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Tiny blisters on roof

Arthur B

New Member
I would agree with this. My guess would be around 50% 17/18 built MPs would have the blisters. It seems that the blisters start to emerge when it's cold and moist and are less apparent when hot and dry....

My local dealer got the new roof for me and it has been sent to the Merc authorised body shop waiting for me to bring the vehicle in to replace the roof. It's a bare fibre glass roof without paint so it would need to be painted at the workshop before fitting. The body shop is Fastlane based near Heathrow so I might try to pay them a visit to make sure they know what they are doing. I have been told they had only done one roof replacement so far... I have been dragging to bring my MP in as I'm not sure the new roof would be better than my existing blustered one, at least in medium to long term....

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I recently viewed a 2019 model that had roof blisters
 

funkyegg

Active Member
Our June delivery 2019 MP has roof blisters.
I do wonder why it's taking Merc and Westfalia so long to sort out the roof issue? It makes me wonder if it's the paint issue or the roof itself or the paint and roof dont agree to each other or the way how the roof was stored and painted...and thats the reason why I'm so reluctant to replace my roof until I know the new and repainted roof will not have the same issue....

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Cumbrians

New Member
Having been told months ago that our roof was on back order it went in today for the mattress recall. No sign of the roof yet though.
 

Epigram

Active Member
Personally, from what I've seen and read about the roof blisters, I think there's a far higher percentage affected than 5%.
Some people will keep it to themselves.
You are quite right.
Unless people with roof blisters post, we will not know how many vehicles are, or have been, affected.
Intuitively, the number feels much higher.
However, if you divide the number of reported problems on this thread by the number of registrations it was under 5% just before Xmas.
Clearly the actual percentage is higher because not everyone reports on this forum.
Whatever the figure, it’s a significant percentage and it seems to be getting worse. MB should be doing more.
Alarmingly, the problem is being identified with relatively new vehicles, which indicates MB are no nearer to curing the problem..
 

JEAK

New Member
I've had the same thing happen to my roof, Westfalia are asking for the serial number of the roof before they will progress. However I can find no serial number on the roof. Brought my van from Mercedes Hull but the Body shop in Boston are dealing with the claim.
Hello - Did the body shop in Boston help? Trying to decide where to take ours? Did Boston suggest a replacement roof and was it under warranty? Thank you
 
Hello - Did the body shop in Boston help? Trying to decide where to take ours? Did Boston suggest a replacement roof and was it under warranty? Thank you
Anyone reading this I strongly suggest you get it in writing that a new roof will be fitted when you give you van to the dealer, as i was lied too and they repainted it instead and very shoddily too.I assume they were thinking I would not notice the difference
 

SteveR

Active Member
Anyone reading this I strongly suggest you get it in writing that a new roof will be fitted when you give you van to the dealer, as i was lied too and they repainted it instead and very shoddily too.I assume they were thinking I would not notice the difference
I wonder how the layman would know whether a new roof had been fitted or the original just repainted Steven? Given that a new roof also requires painting
 
Yeah that is a good point but It took me all of ten seconds to notice the sub standard repaint job , as you look at the roof rails or hardware on the roof,I could clearly see the overspray coming up onto the rails if that makes sense or that's how I noticed anyway,weirdly I would not have immediately checked it but I recieved it back scratched on side of my van which got my back up I immediately stepped on my back wheel and took a close look and straight away I noticed the roof botch up, i would get it in writing before leaving and also video the handover showing your veichle condition as you give it them that's what I did,when it came back damaged they could not deny they caused the damage which saved me a load of hassle
 

JEAK

New Member
Anyone reading this I strongly suggest you get it in writing that a new roof will be fitted when you give you van to the dealer, as i was lied too and they repainted it instead and very shoddily too.I assume they were thinking I would not notice the difference
Thanks Steven - did you take this to Boston or elsewhere?
 

Ranger67

Member
Woke up this morning and my 67 plate Marco Polo has a tiny blister on the roof. I called Mercedes Cheshire Oaks and they told me to talk to VW in Chester as it is Inchcape and they do all the bodyshop items. Waiting for a call back.
 
Woke up this morning and my 67 plate Marco Polo has a tiny blister on the roof. I called Mercedes Cheshire Oaks and they told me to talk to VW in Chester as it is Inchcape and they do all the bodyshop items. Waiting for a call back.
Sorry to hear that but just do two things,1) get it in writing what will be done and 2) video the handover,i hope this helps you
 

Ranger67

Member
Sorry to hear that but just do two things,1) get it in writing what will be done and 2) video the handover,i hope this helps you
Spoke with VW inchcape Bodyshop and they've done 3 vehicle roof replacements so that inspires some confidence. I now need to take the MP to the MB dealer for them check the roof and photograph everything to submit the warranty claim. It's only one tiny blister but I'd rather get it done now before the warranty expires in a few months time and they wriggle out of the issue.
 
My 2018 also has a number of blisters, I may wait to report it til just before the warranty expires. How long is warranty work guaranteed for does anybody know ?
 

Ranger67

Member
My 2018 also has a number of blisters, I may wait to report it til just before the warranty expires. How long is warranty work guaranteed for does anybody know ?
I was in the MB dealer yesterday to take my 67 plate 2017 in.

Long story short I asked what would have happened if the blister appeared outside warranty, they said because I was still in the warranty it is covered and any repair would be covered for 2 years parts and labour by this dealer. They did inform me that the repair warranty of 2 years was only for this particular dealer which meant that if anythig goes wrong I would have to take it back to them in the 2 year timeframe.

They informed me that they also had another MP newer than mine in and they have been awaiting a new roof for a few months. No stock in UK or Germany and on back order.

With my one they said the warranty guy needs to download the Mercedes guidance documentation on this issue to see if it is a repair or replacement roof. I told them that all the rooves are being replaced because it is not repairable. They said that MB are their customer because they are paying for it so if it is not repairable they would not have such a document.

So now I wait to see if they order me a new roof or if they will be repairing my one when they get around to looking up the document. They said hopefully by next week they will have time to look at the documentation.
 

RichardP

New Member
When we took ours in to be inspected they said that if the only blisters were small and around the edges near the seal then the roof could be repaired. If there were any larger blisters or any on the horizontal surface of the roof, then the roof needed to be replaced.
 

jaffa

New Member
Thanks to this thread, I took a nosey at mine and what a surprise, tiny blisters across my roof. Will be paying MB Worcester a visit this week...
 

Ranger67

Member
Story so far. MB called me back saying they downloaded the warranty document about the roof and the process has changed. There was a new document issued on 5th Feb 2020. They now need to do paint depth measurements, measurements of the blisters, additional photos of roof and whole vehicle. Then send it off to Mercedes in Germany for a decision on what to do.So back to MB I go.
 
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