Paint Peeling - Delamination

[Shay]

Hi Ozzyb

I have followed the advice supplied by oilyrag (see above). I have sent compensation claim (£4,750) to Citroen HO (MD) and given them 30 days to respond. So far I have heard nothing and will be moving onto Small Claims application next week.

It would be very useful to have corroborating evidence to support the claim. Would you share images, registration and location? You can post here or send directly to me, if you prefer.

I should also advise that I raised the issue with the Ombudsman and they initially rejected my claim, as it was outside of the Citroen paint warranty. When I clarified the situation (i.e. manufacturing fault and nothing to with paint warranty, they agreed that there is a reasonable case.) They have raised a Complaint and I have now sent them all of my supporting documentation. However, the process can seemingly take up to 3/4 months and they can only advise Citroen on the matter, they have no authority to instruct them (hope this makes sense).

I'm not prepared to wait that long, in the hope that they would agree with me. So, I will be pursuing the Small Claims route.

I will update here as and when.

Cheers,

[oilyrag]

Good luck with that !
Be aware that in the meantime they may send you a cheque for a lesser amount - and you are entitled to reject it, but if the court subsequently decides on a lower figure then you'll only be entitled to that. Put on your Poker face and go for it!

[Ian@pwllyn]

Same here, MK12 xxx

started a few years ago..

random peeling over sides, bonnet and rear door...

rather anoying as vehicle is tidy otherwise...

Ian H

[pluggit1]

Oooo.. nasty. never seen anything like that before. As the report says, the prime coat hasnt keyed. probably bad zinc tank or spray batch. Could have been contaminated. Either way its a manufacturing fault and cant be denied. Sounds like Citroen are pulling the "if we had serviced it we would have seen it happening" act. They may well have spotted it but they would have just patched it up..well, covered it up(figuratively speaking) and kept quiet.
I think the claims court is probably the best route to go as Oily says - its there for things like this and very cost effective. That was a ticking time-bomb just waiting and no service schedule by any dealership could ever change the outcome. A judgement could well apportion blame 100% in your favour and decide its "beyond economic repair" and advise to write it off at market price as said. Best outcome - you cant put that right and you want rid at the best deal you can get.

[pluggit1]

There you go.. Ive done it again.. jumped in with my wellies and not looked to see if there are any more messages over page...twonk..

Any ways.. seems like you are making progress thru the right channels.

Interesting to here the outcome.

[Shay]

Same here, MK12 xxx

started a few years ago..

random peeling over sides, bonnet and rear door...

rather anoying as vehicle is tidy otherwise...

Ian H

It would be very useful to have corroborating evidence to support the claim. Would you share images, registration and location? You can post here or send directly to me, if you prefer.

[oilyrag]

Shay, you'll find that there's not that much space to state your claim on the 'paperwork' and that your focus is on your claim alone, rather than necessarily proving there's a wholesale problem - maybe just mention that yours is not an isolated case and should the court require additional information then you will provide it to them.
Citroen will see a copy of your claim and will then understand that you have more on them than just your own claim.
If Citroen do defend the case you will be given the opportunity to then come up with the additional information that you may have gathered and this can be in front of the judge, rather than on paper .
Maybe keep your powder dry!
Good luck,
Joe

[flyingguy]

I've got a 2011 model and it seems to be doing the same. Random peeling on the side panels after the paint started to bubble around the edges. Initially I got one panel resprayed for about £200 but took it to the jetwash last week and on the other side the paint flaked off and it looks terrible. We're reluctant to get it done again until we come to sell it, as we need to strip off the logos first so no point in doing this until we are ready to sell. But then again the longer we leave it the more paint that will come off. The bodywork shop said we can put some radiator paint on it to stop it peeling further. I wonder if our van is from the same batch that are having this problem. We are the 3rd owners of this vehicle, do you think we have any chance of putting in a claim against Citroen too?

[oilyrag]

You can put a claim in, but you have to weigh up the chance of success against the cost of the claim, and be prepared to lose your fee if it doesn't go your way. A ten year-old 3 owner van isn't going to be worth much when you sell it, come what may ! It may even be worth more as parts .

[flyingguy]

True, although we paid about 3.5k for it and seems the prices have gone up and there's demand for 2nd hand workhorses. Reckon we might get close to that on selling!