Starring and spiders' legs - who's to blame?

[drivencrazy]

I have owned my 2003 W203 in Obsidian Black since new (with MB FSH).

There is extensive 'starring' and 'spiders' legs' on the bonnet and also one on each of the roof and the boot-lid. Every tiny little chip has rusted. I have had the worst touched in on the bonnet and sides as I go along over the years.

Now MB are blaming me for the starring! I have never seen this happen on any other car that I have owned for similar lengths of time over the last 30 years.

The bonnet needs resprayed and possibly the roof and boot-lid as well.

How should I approach this with the supplying MB dealership?

Also, do the roof and boot-lid need resprayed, as opposed to a 'local' repair?

I am 'driven crazy' by this. Thank you for any suggestions.

 

[television]

I would have said, and other body shops would agree that the body was not washed down prior to painting in the factory, this has allowed the paint to loose adhesion, and so it just lifts in these spider web formations.

There is nothing that you could have possibly done to cause this . the whole roof an bonnet will need to be flatted down to bare metal to solve it, as you cannot just put paint on top.

Its under the 8 year plan,,so get them to fix it

 

[drivencrazy]

Thank you for the reply. This is very much appreciated.

They are blaming me for not repairing stone chips but the tiniest stone chip rusts and 'stars'/'spiders' legs' within a few months. I do a lot of driving for work and I work most weekends so I cannot pore over the paintwork but I check it every Spring. I have never seen anything like these 'spiders' legs' before on any other car that I have owned.

Does any member have a suggestion as to how exactly I should counter the dealership's argument? (I have FSH from new from the supplying dealership which is, I think, owned by MB UK. The VIN number is WDC203 => made in South Africa (in about September 2002)). Thank you in advance.

 

[television]

I would join in with some of the rust threads that are currently running and you will get all of the info from those

 

[Xtractorfan]

In general if there is stone chip or the paint is broken anywhere near the spidering then MB will use thats as a way out of doing repairs.. It is well known that they were using substandard metal on these cars and this is the cause of the rust,
Go back tell them you have been to a few bodyshops and they all agreed that the problem was with the metal and ask the garage to document your concerns and photograph the offending areas, make sure the guy takes pics of the ones that have no stone chipping.. and ask him contact customer service at MB
Their Tel No is 00800 17777777
or you can email them at CustomerService.UK@cac.Mercedes-Benz.com