Bird droppings are destroying my paintwork and BMW rejected the warranty claim. What do you think?

I own a MINI Countryman - which I purchased new in September 2017. As well as the usual warranty, the paintwork is guaranteed for three years. The car is garaged and kept in pristine condition. Two weeks ago I noticed flaking of the paintwork on the leading edge of the roof. I took the car back to the dealer for inspection. Today they said the flaking was due to bird droppings and the claim has been rejected in its entirety, no good will offer. The quote to repair the paintwork is in the region of £800. In all the years that I have owned cars I have never seen that sort of result from the acidity in bird droppings. I have registered an official complaint with Mini Customer Services. I would appreciate your expert opinion on my problem as I feel let down by BMW.

Asked on 22 July 2020 by stewart h

Answered by Dan Powell

Bird droppings can easily and quickly damage a car's paintwork. No matter the make or model. The nitrogen in the bird dropping eats away at the paint and strips away the protective layers. If left untreated, it'll quickly corrode all the way to the base layer. All vehicles are susceptible to this (not just BMW) because carmakers use water-based paints (as opposed to the harmful lead-based paints from years ago). I do not think you will be able to hold MINI liable.

Tags: paintwork warranty claims

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