Rust Problems With Door Seal - Cooper S 53

[exactmax]

Hi Everyone,

I hope that someone out there has had the same problem as I have just discovered. I was washing my Mini Cooper S 2003 today and found some slight paint bubbling (rust) on the underside of the drivers side door. I am the second owner and it is in mint condition and has always been garaged...

I took the car the to my local dealership and the car was given a paint test (determines the depth of the paint work to see if the car has been repaired - if so then its not covered under the warranty). I was told that the readers should be between 90-100 and my car was reading between 100-200!!!! So the dealership said there was nothing they could do as they thought the car had been resprayed...


I decided I needed a second opinion so I took the car to another local dealership where they thoroughly inspeceted the whole car for rust and discovered that the drivers door had been replaced outside of BMW knowing (and unknown to me) hence voiding the warranty...


Has anyone else had problems with this type of rust and sorting it out with BWM warranty????? Let me know please....

Thanks

[mab01uk]

If as it seems the first owner has had a new door fitted or accident repaired by an independent or insurance bodyshop outside of BMW then I don't see how you can argue a case for BMW to repair any rust which has appeared due to this. Few independent body repair shops that I have seen bother to reinstate any factory rust proofing on welded seams, etc, unless the owner insists this is done or checks, also as in this case, most have long sold the car before any problem is likely to appear.

[exactmax]

Thanks for the help on this... I know it's a bit of mess to be honest as the rust wasn't visible when I bought the car and I have to admit that who ever did replace the door and spray it, they did a very good job!

Is there anyway of finding out what work has been done to the car other than going back to the previous owner? BMW don't have any knowlege of the work being carried out so I can't go there?

Many Thanks

[minicabrio]

Unfortunately if the work is carried out without an insurance company being involved, there is no way it can be traced, and certainly won't appear on any HPI or vehicle check.

Is the previous owners details on the log book? If so try to make contact.

Just say, it's come to light that a repair has been carried out at some point, and ask which garage performed the work. You can then see if that bodyshop offer any kind of warranty on their work

Might be worth a try