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Water ingress on Alfa Mito
I bought a used (2009) Alfa Romeo MiTo last December. I took it back in January for a water leak in the boot and the rear window was re-bonded, but this did not fix the problem.
I complained again, recently, and they directed me to the glass specialist. He re-bonded the window again and when I picked it up he advised that the leak was not from the window, but possibly the rear break light/spoiler housing and that he had advised the dealership of this in January.
I booked it in with the dealership again and before dropping it off I noticed that the driver's side footwell was soaking wet. The dealership could find no leak in the back but said that there was ingress in the front, initially stating that it would cost £200 + VAT and hour to strip out the interior, at least 2 hour work.
I had one year's warranty with the car, but they advised that extended warranty wouldn't cover water ingress, after some back and forth they advised they would bear the cost of a good will gesture. On investigation they came back to me to say that the water had caused the servo to corrode, the car was un-roadworthy and that it would cost £1250 to fix, of which they would pay half.
Bearing in mind I reported a damp issue within a month of owning the car and I have not had the car a should they bear more responsibility for fixing the issue. It also seems like a lot of money for fixing a water ingress/ servo issue? Any advice welcome
I complained again, recently, and they directed me to the glass specialist. He re-bonded the window again and when I picked it up he advised that the leak was not from the window, but possibly the rear break light/spoiler housing and that he had advised the dealership of this in January.
I booked it in with the dealership again and before dropping it off I noticed that the driver's side footwell was soaking wet. The dealership could find no leak in the back but said that there was ingress in the front, initially stating that it would cost £200 + VAT and hour to strip out the interior, at least 2 hour work.
I had one year's warranty with the car, but they advised that extended warranty wouldn't cover water ingress, after some back and forth they advised they would bear the cost of a good will gesture. On investigation they came back to me to say that the water had caused the servo to corrode, the car was un-roadworthy and that it would cost £1250 to fix, of which they would pay half.
Bearing in mind I reported a damp issue within a month of owning the car and I have not had the car a should they bear more responsibility for fixing the issue. It also seems like a lot of money for fixing a water ingress/ servo issue? Any advice welcome
Asked on 22 November 2014 by Elliott
Answered by
Honest John
I guess this was caused by locked scuttle vent well drains that caused rainwater to collect in the vent well and swamp the servo, leading to corrosion. It is the owner's responsibility to keep these drains clean, so the selling dealer is not entirely to blame.
Water enters cars in a number of ways:
1: Via the bulkhead vent well (under the air intake grille) because the drains to the vent well are blocked, leaving rainwater nowhere to go except into the cabin.
2: Via a broken or misfitted pollen filter cover or pollen filter seal.
3: Via perforated or detached plastic membranes between the door trims and the door structures.
4: Via the (hidden) one-way cabin vent flaps situated between the sides of the load area and the sides of the rear valence.
5: Via failed door perimeter seals.
6: Via failed front or rear window seals.
7. Via failed sunroof seals or because the drains to the sunroof rain channels are blocked.
8. Via failed radio antenna fixture seals.
9: Via missing bungs or rust holes in the floorpan.
Water enters cars in a number of ways:
1: Via the bulkhead vent well (under the air intake grille) because the drains to the vent well are blocked, leaving rainwater nowhere to go except into the cabin.
2: Via a broken or misfitted pollen filter cover or pollen filter seal.
3: Via perforated or detached plastic membranes between the door trims and the door structures.
4: Via the (hidden) one-way cabin vent flaps situated between the sides of the load area and the sides of the rear valence.
5: Via failed door perimeter seals.
6: Via failed front or rear window seals.
7. Via failed sunroof seals or because the drains to the sunroof rain channels are blocked.
8. Via failed radio antenna fixture seals.
9: Via missing bungs or rust holes in the floorpan.
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