Its not just Mercedes that rust!

[KillerHERTZ]

Was parked up next to a R-Reg BMW 740i before, all 4 arches looked like they came off a W210, the bootlid had blistering, fuel cap door aswell.

Also, theres a X reg Audi A4 around here that has 1 terrible rear arch aswell.

I still find it amazing that cars these days still have this trouble, anyone spotted any other marques in a bad state (recent cars that is?)

 

[verytalldave]

Being gracious, it COULD have lived most of life by the sea and suffered from salt corrosion. Cars in and around Gorleston (near my old auntie) on the Norfolk coast always look older than similar cars in london.

 

[grayb]

I suspect that the Audi must have been damaged at some point, as they have been galvanised for many years...

 

[Dieselman]

Beemers have had some corrosion problems since switching to water based paints. I was shown a beautiful, incredibly well looked after 5 series that was going in for a new boot lid. it had rust coming through the lower seam from the inside.

 

[st4]

Beemers have had some corrosion problems since switching to water based paints. I was shown a beautiful, incredibly well looked after 5 series that was going in for a new boot lid. it had rust coming through the lower seam from the inside.

I saw an E46 Y reg 3 series and paint was bubbling on the wheel arch. My BMW's boot hinge bolts had corroded in 3 years so its not unknown.

 

[Dieselman]

The E39, 5 series estates, have real problems on the tailgates, they all rot badly.

 

[st4]

The E39, 5 series estates, have real problems on the tailgates, they all rot badly.

Is it because the galvanising is "wearing off" (can't think of a better expression) or are they galvanised at all.

Why not use the oil based paints and galvanise and to hell with the ecofriendliness of it all. Surely a car that lasts longer is better in the long run anyway.

 

[Dieselman]

Older car paints were not oil based, they were solvent based and very enviro unfriendly and toxic when being applied.

Continuing to use them really wasn't a good idea.

 

[Inkyskin]

Vauxhalls. All the recent'ish ones round here seem to be rust buckets

 

[Dieselman]

Vauxhalls. All the recent'ish ones round here seem to be rust buckets

I'm surprised to hear that. Some of my collegues run Vx and none of them are rusty, even with damage.
I recently had chance to measure the paint on a neighbours and found the factory coat to be 180-185 microns. that's nearly double the thickness of an MB paint coat.

 

[Inkyskin]

These are mainly astra's that I see - most don't seem to be holding up well at all... The newer vectra's and things seem to be doing better though.

 

[Dieselman]

The car I measured was a Nastra Coupe. Not a spot of rust, and not even many chips.

 

[colinallcars]

My '03 BMW E39 Touring needed a new tailgate at 18 months old - water gathers in the channel under the glass and the corners rot. My wife's E46 'vert of the same age needed the whole front resprayed after only 10K miles - you just had to look at it and it chipped!

After much arguing, both were done under warranty but the dealer response to both issues was "never seen that before ........"

 

[Adam230K]

I think it all depends on your luck... (touch wood) My c230k is completely free of rust, i can see a mm of rust starting to creep up on the bootlock though. My old c200 was completely flawless too, and we didnt do anything in particular to look after it as such.

 

[nullogik]

Also surprised to hear about Vauxhalls. The Vectra "B" model (1995-2002) are holding up well from what I've seen, despite being thrashed as rep-mobiles and minicabs. The only rust I've seen on them has been from damage that has been left untreated.

They certainly shame a lot of Mercedes from that same time period, namely rusting W202 and W210 models.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

If you have experience of older cars you'll agree that new or newer cars hardly rust at all. I've owned cars that have rusted at a ferocious rate, mainly Italian and British Leyland.
I recall VW Beetles going through a bad patch (aircool ones that is) where at some date, 1971 I think, they stopped using good old German metal and bought cheap stuff from British Steel!

I live by the sea and certainly knew it on older cars but I've not seen a seriously rusty car for years.

An abused car will always deteriorate faster than a well looked after car of any manufacturer.

 

[verytalldave]

Who remembers Vauxhalls from circa 1956ish right up to the Mk1 Astras? Specially the 1960's.
You would just get out the 12 month warranty period and the dreaded rust would spring into action.
Not like the little, isolated pockets of rust we tend to get nowadays, but whole wings and doors rotting way before your very eyes.

 

[Ted]

These are mainly astra's that I see - most don't seem to be holding up well at all... The newer vectra's and things seem to be doing better though.

Judge for yourselves
My current runabout

No rust here.......

Even the alloys show no sign of corrosion unlike my SLK.

1996, 12 months MOT, 6 months tax, recent full service, EVERYTHING works (including aircon)......... £500

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I'm surprised to hear that. Some of my collegues run Vx and none of them are rusty, even with damage.

Only recent Vauxhall - produced in last 10 years - to suffer with rust is the pre-facelift Omega. Other than that they stand up well.

I recently had chance to measure the paint on a neighbours and found the factory coat to be 180-185 microns. that's nearly double the thickness of an MB paint coat.

Lemme guess. He paused for a nano second to check for traffic before pulling out of the drive??!!

 

[Will]

I think Vauxhalls do ok generally for rust (very well compared to MB, as we know...)

But I have seen quite a few older Vectras (mid-late 90s, so I guess around 10 years old) with rusty bootlids.

Will