I have a Roadster, which was bought fairly recently, that had the top replaced (albeit with a second hand one) by the dealer.
It leaks … around the back - long story - wont go into it. I was told by the dealer that all soft-tops leak - to which I responded with some incredulity. I have checked with a Mazda service agent - who contradict the dealer. Its now the subject of a legal case.
But who is right.
Someone today told me that - Yes - all soft-tops leak - he has a VW that leaks. The legal advice I’ve received tends to suggest I have a case - BUT - what would be the concensus out there ??
This could cost me my arm and part of my leg - if it goes the distance and backfires.
Thanks for reading this - and and any responses greatfully accepted (Yaes or Naes)
They sometimes drip where the two seals meet above the side window, but a leak at the back is usually a cracked or (more likely in this case) missing rain rail. Incompetent monkeys who don’t understand MX-5s sometimes leave it out when fitting a new hood because it doesn’t look important, but it catches all the water and diverts it to the drain holes.
They shouldnt leak if fitted properly and the hood is, if not genuine Mazda, at least of good design. I fitted a really cheap one to my dads 1991 Black V-spec in the summer and have since sold his hard-top as it is no longer needed as the soft top does the job perfectly.
So now we have two old Eunos`s that are dry as a bone inside…
Sounds as if the rain rail around the back may be fitted in the wrong order, although im not quite sure how anyone could get it wrong.
Is it vinyl or mohair? there are different treatments available to ensure water-tightness of the fabric, I regularly spray any mating surfaces, seals to head-rail, seals to glass, zip etc with a really cheap Lidl W5 silicone spray, which works really well.
I used to have an Espace that used to leak from both sunroof seals like a sieve until i discovered Lidl.
Agree totally with Taff. I have had to stop driving because the rain has been so hard that I could not see to safely proceed, yet remained completely dry inside my five. The roof on the five is famous for its strength and resistance to water ingress, if in good condition and correctly fitted.
Another one who thinks they should not leak, having recently self fitted a new one …not a drop.
Just out of interest where is the water gathering, along the rear carpet or in the footwell area? reason I ask is I had to adjust one of the seals above the drivers door in order to get a good seal.
mine don’t leak, and fitted right, it might start getting past the roof door glass seal due to age and wear and tear and the pillar to windscreen frame/1/4 light seal but I’m talking years down the line, the most common place is the rain rail if a new roof as been fitted with no care and blocked drainage channels.
My old soft top didn’t leak, and it was held together with bits of tape.
I’d suggest that getting a new soft top fitted by someone who knows what they are doing will not only fix your leaks, but it will be significantly cheaper than using lawyers to stop the leak.
Lawyers don’t fix problems, they make money from them. What you need is an engineer.
Unless you are 110% sure you will win a case against the garage, back away and get a new hood. It may stick in your throat, but if you loose and the bloke awards costs against you, you may have to sell the car to pay them
If you were to write to every manufacturer of soft tops and of every convertible and ask them to state that their products leak what would the answer be? Your question isn’t daft, as someone has stated the dealer is trying to fob you off with that line that ‘all soft tops leak’ - Unless your dealer is an expert on both those things he may have just shot himself in the foot
If the dealer has replaced the top - then the onus is on him to have replaced it with one that doesn’t leak due to faulty product or fitting. Take advice from trading standards and stick it to him, you ought to mention his reputation could be sullied by bad press - bet you could get loads of people from this site alone to state that their tops don’t leak…how many would you need to convince a judge?
Hi Pete - Have just had a new mohair soft top fitted by Mazmania and it is as dry as a bone inside the car even though we have just had some really heavy rain. My previous hood was about 7/8 years old and was leaking badly around the window seals but it turned out that when it was fitted they had not bothered installing the “Tensioning Cables”. If you end up fitting a new hood make sure you get it done by a reputable company.
If you have legal cover on your home insurance policy you could ring them and ask for their advice on a contractual dispute…just something that may be of help.
I bumped into an old friend today and asked her if she still had her MK 1 MX5… she said no but she loved it and went on to say “the trouble with MX5’s is they leak” I replied “mine doesn’t”
Of course they leak if they have holes in or are not properly fitted or the window seals are failing. I was lucky in that I was told mine needed a new hood before I bought the car. … it had big holes in it!
Humungus (is that a word ?) Thanks to a of ye ALL for your replies.
As a brief note - The car was not bought as seen - as - yes - the dealer would have an ‘out’ if it were. I have been in touch with our consumer agency in Ireland and the Registrar of our Small Claims Court - both of whom have said that I have a case. It was actually the registrar who advised me to get my own solicitor involved.
And, yes, as soon as I realised there was a leak - I pulled out the carpet covers behind the seats to view the back of the roof from the inside. White sealant had been applied (not cleanly) between the roof and body. This I’m guessing at - cos when the Mazda service people saw it - they wouldnt touch it for fear of tearing the roof.
Your comments have served to reassure me (thanks again) as, the longer this drags out, the more one begins to wonder about the accuracy of your convictions.
I am definatly gonna go the distance with this - I suspect this guy is going to take it all the way to the steps of the court (call my bluff) - and then (maybe) take the car back, as the cost of replacement, by a dealer, is almost as much as I paid for the car.
Which leaves me in a bit of a limbo - cos I want to put a bit of cash into it to do it up etc - but cant pending the outcome.
