📓 Journals Scoates' Magma Red Emira

[scoates]

Checked the drain holes, no water coming out of them but it did feel damp inside with a slight water droplet on my finger when I took it out. When I did this checking the bottom of the door where the drain holes are I spotted more bubbling down there as well...

 

[Porter]

Checked the drain holes, no water coming out of them but it did feel damp inside with a slight water droplet on my finger when I took it out. When I did this checking the bottom of the door where the drain holes are I spotted more bubbling down there as well...

This is awful. Either you have entirely defective door panel material, or these cars possibly have a design defect in the water drain system to get water out of the door cavity. Every car collects water there due to the nature of a roll-down window, and every manufacturer comes up with a strategy to get the moisture out.

 

[kitkat]

This is awful. Either you have entirely defective door panel material, or these cars possibly have a design defect in the water drain system to get water out of the door cavity. Every car collects water there due to the nature of a roll-down window, and every manufacturer comes up with a strategy to get the moisture out.

Why can’t it be both? This really is becoming an issue of when not if.

If Lotus doesn’t approach this with a TSB, what are we doing? Drilling holes?

 

[Porter]

Why can’t it be both? This really is becoming an issue of when not if.

Right but you get what I'm saying, this type of composite material is always going to absorb a little bit of moisture if there's no effective drain. You can't fill something like that with water and let it sit for days or weeks and not expect some issues. The drain thing is a serious problem even without the paint issue.

 

[VL3X]

If Lotus doesn’t approach this with a TSB, what are we doing? Drilling holes?

They literally told an early buyer to do just that. I don't think it was scoates, but didn't someone have an issue with water getting into the hatch and freezing? Lotus told them to drill a hole in it to let the water drain.

 

[VL3X]

They literally told an early buyer to do just that. I don't think it was scoates, but didn't someone have an issue with water getting into the hatch and freezing? Lotus told them to drill a hole in it to let the water drain.

It was @ott - See their post about it here.

Temporary fix as advised by Lotus is to drill drain hole. Lets see how long it takes for new hatch to be delivered ?

 

[kitkat]

It was @ott - See their post about it here.

I had forgotten about that — that’s wild.

We’re just gonna have to end up drilling extra holes and stuffing silca desiccant packets in there.

 

[Go Kart]

I swear the more negative aspects of this roll out I read makes me want to veto my wife’s patience for this car in our garage.

She wants a fun manual car though, so there aren’t many options out there… and I doubt she’d want anything else at this point.

 

[scoates]

This is awful. Either you have entirely defective door panel material, or these cars possibly have a design defect in the water drain system to get water out of the door cavity. Every car collects water there due to the nature of a roll-down window, and every manufacturer comes up with a strategy to get the moisture out.

On the bottom of the door there seemed to be 3 holes, one nearest the front of the door which is also the furthest down where water would drain there was no plug in the hole so should allow water out, the others had rubber plugs which I removed and that is where I felt the slight moisture. The whole base of the door was wet and dirty as it forms the top of the air duct but I'm sure some of the moisture came from the inside rather than the outside...

 

[scoates]

View attachment 40709
I swear the more negative aspects of this roll out I read makes me want to veto my wife’s patience for this car in our garage.

She wants a fun manual car though, so there aren’t many options out there… and I doubt she’d want anything else at this point.

As a fun manual car I still maintain there isn't anything better out there for driving feel and engagement that you can still buy new. My car was one of the earliest so it is possible a lot of these issues have been solved, but as time goes on I'm likely to discover more as an early buyer. It doesn't bother me too much, but it is the response, or lack thereof, from the dealers with regards to fixing it that is getting more and more difficult to tolerate.

 

[scoates]

Just gave the car its first proper wash of the year and wow it was bad... Paint blistering on BOTH rear quarter panels as well as the driver door and also paint cracking along the edge of the left hand side rear quarter panel where it meets the boot lid. Not too happy...

I've been in touch with Lotus Customer Care directly, bypassing the dealer, asking to escalate the issue further to hopefully get a resolution. It is getting to the point where I feel it will need to go back to Hethel for a new body and a rebuild!

 

[Wonza]

Just gave the car its first proper wash of the year and wow it was bad... Paint blistering on BOTH rear quarter panels as well as the driver door and also paint cracking along the edge of the left hand side rear quarter panel where it meets the boot lid. Not too happy...

I've been in touch with Lotus Customer Care directly, bypassing the dealer, asking to escalate the issue further to hopefully get a resolution. It is getting to the point where I feel it will need to go back to Hethel for a new body and a rebuild!

Reject it. A lot of us with the blisters have already done so. Don’t take this BS. Down the line, it will only get worse.

 

[kitkat]

Just gave the car its first proper wash of the year and wow it was bad... Paint blistering on BOTH rear quarter panels as well as the driver door and also paint cracking along the edge of the left hand side rear quarter panel where it meets the boot lid. Not too happy...

I've been in touch with Lotus Customer Care directly, bypassing the dealer, asking to escalate the issue further to hopefully get a resolution. It is getting to the point where I feel it will need to go back to Hethel for a new body and a rebuild!

This is insane, they just need to buy back the car at this point.

 

[Go Kart]

Your particular car is lemon. I’d reject the car and cut your losses.

 

[scoates]

Definitely considering rejecting it, but not sure if I can since I've had it since Nov 22. If I can reject it for full refund then ideal, or exchange for a new one, or back to factory for rebuild. Any of those would be good options. But if I rejected it now and they gave me only a partial refund since I've had it for so long then I'd rather they repair it.

 

[Beardedbradley]

Lotus need to sort this asap. If a factory return is the option then a replacement courtesy Emira is required as correction to your car my take some time…..its the least than can do and Im sure they have plenty of orphaned stock to give you.

 

[Wonza]

Definitely considering rejecting it, but not sure if I can since I've had it since Nov 22. If I can reject it for full refund then ideal, or exchange for a new one, or back to factory for rebuild. Any of those would be good options. But if I rejected it now and they gave me only a partial refund since I've had it for so long then I'd rather they repair it.

For your information. I got most of my money back, nearly one year old. Depends on mileage. Or you could ask for a replacement vehicle if you wish.

 

[scoates]

Since my last post nothing has happened on the rejection front. I emailed the escalations team stating I want a new car or a refund and then it just so happens that the part I've been waiting 5 months for miraculously appears at the dealer two days later...

Giving them one last chance, booked the car in to have all the mechanical and trim issues sorted. They're going to have the car for 3 weeks so it better be sorted when I collect it! What has surprised me though is they have also told me that the parts are in to have the door AND both rear quarter panels replaced so that is getting done while it is in as well, so should be car completely sorted and good to go? Nope, just last week paint bubbling on the boot lid. It is on back order so won't be possible to replace this time... Only bumpers, front wings, roof and bonnet to go and it's a whole new body!

On the plus side though I've been given a lovely DV Emira as a courtesy car. It was bliss driving back home and being able to use the cruise control on the motorway and to not be sweating and deaf as the AC works in the courtesy car and my fans only blow hot and I needed the windows down to stay cool!

 

[kitkat]

Since my last post nothing has happened on the rejection front. I emailed the escalations team stating I want a new car or a refund and then it just so happens that the part I've been waiting 5 months for miraculously appears at the dealer two days later...

Giving them one last chance, booked the car in to have all the mechanical and trim issues sorted. They're going to have the car for 3 weeks so it better be sorted when I collect it! What has surprised me though is they have also told me that the parts are in to have the door AND both rear quarter panels replaced so that is getting done while it is in as well, so should be car completely sorted and good to go? Nope, just last week paint bubbling on the boot lid. It is on back order so won't be possible to replace this time... Only bumpers, front wings, roof and bonnet to go and it's a whole new body!

On the plus side though I've been given a lovely DV Emira as a courtesy car. It was bliss driving back home and being able to use the cruise control on the motorway and to not be sweating and deaf as the AC works in the courtesy car and my fans only blow hot and I needed the windows down to stay cool!

View attachment 47971

Man how is every single composite panel on your car blistering, insanity. I hope they get you squared away quickly.

 

[scoates]

Just noticed something mildly interesting on the courtesy car. The boot lid is all body colour right under the glass to where it ends and goes into the engine bay. My car is only body colour up to just under the glass then becomes a black plastic the same as the underneath material of the boot lid. I wonder when that change occurred? Made no difference to the bubbling though...