Caddy High Level Brake Light Cracking

[wai]

i just checked mine and it has small cracks all through it. its harder to see them because i used Nightshade paint to tint all rear lights but they are there. must be a flawed design not suitable for aussie sun perhaps ?

No, not the sun, just a flawed design, and it is actually the cold that causes the failure.

The light is designed with a mounting piece an lens and an LED strip. They all clip together and are mounted via the mounting strip.

Unfortunately, the mounting strip is EXTREMELY flexible, and the assembly appears rock solid because the mounting strip hooks into the lens.

Next, the lens mounting surface is flat, however the door/tailgate mounting area is curved. When it is installed, the tendency is to make it sit flush all around. This load is not taken by the mounting strip, but by the lens. The lens is permanently under stress.

Now all you need is some cold weather, and the hooks on the mounting strip pull down hard at either end (there are 3 hooks at each end). This causes the lens to crack in the middle, and then as it fails, the load is put on the ends which also develop cracks.

When all this happens, large parts fail at the mounting hooks and end up in the door cavity.

The lens is simply NOT designed for these loads. Even doing the screws up finger tight will see the lens crack. The only way to try and reduce the incidence of cracking would be to replace the light just finger tight on the coldest of cold nights where the Caddy, the light and the screws were all at the near zero temperature. Even then it is not guaranteed.

The thing is that VAG, VGA, and EVERY dealer around the world will know this is a problem, but they keep using the light because it generated revenue. If you get it done in Australia by a dealer, look at something approaching $200 (this is what I was quoted). If you import the light, it will be something under $50, plus your time to remove the cracked one and fit the new one. If you have a tailgate, you will need a stubby phillips head screwdriver. Then if you do not want to hear all the bits rolling around every time you go around a corner, you will have to remove the trim panel, vacuum out the remains and then re-fit the trim panel. Remember, this will have to be done every 6 to 12 months, depending on when you replace it.

I have a few days to kill, so I'm going to send the information to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport and the ACCC.

All the while, this light is covered by ADR60!

[wai]

Things have been hectic, and was only able to get to a dealer this afternoon at lunch time.

As I went to leave from my client's offices, there was a tradie who had a Caddy Maxi (Mk 3). As he was standing by his Caddy, I went up to talk to him. I asked him how many times he had replaced his brake light, and he said "never". He never had reason to check the brake light. I told him that it was designed to fail so we went to the back of his Caddy, and you guessed it, it was cracked. Nothing too drastic, but there was a clear brake across the middle, and cracking at both lower corners. He was extremely ticked off. After all, he had no reason to thing it would have cracked, and he had no idea as to how long it had been cracked.

He is going to take it up with VW Group Australia.

The dealer who inspected it was also surprised, but the thing is that there is no reason why anyone would even think of checking it. After all, it is assumed that such units have been designed properly, and that short of suffering impact damage, it should be OK for the life of the vehicle.

So, it is beginning to look like there are two types of Caddy around...those who have had their brake lights crack, and those who will have their brake lights crack.

So, if you do have a Caddy, check your brake light. If you know someone who has a Caddy, then get them to check their brake light.

So far, I have a 100% "success" rate, and it covers both those with a tailgate and those with barn doors.

[fmflex]

Hi Wai

How did you go with this dealing with VW Australia?

I checked mine again today and its not cracked as far as I can tell though it's only 18 months old.

[wai]

Hi Wai

How did you go with this dealing with VW Australia?

I checked mine again today and its not cracked as far as I can tell though it's only 18 months old.

Both the dealer and VW Australia have now gone very quiet after initially appearing keen and eager to help resolve things. It is now just short of a month since the vehicle was inspected, and a report provided to VW Australia which could not find any external impact to have cracked it, however nothing from either since. I have tried to call both, but no one seems to be available. I have tried telephone and e-mail.

Looks like they are ignoring things and hoping it will go away.

I am pushing because if it was a clear cut case of accident damage, I would have been told as much by now. It would not take just under a month to do this.

[Tonz]

Dept of Fair Trading/ Consumer Affairs etc maybe???

[wai]

Dept of Fair Trading/ Consumer Affairs etc maybe???

That is next, and I will have 2 examples of failed units. The problem is that I have to buy one (to be done today), as they want the physical items.

Oh, and it will not be just the ACCC, but it will be the Department of Infrastructure and Transport as this is an ADR60 item.

[Skoda VW]

Just checked my wife's Caddy Maxi Life and it has cracked in the bottom RH corner.

[wai]

Just checked my wife's Caddy Maxi Life and it has cracked in the bottom RH corner.

Sorry to hear.

Unfortunately, VW and its dealers have their collective heads in the sand or up....

Order a replacement from one of the eBay sellers. Before you fit it, you need to modify the black mounting piece.

There are 10 "hooks" that attach it to the red lens. You only need the four in the middle to hold it. The one at each end and the two on the long sides at each end need to be clipped off. You only need to clip the hook piece, and not it entirely.

Now when you install it, you need to apply a very small amount of silicone sealer on to the mounting surface and then fix the screws that hold it in place. You will hear the modified hooks sliding past the lens as you do up the screws. They need to be really loose. Tape them over to stop them coming out entirely.

It's not the best, but it does stop water getting into the door cavity.

[Lams]

I'd suggest trying another dealer for a warranty claim.

Both my 07 and 11 Caddys had these brake lights replaced about 12 months into ownership. The one on the 07 is still good (the 11 is long gone)

[wai]

I'd suggest trying another dealer for a warranty claim.

Both my 07 and 11 Caddys had these brake lights replaced about 12 months into ownership. The one on the 07 is still good (the 11 is long gone)

I had been in touch with VW Australia. They asked me to nominate the dealer for the inspection which I did (Alto VW in Blacktown). The light was inspected and it was acknowledged by the dealer that it had not been hit by something, however they had to get it approved by VW Australia. That's where it ended.

The dealer has not returned calls, or responded to e-mails, and neither has VW Australia. They know that if I do not want water int the tailgate cavity, I was going to have to do something myself.

VW. A great brand ruined by a pathetic dealer network and VW Australia!

[Skoda VW]

Had a knock back on warranty claim from VW dealer. Apparently it has been hit.

[wai]

Had a knock back on warranty claim from VW dealer. Apparently it has been hit.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14051[/ATTACH]

No, its not been hit. It it had been hit, there would have been scuff marks, and there would have been an indentation. The surrounding panel work would also have been damaged.

This is the problem. VW simply ignore customers, yet they have to replace them in the holding yards, and even the dealers know about this as they get a new lamp to be fitted immediately prior to sale.

It's amazing how they have been hit and it always impacts just the light and NEVER the surrounding panel work!

[Skoda VW]

Had VW Customer Care call me about this issue today. Got the official company line and "It is not a known defect" and that they won't act on photos. Need to take the car to a dealer for inspection....but it has already been there so there is no point.

[wai]

Had VW Customer Care call me about this issue today. Got the official company line and "It is not a known defect" and that they won't act on photos. Need to take the car to a dealer for inspection....but it has already been there so there is no point.

Same line spun to me in December 2014. The dealer inspected it and confirmed that it was not impact damage, but nothing was done, and all attempts to find out what the status has yielded nothing.

Yeah..."not a known defect". Their own inventory records would prove otherwise. Imagine this. Of all the cars sold with external high level brake lights, the VW Caddy is the only one which has such a large number of spare parts sold. Of course it is a "known defect".

I was driving back from site through Campbelltown and there was a nice dark blue Maxi Life 2.0 litre TDI where the lower right corner had broken away completely exposing the rubber gasket. Unfortunately, the owner is probably completely unaware of the cracked light.

The only way is for affected owners to act together. There is growing anger on the Caddy2k forum as well.

[Skoda VW]

Just saw a caddy at the servo while I was getting fuel and I asked the driver if he had noticed that his light was cracked. Told him of the issue and he has 10 caddys in his business. He is going to check all of them now and take the one he was driving to vw dealer.