we’ll look into this fully and fairly for you”. Sounds good doesn’t it, but they were just sending me back round the circle, because of course a dealer had already inspected my roof corrosion and suggested I contacted Customer Services! I’m absolutely convinced BMW Customer Services hadn’t even bothered to read my complaint properly.

I replied setting out my claim again ….. and they might just have detected a note of irritation in my response. Once again I received a very prompt response and I quote:

"BMW UK don’t make decisions on repairs under warranty, our Approved BMW Centres are factory trained and are given the autonomy to make decisions on behalf of BMW UK. If needed, BMW UK will review claims, but we only do so on the information provided by the BMW Centre. With that being said, from looking into the details of your case I can see a claim was sent across to BMW UK for review with BMW UK confirming the corrosion on your roof panels has not been caused by a manufacturing defect. While I can appreciate your frustration with the situation, as no warrantable defect has been confirmed BMW UK are unable to support with the repair costs.” :headbang:

So, it’s down to the individual dealership to approve a claim. My advice to anyone who is about to embark on a roof corrosion claim is to make sure the dealer who is assessing the damage is familiar with the problem - mine had never seen the problem before. Based on various threads on the forum, some dealers seem to welcome roof corrosion claims and they are approved. Having said that, with the number of claims building, I can see it's going to be much harder…..

As for me, alas like others, I have more pressing concerns than an ongoing argument with BMW that is going nowhere and one I won’t win - at the end of the day BMW are Judge and Jury. Yesterday morning I had my roof inspected by a high end bodyshop I have used previously and agreed their quote for nearly £1,000 to sort my roof corrosion.

Frustrated and very irritated…. but it was a great drive to the bodyshop.
£1000 to treat that small piece of corrosion? Don’t you think that’s a little excessive?
Rob

A 1000 sterling pounds !!!!!!!! For that price maybe we should do a GB & get someone to reproduce a roof in Carbon Fibre instead.

BeardyJon
Member
Member
Posts: 502
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 5:24 pm
Location: Edinburgh

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by BeardyJon » Wed Apr 06, 2022 9:47 am

Registration date of vehicle: 04/2012
Vehicle external colour: Alpine White
Designation number of vehicle (23i, 35i etc): 20i
Vehicle generally kept under cover or outside: Outside
Name of dealer claim lodged with: Peter Vardy BMW
Outcome of claim and reasons given if claim rejected: Fobbed off

So I've noticed the paint starting to bubble up on the corner of the top roof panel and was advised to get it looked at under the anti-corrosion warranty. I called Peter Vardy BMW (my nearest dealership) and I'm immediately skeptical of their response...

Initially I was told that they couldn't find my car on their database using my reg no (which is a private one, but has been on the car for 4 years, and PV has definitely got it on their systems since they love to spam me with mailers in the post). He also then said that they wouldn't look at it if it hadn't had a full bmw service history (which is not a condition I can verify in any documentation or information on the anti-corrosion warranty that I can find... the BMW Website simply states the following:
All new BMW cars registered from 1st January 2004 are covered by a 12-year anti-corrosion Warranty against perforation by rust.

The Warranty does not cover corrosion caused by neglect, accident damage, stone chips or other external influences.

The Warranty does not apply to parts, panels or materials that have not been approved by BMW.

The Terms and conditions of your BMW Retailer Warranty can often be found alongside your BMW owner's documents.
https://discover.bmw.co.uk/help/ownersh ... anty-cover

When I explained that the car was 10 years old, and therefore within the warranty period, he then said that he'd have to take a look at it but they don't have a body shop anyway so he wouldn't be able to do the work.

So I definitely think I've just been fobbed off.

I'm going to try a different dealership and see how I get on, but I really want a copy of the warranty terms and conditions in full. I can't find a way to get it though as the BMW contact page on their website simply directs you to contact your nearest dealer. Has anyone seen a full Ts&Cs for the warranty they can share?
Last edited by BeardyJon on Thu Apr 07, 2022 3:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
2012 E89 sDrive20i M Sport Celtic Tuning Stage 3 Remap
2008 E86 Z4 M Sport 2.0i - Gone
2003 E46 316ti M Sport - Gone

BeardyJon
Member
Member
Posts: 502
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 5:24 pm
Location: Edinburgh

Corrosion to roof panels on E89

Post by BeardyJon » Wed Apr 06, 2022 10:11 am

sumotan wrote: Wed May 19, 2021 5:02 am A 1000 sterling pounds !!!!!!!! For that price maybe we should do a GB & get someone to reproduce a roof in Carbon Fibre instead.
Interestingly I saw an add on Facebook for a guy in Germany who makes Carbon Fibre roof panels...

https://www.facebook.com/27362610267438 ... 672543667/

Image
2012 E89 sDrive20i M Sport Celtic Tuning Stage 3 Remap
2008 E86 Z4 M Sport 2.0i - Gone
2003 E46 316ti M Sport - Gone

Post Reply