Ford S-Max 2014 | rain water leaks

This S-Max is still leaking water from the bottom of the doors, despite somebody's previous attempt at repairing the leaks with a very generous amount of sealant.

We will remove the door cards and check out the door membranes and replace if need be. 

We are not surprised to find the rear air vents leaking, as they do on all makes of car over a certain age. We'll remove the rear bumper and replace these with new ones.

This Ford also has the issue of cracks appearing around the seams on the rear door hinges. Modern cars are usually spot welded and this doesn't create waterproof seams, so instead they apply a sealant along the seams and paint over it. Over time this can harden and shrink, so as the car flexes as it goes around corners, these seams can crack and let in water. The solution is straightforward, we will just apply new sealant over the top. 

The car isn't too wet, but it seems somebody has tackled some of the problems before and may well have attempted to dry the car. There is evidence that there has been water getting into the boot and running under the back carpets for a long time, and there is plenty of mould. 

Before we start work on a car, we decontaminate it with an antifungal and antimicrobial for exactly this reason. Otherwise, it isn't safe for us to work on; mould is a problem that needs to be taken seriously. Even so, we would recommend this car be cleaned and decontaminated properly, especially if it's used for the school run.