Bentley Flying Spurs Let The Rain In...
The Bentley Flying Spur above was purchased from Jack Barclay, part of H.R. Owen. It was cherished, serviced by Bentley, and driven just 37,000 miles from new – until it died.
In summer 2023 we returned from vacation to find that the car had soaking wet carpets and would not start, despite having been safely parked with doors, windows and sunroof properly locked and alarmed.
H.R.Owen said rainwater had severely damaged the car and it would be very costly to repair. Astonished, we looked online and found many other Bentley owners reporting that their cars had also been damaged by rain - see links at bottom of page.
When we pointed out to H.R. Owen that this seemed to be a well known design flaw, as evidenced by the comments on the multiple public forums listed below, they did not seem at all surprised.
"Water is not draining away through the drains and is just filling up in the plenum area under the screen and entering the car through the HVAC seals which has caused the saturation inside the car.""
- Service Department, H.R. Owen
The Gory Details
H.R.Owen engineer report sums up the issue:
I checked the body drains under the windscreen and found water is not draining away through the drains and is just filling up in the plenum area under the screen and entering the car through the HVAC seals which has caused the saturation inside the car.
I have gained access to the KESSY module which is the alarm and immobiliser on the car. This module is sitting completely covered by water, the water has entered the module and completely corroded the modules circuits. Some of the terminals in the wiring to the module are also corroded. I have gained access to some connectors called CAN headers in the rear footwell. These are also heavily corroded by the sitting water.
The first thing we need to do to this car is completely remove the front seats and remove the saturated front and rear carpets and dry them out. We then need to check any other wiring and modules that are sitting in the water and make sure they are not water damaged. We then need to replace the KESSY module, replace the damaged CAN headers and renew the corroded wiring. Then code the new KESSY module to the car and align the keys, recharge the batteries then see if we can get the car to run.
If the car does not run we will then have to check for any further damage that may have been caused by the water. If the car does run we will then have to completely remove the dashboard from the car then completely remove the HVAC unit from the car to gain access to the blocked drains and clean them out completely along with the plenum area. Once clean replace the seals on the HVAC, clean the sunroof drains then refit the dashboard to the car then carry out a full functional check and road test of the car.
Seeking Justice
We contacted Jack Barclay, to say it was unacceptable to sell us a car without warning us that the car could not be left out in the rain. We pointed out that Bentley had also failed to warn us on the multiple times that they had serviced the car. We suggested they should cover the repair cost. They flatly refused and asked us to take the car away:
“We kindly request that you advise us of your intention regarding collection. As your Bentley was recovered, and therefore not currently in a driveable state, we can look into transportation options for you if this would help.”
- Jack Barclay
The Customer Is Always Wrong
Despite letters from our lawyers, neither Jack Barclay nor H.R.Owen nor Bentley Motors was willing to do the right thing. So we must revert to the courts of law and public opinion. If you feel this injustice as keenly as we do, or simply want to know how the world’s largest car manufacturer could allow this, we invite you to contact members of the Management Board of Volkswagen AG.
The Board
Dr. Arno Antlitz
Thomas Schmall-von Westerholz
Dr. Oliver Blume
Dr. Manfred Döss
Gunnar Kilian
Gernot Döllner
Ralf Brandstätter
Thomas Schäfer
Consumer
Protection
Here’s a summary of the relevant protections under UK law which we must now rely upon:
The Consumer Rights Act 2015
The consumer rights act is particularly relevant in this case. It states that goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for a particular purpose, and as described. If a car dealer or manufacturer knowingly sells a vehicle with a design flaw without revealing it, they are in violation of this Act.
The car is not of satisfactory quality if it has a design flaw. Furthermore, the car is not as described if the seller has not disclosed the flaw. A customer who purchases such a car has the right to a repair, replacement, or possibly a partial or full refund, depending on the circumstances.
Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
Additionally, under the Consumer Protection regulations, it is considered an unfair practice to omit material information, such as a design flaw, which the average consumer needs to make an informed decision. This could also lead to a right to unwind the deal, or a discount or damages.
After many months of trying and failing to get satisfaction from H.R. Owen we decided to share this story as a caution to others who may be considering buying one of these cars.
You can follow the links below to explore online forums where other unfortunate Bentley owners discuss this same design flaw.
If you would like more details on the facts of this matter please email Bentleytub@gmail.com
Further Information
Seemingly Known Design Flaw
Many Bentley owners have taken to online discussions to try and help them resolve issues of water ingress into their Flying Spurs. Click the links below to explore the subject in some of the many online forums we found:
