Fieldskr

I recently purchased a '02 SLK320 from my local Cadillac dealership. Vehicle has remaining 4yr/50K mile warranty left. One owner vehicle, bought and kept in Florida. Prior to purchase, I did notice a small amount of rust located on the underside of the hood just in front of the hood latch. I was not overly concerned because of the warranty, and also because I had a paint issue on my '03 E320, and the MB dealership corrected the problem with no questions asked.

To try and make a long story short, the MB dealership is now, in my opinion "stonewalling" me on the paint issue with the SLK320. In their opinion, the hood has been exposed to some unknown corrosive liquid, hence the damage. My simple, but rather logical argument consists of the basic law of gravity. What goes up, must come down. The metalic parts, both painted and un-painted located directly below the rust areas are in absolutely pristine condition.

I managed to garner a face-to-face with the Service Manager. He started inspecting the vehicle, and agreed the vehicle had never been damaged in an accident, nor had any accidents ever been reported. He also agreed the vehicle has been well maintained by the previous owners. Upon closer inspection, other areas of the vehicle were found to have corrosion issues. The A-Pillar on drivers side in two places, area around the antenna, and a couple areas on the trunk deck. All areas that I, nor my Service Advisor initially saw. Still, with this additional evidence of paint failure, the Service Manager refuses to make the call regarding repair under warranty, and is wanting to get the "MB Regional Manager" involved.

Now that I have given as brief of a history as I could, my ultimate question is this. Is my factory paint and corrosion warranty null and void because the vehicle has "lived" in Florida. The Service Manager made a slight implication during our visit that he was able to get a more complete history on the vehicle that I was through CarFax and the NavStar report. He told me the couple who owned the vehicle prior to me lived in St. Augustine, FL (a beach community). I did read the warranty booklet from cover to cover, and no referrance was made to the fact that living in a beach community would void your warranty. It does however state that misuse or a lack of proper car care could void the warranty. This vehicle is 99.9% flawless, and has had no major mechanical issues. Just a few paint issues in various locations. I need some insight as to what I'm up against, and what my recourse would be other than my own out of pocket expense if the Regional Manager rules against my favor. Thanks in advance for your help and comments.

mleskovar

It should still be under the rust warranty so what's the issue with any dealer not honoring it? Talk to the Regional manager.