a lot of rust on recent cars?

Soldato
Joined
22 Apr 2008
Posts
3,866
Location
Bryn Celyn Wales
Today, was walking through a car park in Chester and checking out some cars as you do... and it confirmed what I've been thinking lately that a lot of cars are getting rust and deteriorating a lot quicker than they should be? I know over the last 20 years, cars are different beasts now, but noticed on a lot of 53-56 plates, shed loads of corrosion and crud... for example... as I was walking through I noted around 5 cars...


  1. 54 Plate Mini - The front fog lights all rusted up and rust all over the front bumper... and the silver from inside the lights going weird
  2. 56 Plate Merc CL (something) - This had rust around the front wheel arch and also on the door sill?
Have to be honest, didn't really note the other cars but they were all what i class as newish cars and was really surprised to see rust on them, none older than a 04 plate. I myself have had to respray my rear door of my RX8 as there was corrosion on on the corner of it that I didn't want spreading to the rest fo the door... mine's an 06'.

So, question to you guys and gals, what's your opinion on the last decade of cars corrosion wise? Was I unlucky? Who knows, but I know there's a Chrysler 300C at work and that's got corrosion around the rear boot lid... I know this as I was looking at it as it's a fine looking car (for a big box), but was amazed to see rust.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
31 Dec 2005
Posts
4,869
Location
England
a reason for this could be the car has had accident repair damage and cheap spurious body panels used, theses are notourious for rusting quickly
 

GT3

GT3

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,205
Location
Chesterfield
Nothing, and I mean nothing rusts like a Mercedes commercial vehicle!

There is an 08 Sprinter down the road from me and no word of a lie there are massive rusty sections on every panel, it looks 20 years old!
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Oct 2002
Posts
21,453
Nothing, and I mean nothing rusts like a Mercedes commercial vehicle!

There is an 08 Sprinter down the road from me and no word of a lie there are massive rusty sections on every panel, it looks 20 years old!

Apart from a VW one.

I had a 55 plate lt35 165 from new, and while it undoubtedly had the best engine of any van I've driven, it also had the thinnest paint, within 6 months there was rust forming on the side and back doors, around the windscreen and on the bonnet.
I handed it back to the lease company and got a Merc instead.
 
Associate
Joined
15 Jan 2005
Posts
2,224
Location
Buckingham
Apart from a VW one.

I had a 55 plate lt35 165 from new, and while it undoubtedly had the best engine of any van I've driven, it also had the thinnest paint, within 6 months there was rust forming on the side and back doors, around the windscreen and on the bonnet.
I handed it back to the lease company and got a Merc instead.

Wouldn't have thought the Sprinter would fare much better, given that they are the same van.
 
Soldato
Joined
3 Jun 2005
Posts
5,365
Location
West Sussex
I have a bit of rust on my Fiat Sedici which is a 56 plate. Nothing wrong with the car except I hit the arch on a pillar and it knocked the paint off on the metal underneath.

It is only very surface and I must get in done soon.
 
Soldato
Joined
19 Oct 2002
Posts
16,407
Location
Shakespeare’s County
Sorry my wording was ****, meant that the rust from the lights was all over the bumpers and discolored. Whether the front fog lamps were cheapo ones, who knows...

The spot lamps on the grill or the fog lamps in the bumper?

a lot of the spot/driving lights on the grill are aftermarket with pretty poor chome coating which is then is a pretty abusive environment. Nothing to do with the initial design and spec of the car and even then its a simple bolt on part.
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Jun 2005
Posts
13,958
The reason you may see so many non rusty older cars is because owners have spent a hell of a lot of time looking after them

I doubt manufacturing processes have changed much at all between your 10 and 5 year old car
 
Soldato
Joined
18 May 2010
Posts
12,749
Not always true, the 8th gen civic rusts on the roof because there isn't enough protection from the weather seal between the roof and windscreen, the doors also arnt sealed properly causing rust to form where the paint is thin
 
Back
Top Bottom