The Rain Is A Pain & The Leaks Are At Their Peak!

June 23, 2009
By: Robert Silverman


Where is the sun?  Here in the Northeast, Mother Nature has cast a wet spell over us for most of June and the result is a tremendous number of water leak claims.  In many situations, the leak is stemming from clogged sunroof drains, so if you park under trees, make sure that your roof is free of all leaves and debris. In another scenario, accumulated condensation in your HVAC system may be the culprit, resulting in wet floors, mold and mildew.  As a public service, we are reposting some words of wisdom we originally posted last July.  If you find yourself weathered with a water leak, here is what you need to do:

**Make a service appointment with your dealership immediately. Make sure the service manager understands the severity of the situation.

**Try to track down where the leak or mildew scent is coming from. If you can point your service manager in the right direction, they may be able to fix it immediately. Also, let the service manager know when the scent is the strongest (i.e. when starting up the car, when turning on the heater to high, when turning on the rear defroster, when it rains.) The more information you can provide your service manager, the better!

**If the carpets or seats feel damp, make sure you bring this to the service manager’s attention.

**Make sure you receive a repair invoice outlining your problem and their solution. Do not let them mail the invoice. Have them print out the invoice when you pick up your car.

**If you still smell the fumes after your service, or if you still experience dampness, you need to bring the car back to an authorized dealership for another repair attempt. If you feel your dealership is not handling the problem correctly, take your car to another authorized manufacturers dealership.

**If your car is under manufacturer’s warranty, you should not have to pay any extra monies for treatments or ventilation services. This problem should be covered under both the original and extended manufacturer’s warranties. Plus, you should receive another repair invoice after each visit.

**If your car is under manufacturer’s warranty and you have given the manufacturer 3 or more chances to fix the problem, you can assert your rights to cost-free legal representation under State Lemon Laws or Federal Warranty Laws. Please contact us if we can provide any additional information.


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