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Chrome Trim Tarnish

17K views 19 replies 16 participants last post by  EDB4YLI55 
#1 ·
Hi All
My car is now approaching 2 yrs old and just about to go for the second service. I just wondered if anyone else had noticed tarnishing on the chrome door surrounds on the doors only, the surround around the rear quarter lights is still as good as new.
The dealer has just looked at this and said it could be the chemicals used when washing the car but as I explained, I would expect to see this consistently around all the trim so they then changed their mind to say its limescale. They have offered to buff this out during the services but I wondered if anyone else had noticed the same issue?
 
#2 ·
I have noticed it too, in the same place. However, mine can't be limscale as our water supply is completely lime-free. I've tried chrome restorer but to no avail. I'd be interest to learn of anyone else with thus problem and how they cleaned it - if they did.
 
#3 ·
This is an old subject and has been covered here before.
It is a common problem on most VAG cars which they fail to recognize.
Be careful what you wash your car with, and if you cherish your car dont go to they cheap car wash down the road.
As for removing the tarnishing I haven't a clue sorry.

Tim
 
#5 ·
Think it might be the case that sometimes what people are getting there cars cleaned with is a harsher chemical and if not fully removed or if washed in the sun and bits bake dry before being rinsed ofand this causes the chemical burn on the trim
 
#9 ·
Exactly the same problem here. Chrome trim on door windows tarnished. Meanwhile the rear quarter light is fine. Pointed it out to my local dealer, and their immediate reply was that it was down to washing.

Protested and have basically had the brush off from the dealer, no call back etc. Pretty shabby service all in all. Judging by the posts Seat know all about this problem, and have chosen to ignore their customers.

I've had three new cars from the company which has the local Seat franchise in the last 6 years, and will not be using them again.

Seat Ateca Xcellence 150 Petrol DSG. July 2017.
 
#10 ·
Has anyone got any pictures of the affected bit ?
 
#11 ·
alangt said:
Pointed it out to my local dealer, and their immediate reply was that it was down to washing.
'
What was your response when that suggestion was made?

If a dealership said that to me, I'd be asking for a written explanation of how washing a car causes corrosion, which I'd be passing on to my solicitor. If they refused, I'd get out my mobile, tell them I'm taking a video and ask them again why the chrome has corroded and I'd have no hesitation in telling them it's my belief that 1: they are lying 2: they are not in anyway qualified to say how a piece of trim has corroded.

That's such a cop out it's untrue. Are they suggesting you've washed your car with caustic soda? Why not ask them for two copies of their conclusion so you can also send one to Autoglym (or whatever cleaner you use) with a cover note: My SEAT dealer says your product is corroding my car. Come to think of it, ask them for five copies - tell them you'll also be sending one to WhatCar! and Which! saying my SEAT dealer says XXX's wash n' wax has corroded the trim on my SEAT. And you'll be sending the last copy to the institute of mechanical engineers because you've found an expert in metallurgy who can diagnose faults in metal without the use of a microscope.

Or you just call the person an ignorant prick and ask for the dealer principal.
 
#12 ·
It's down the chemical burn/ tarnishing from either incorrect products when washing or washing in sunlight which allows certain areas to bake dry, causing damage.
Check on some detailing forums and they will say the same. I never wash mine in direct sunlight or when bodywork is hot.
But I too noticed damage 3 weeks after pickup when I first washed it which I got replaced by dealer as a Goodwill gesture as I said it must have been down to them washing when it arrived.
 
#13 ·
I have the same problem. Mostly just the front window surrounds. I approached the garage where I bought the vehicle, they instantly said no and showed me a document from Seat. They wouldn't let me read it. I then went to UK CUSTOMER SERVICES who said they would investigate. Came back saying the garage told them that it was due to washing chemical. They told me the surrounds were solid polished aluminium, which obviously they are not! They also stated that the handbook warned against using chemical to clean the car on something like page 273 of the handbook.
I emailed the CEO of Seat UK, had a holding reply from some senior person in executive customer services over two weeks ago with no further response. One of my a4guements was that this problem had been around for over 10 years and therefore why are they still using materials that can b3 so adversly affected by what in all honesty is commonly used cleaning materials.
Seat are not really to blame I suppose, it is a carry on from VAG.
They must have hundreds of unhappy customers. Any ideas as to where we can go now?
Has anyone tried "wrapping". I understand they use a self adhesive vynil (or vinyl) material.
The FR and Cupra have black surrounds!
 
#15 ·
I bought our car from SMC WOKING, first of all, they are a joke. I reported the trim issue with a couple of days to the dealer. The car was a year old with 1500 miles on the clock. 190 DSG Excellence in black.
After talking to the dealer ( this took 2 weeks and then after escalating this within the dealership ) they suggested that they would speak to Seat and get them to have a look at this. The dealer was 50 miles from where i live they suggested going to a Seat service centre, Marshalls in Newbury. Took it in and they took photos, six weeks later the car when in to get the new trims. After the car had been there and the trims took off, Marshalls suggested that the new trims are worse than the ones that they are taking off. So new ones would be ordered.
Then they call to say that Seat will honour the replacement trims! What a joke. No fault of Marshalls? Back to Seat, saying tough, go back to the dealer.
Rang SMC, e-mailed them, ignored. Then eventually they come back to me, oh we'll contact Seat. Told them good luck but they were adamant. No further from them until i chased, and this was a constant theme. They then sent me a Xmas message, told them to shove it. Then they contacted me, i had enough and had a bit of a go on the phone. That happened just before Xmas, we will get back to just after the holidays. I even suggested that they meet me half way on the cost of the parts. I had an e-mail back yesterday saying sorry, tough, go to the Ombudsman. That was also the reply i got from Seat. Spent £25k on this car, and i have received awful customer service.

The whole episode had been going on since May last year. SMC advised me it's the way you have washed it, even though my three-year-old Passat has no signs of this issue.

I am seriously fed up with the shocking attitude of the dealer and no help from Seat. We have owned three Seats, three Skodas, three VW's and one Audi. So pretty loyal to the VAG group but this is stretching my limit with them.

Sorry for a rant on my first post.

Other than this we like the car; It has knocked the guilt off of the gingerbread somewhat.
 
#16 ·
Noticed a similar issue on mine yesterday, but just the trim behind the door mirrors, had just had it washed at a local hand wash, couldn't have been sun baked on damage we had no sun!
Not really sure, but is the chrome not covered with a clear plastic, I know previous cars I have had were??
 
#17 ·
This problem seems to keep coming up...
I noticed tarnish (milky spots) on my car's brightwork around autumn last year (March 2017 reg), affecting mostly the front window trims. Car went in for its second service yesterday and I raised the issue with the dealer, who were the original supplying dealer for the vehicle. The nice young lady agreed that it wasn't really acceptable to see on a 2 year old, low mileage £34K car and looked into it for me.

Response from SEAT is that "we do not consider marks on brightwork a manufacturer's warranty issue".
However, I am further advised that in cases where this occurs, SEAT have a "special polish" available (chargeable) which can be used to remove the marks. In this case the dealer took my side and has argued with SEAT - it is now booked in for a couple of weeks' time to be treated with the "special polish" at no charge to me, I have paperwork stating that the polish and work required to apply it will be charged 50/50 to dealer goodwill and SEAT goodwill. So SEAT do clearly know it's a problem, have a fix which they must have tested, and are still trying it on with customers unless you push back.

For the record, the Ateca was Autoglym LifeShine treated from new, has only ever been (infrequently) washed and polished using Autoglym products and sits on the front drive in all weathers. I was also at pains to point out, just in case, that nowhere in any paperwork I've knowingly read does it state a term or condition that I'm not, e.g. allowed to keep the vehicle within 300 yards of the sea etc - the materials and finishes should be specified to cope with all reasonable storage and use conditions experienced in the target market country. I live about 250 yards from the Bristol Channel.

It reminds me of an argument I had with Subaru's UK importer years ago, when I drove an Impreza Turbo which started to show rust bubbles over the top corner of the driver's side windscreen. They declined to deal with the problem because "The anti-corrosion warranty doesn't cover anything above the waistline of the car". Amazing how there always seems to be a loophole!
 
#18 ·
Took the car in this morning to have its brightwork treated with the VW "special polish". To quote the young lady at the dealership: "It didn't work".
The special polish failed to remove the marks from the chrome; the dealership are now ordering in replacement trim parts - no mention of payment so my assumption is that they will treat it either as a goodwill issue or an actual warranty claim. I'll be confirming that once the parts arrive - but at the moment the brightwork trim parts are on backorder with no estimate of delivery date. Which could be taken to indicate that this problem is much more common than VW group are admitting to. It seems that the "special polish" thing is a sort "rite of passage" through which a customer must pass in order to actually get the problem properly fixed!
 
#19 ·
Hi PaulT00, What happened next?? I have the same problem just on the front doors and when my car was in for a SATNAV update last week I asked the dealer to have a look at it. I was told that it could be the wheel acid used in some hand-car washes or that my screen wash was too strong. They had no suggestions as to how to remove the stains. At a local car shop I bought AutoGlym Super Resin Polish after contacting Auto Glym for advice. I have just tried it and it didn't work ... not even a little bit! I'd be interested to see what happened with yours, or anybody else's.
 
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