Just picked up the vrs today (wife's, should have been a week ago but couldn't get to the garage, No. 053) and there are 5 scratches on the roof - all straight and in a straight line from front to back. They aren't very noticeable but the blue is scraped off . They are very narrow and can just be felt with your nail. The garage are going to phone Skoda tomorrow as they say it must have been done before delivery (as it is Grimsby there are only 10 miles on the clock). I don't really want a respray as this could cause more problems, so my question is, do you think one of those special coloured polish will hide them? I've tried normal polishes but to no effect. The garage is 45 miles away.

Also, the vrs strips in the door opening have brown deposits on them and some seem etched in. Looks like rust marks. They will most probably replace these as I can't polish them out. I had the seller sign a piece of paper highlighting these problems before I moved the car.

Otherwise 62 mpg on the way home and slight pull to the left which seems normal according to this forum. Our other car does it and it has a new set of tyres plus wheel allignment.

Depending on how deep they are the scratches should just polish out. You would be surprised what a dealer can do to clear them.

The brown marks sound like they could be from the waxy substance used inside the doors to prevent rust, the excess will tend to run out especially on hot days for a short period of time. I dont know what you have used to try and remove it though.

I hope after you collecting the car, the dealer still takes full responsibility. It's amazing how they try to get out of everything.

Good news, bad news I think:

The good news is that if the brown stains are the wax, then white spirit and elbow grease should shift them.

The bad news is that if the scratches on the roof really are deep enough to feel with a fingernail, they may go right through the lacquer to the blue colour coat, and professional treatment is the only option.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

I've tried polishing out the scratches with various types of polish - nothing too harsh, but they are too deep. There is a colour change where they are and the lacquer coat is compromised. I don't want to be in the position where remedial action will make things worse in the future and was hoping a coloured polish would mask and protect. I don't want repainting because with metallics like this blue matching can be difficult.

I've tried removing the brown marks. Some superficial ones are now gone but some seem more ingrained and look like they have had an effect on the metal. I know this doesn't seem feasible but it's like something has had a mild corrosion affect. I will look in better light tomorrow. The garage is phoning with suggestions. They are accepting responsibility to rectify.

Thanks again everyone.

I don't want repainting because with metallics like this blue matching can be difficult.

For scratches as bad as you describe, we are looking at a respray of the whole roof, surely? That's what I think you should be holding out for.

I just have bad memories of a respray job, admittedly 15 years ago. Are they 100% reliable now (in the sense there wont be future discolouration compared to the original after a few years) and of comparable quality to the original? Plus of course the inconvience of traveling 90 miles every round trip.

Edit: Just remembered the garage said they would collect the car for remedial work- but then you have to trust their driver to be careful as it's running in at the moment

A good bodyshop can respray well enough that you won't be able to tell. Listers in Coventry did some fairly major painting of my Audi and it was *perfect*.

I'd say a decent repair place/respray shop would have that looking 100%, especially as the rest of the paintwork is pretty new as well.

I'd insist on them picking the car up on a transporter. It's their problem, let them sort it out. They should be doing all they can, and be embarrassed that a new car was handed over with these sorts of issues. Have you got any pictures? (if not only to show us, but also as a record).

Steve

cjb and Wardy, thanks for the reassurance. There is a top quality bodyshop that is used for insurance repairs where I live so I may ask the garage if they can do it if it comes to a respray.

No photos yet and my wife goes to work fairly early in the mornings so will have to try tomorrow evening if possible.

See if you can find someone off this forum in your area to have a look at it and give you a definitive answer as to whether it will polish out.

Stay as far away from the blue stuff as possible! If you can avoid a bodyshop that would be preferable on a brand new car.

Or reject it and ask for another one!

Reject on a Ltd Ed may prove tricky though, simply because of its limited nature and the trouble people seem to be having on actually getting them delivered...

Steve

Scratches are not on the options list!

The dealer has shown itself up on this one. Very poor indeed.

It would shock you how many brand new cars have paint done before going out. My uncles bodyshop will have half a dozen per week ranging from Merc to Kia.

There is a top quality bodyshop that is used for insurance repairs

that is often a contradiction. Insurance work is often cheap,high volume, low quality, slap-dash stuff.

You shouldn't have to do any leg work on this one, the dealer should be taking every aspect of this on board.

As for the whole getting it picked up on a transporter......please!! It's a Skoda not a Rolls.

As for the whole getting it picked up on a transporter......please!! It's a Skoda not a Rolls.

Ive never owned a car from brand new, but if I did, and had problems straight away I wouldnt want someone else driving it (same applies to my 5yr old car) and most certainly wouldnt want miles being added onto it. Especially if the dealer is a fair distance away and the paint shop is a fair distance away. For a low spec car I would agree that the transporter would be silly - but this isnt a low spec car, this is skoda's flagship model, a ltd edition (from what Ive picked up) vrs.

Reject on a Ltd Ed may prove tricky though, simply because of its limited nature and the trouble people seem to be having on actually getting them delivered...

It's not the point, you buy something that is damaged, you take it back. No difference here in my opinion.

If they can't offer you a replacement then get a refund, then buy a black nearly new one and get the seats retrimmed in leather

I had the same scratshes on the roof of my 1st vRS, the dealer said they had happened on the transporter. They looked bad but the dealer head polished out perfectly. I was very anal about it and for weeks later checked the roof in all different lighting conditions but couldn't spot any trace!!

It's not the point, you buy something that is damaged, you take it back. No difference here in my opinion.

If they can't offer you a replacement then get a refund, then buy a black nearly new one and get the seats retrimmed in leather

Yes, I know that's not the point. All I was pointing out is that the original poster could have the situation where they're 'cutting your nose to spite your face', if the dealer can't offer another Limited Edition!

And then having the position where you have to find another 'nearly new' vRS puts a completely different spin on things.

It might actually be the case that these scratches can be removed by machine polishing.

Steve

I picked up my vrs058 last week and when giving it its first wash i also found a scratch 1" long and a couple mm wide down to the paint, its on the back door seal right in the corner of the door, you wood only notice it if you were looking down and in the corner. Also i have got the rust marks on the vrs seal both of which i did not order!. I have rang the dealers and they said they would look at it this week and go from there, thing is i never noticed it untill the weekend so where do i stand from the dealers point of view?:confused:

Cheers

After grafting with a tooth brush and WD40 and polishes on the brown marks I've got rid of 90% and is now acceptable - provided there is no corrosion.

I've worked on the scratches with various polishes I've collected over the last 25 years and they are much better, you really have to look for them now and I don't think I would have noticed them in the state they are now. I could have tried rejecting and may have done if it were not for it being a ltd ed. I rejected a washing machine after 4 months last year so usually fight for my rights. For a car (dwallis) it is the sooner the better. Some magazines say within 2 weeks is best.

Anyway, my wife doesn't want to reject because of all the hassle and potential problems that may ensue. The garage has agreed that if the scratches deteriorate or the foot plate corrodes, they will be properly dealt with e.g. respray or whatever and replacement plates. I do have these problems signed by them that they were there before we drove the car. As my wife says, in a couple of weeks there will be chip marks etc. As reimbursement for my hard work I have asked for some freebies. Yes it is disappointing but I have had cars in the past where within a few weeks have had dints in teh side due to careless people in supermarket car parks. I now parks away from others. Thanks for all the input. If things go worse I will report what teh garage does (or doesn't do).