Corrosion.. already??

[passatpout]

Well, I've had the wagon for a month, and overall I'm pretty happy with it. I've done 1800km, a little short of the 2500 I need to do for my lease, but then I haven't done the Melbourne-Newcastle trip yet, and that's something that'll probably be done twice in the next 6 months. I've also only needed to fill it up twice.....

But... wait for it... it'll be going back to the dealer for its third warranty claim sometime next week (I hope)..

The first was because the cupholders in the rear armrest didn't work (they were jammed in the armrest).

The second was because the remote boot release button in the driver's door isn't working (checked on Wednesday, controller defective, part on back-order and now waiting for it to arrive and be replaced).

And the third.. I opened the bonnet on Wednesday night, to notice that 6 out of 8 socket-head cap screws along the top of the quarter panels, running on the bonnet upper side rail, have started to corrode. The only ones that aren't corroding are the ones between the upper seal and the windscreen..

I was wondering if anyone else has had the same problem and what the response has been like from VW. I've told the dealer about it (when they called to say the boot controller was on back order), and they've promised to look at it when it goes back, but I'm a bit concerned about it, considering the hoopla made about the corrosion resistance of the body, Euro car, salt grit on the roads over there, etc, etc. Build date for the car is October 07, first registered in July 08, and I collected it in September.

I'll get some happy snaps of it and post them. It looks like the bolts have been tensioned after painting (and probably before shipping), thus breaking the paint seal and with a few weeks exposure to sea air...

Cheers,

AP

[R36 Dreamer]

Well, I've had the wagon for a month, and overall I'm pretty happy with it. I've done 1800km, a little short of the 2500 I need to do for my lease, but then I haven't done the Melbourne-Newcastle trip yet, and that's something that'll probably be done twice in the next 6 months. I've also only needed to fill it up twice.....

But... wait for it... it'll be going back to the dealer for its third warranty claim sometime next week (I hope)..

The first was because the cupholders in the rear armrest didn't work (they were jammed in the armrest).

The second was because the remote boot release button in the driver's door isn't working (checked on Wednesday, controller defective, part on back-order and now waiting for it to arrive and be replaced).

And the third.. I opened the bonnet on Wednesday night, to notice that 6 out of 8 socket-head cap screws along the top of the quarter panels, running on the bonnet upper side rail, have started to corrode. The only ones that aren't corroding are the ones between the upper seal and the windscreen..

I was wondering if anyone else has had the same problem and what the response has been like from VW. I've told the dealer about it (when they called to say the boot controller was on back order), and they've promised to look at it when it goes back, but I'm a bit concerned about it, considering the hoopla made about the corrosion resistance of the body, Euro car, salt grit on the roads over there, etc, etc. Build date for the car is October 07, first registered in July 08, and I collected it in September.

I'll get some happy snaps of it and post them. It looks like the bolts have been tensioned after painting (and probably before shipping), thus breaking the paint seal and with a few weeks exposure to sea air...

Cheers,

AP

Which Make Model?

All other than R36 are assembled in Mexico or somwhere like that, so German Quality Control prob doesn't apply.

I have heard some horror stories about Passat Build Quality and Q&A, but so far in 6000 kms I have not had so much as a squeak.

[passatpout]

It's a MY08 Passat 2.0 TDI Wagon.

According to the VIN code and what's been posted before, the 11th digit is E = Emden, in Germany, for manufacturing.

It's solidly built, no squeaks, rattles, or other annoyances, except for what I've written above..

[origin]

Hi Passatpot,


mine so far so good... no noise and no rust or corrison... touch wood...


mine build date nov 06...register 0207.. pickup 150207... done first service

2 weeks ago... it costed me $380...+ gst



maybe at dealer backyard

[VW Convert]

Which Make Model?

All other than R36 are assembled in Mexico or somwhere like that, so German Quality Control prob doesn't apply.

I have heard some horror stories about Passat Build Quality and Q&A, but so far in 6000 kms I have not had so much as a squeak.

Mexican build quality is actually very, very good indeed, my Jetta was built there and I am extremely impressed by it.

To say German build QC does not apply is totally erroneous. When German companies set up factories overseas, they basically replicate what they have in Germany and that includes quality control systems many of which are automated. Car production these days is so automated and controlled that the human factor is significantly less now than it used to be so production in these less industrially advanced countries is of a very high standard.

Oh, one other factor, I have been in many, many German factories such as Kolbenschmidt an OE piston manufacturer, Mann & Hummel, an OE filter manufacturer, Lemfoerder, an OE steering component manufacturer etc. etc. Far and away, the majority of people on the shop floor are not Germans, most are immigrants from poorer Eastern European countries and the middle east.


Cheers

George

[Golf Houso]

Mexican build quality is actually very, very good indeed, my Jetta was built there and I am extremely impressed by it.
Far and away, the majority of people on the shop floor are not Germans, most are immigrants from poorer Eastern European countries and the middle east.

Cheers

George

Well said, that's just like any car made in the US inc. BMW's, the people on the floor are either poor Hispanics migrant or often criminals on parole

[phaeton]

Which Make Model?

All other than R36 are assembled in Mexico or somwhere like that, so German Quality Control prob doesn't apply.

I have heard some horror stories about Passat Build Quality and Q&A, but so far in 6000 kms I have not had so much as a squeak.

Incorrect

All Australian spec Passats are made in Germany

[vanDub]

Build date for the car is October 07, first registered in July 08, and I collected it in September.

Excluding the delivery time by sea, that means it sat somewhere for 6 months before registration, then sounds like it was driven as a demo for 2-3 months before you collected it (why else register it that far ahead of delivery).

You sure there wasn't some panel repair work done before you collected it?

PS: All Passats are built in Germany, its the Jettas that are built in Mexico.

[VW Convert]

Excluding the delivery time by sea, that means it sat somewhere for 6 months before registration, then sounds like it was driven as a demo for 2-3 months before you collected it (why else register it that far ahead of delivery).

You sure there wasn't some panel repair work done before you collected it?

PS: All Passats are built in Germany, its the Jettas that are built in Mexico.

Yes, sounds strange doesn't it? Certainly sounds like some sort of panel work was done, why else would there be evidence of the bolts being tightened after painting?

BTW, Australian Jettas are no longer made in Mexico, now made in SA.

Cheers

George

[passatpout]

Excluding the delivery time by sea, that means it sat somewhere for 6 months before registration, then sounds like it was driven as a demo for 2-3 months before you collected it (why else register it that far ahead of delivery).

You sure there wasn't some panel repair work done before you collected it?

PS: All Passats are built in Germany, its the Jettas that are built in Mexico.

It was used as a dealer demo, how long for before they registered it who knows? It had 5256km on it when I collected it, so it hadn't been sitting around gathering dust.

Looking at the other panels, they don't look like they've been changed or altered.. I've taken some photos of the corrosion on the bolts, Saturday morning job, auto-focus wasn't working too well.. on both me and the camera..

Cheers..

[Spoddy]

See if it comes off with a cotton bud - may be just red bull dust?

[passatpout]

Tried that, it's not either "red bull" dust or red "bull dust". Besides, on one of them the split in the paint is quite obvious. Very definitely corrosion.

[tryingavw]

looks to me like the actual bolt itself is rusting - maybe a bolt from a parts bin which was not properly cleaned before fitting. i reckon it happened during manufacture. i would definitely tell them to replace and respray the affected bolt. i doubt apart from the look of it its a problem though.

[Tim]

If you look at where the rust has started just looks like that bolt has been removed at some point and then refitted to me. Shouldnt be too hard for them to rectify with a small touch up.

[passatpout]

Thanks everyone..

I noticed there's another small spot coming out on the body - it's visible in one of the photos, in line with the centreline of the VIN, and about 3-4 inches closer to the windscreen. It looks like a bit of dirt on the photo, but when I checked it last night it's corrosion as well.

It's mostly surface, but is starting to penetrate deeper and bubble the paint. Still no word on the boot controller from the dealer, so not sure when it'll be going back, I'll probably get the 7500km service done at the same time (unless there's compelling reasons to wait for the 15,000km like the service indicator says).

Now, hands up everyone who went and checked out their cars?