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mk2 Ford Focus rusting at the front wheel arches, wtf?! Why is nothing ever simple?
as a bit of a PSA, this is exactly what's happening to mine but i've got it on both sides [url= http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8380 ]CARS SUCKZ[/url]
Ford's corrosion warranty isn't worth the paper its written on (unless you know in advance, and pay, to have a Ford dealer inspect the bodywork every year) so let's hope it's not going to be too pain to fix....
I really do hate cars though
1967 British Built Morris Minor, no real rust to speak of, do you use waxoyl underneath? do you live near the coast? to you ever leave it parked off of the road (ie: on grass, soil gravel or wood chipping?)
No rust on my Alfa 🙂
all bodywork warrantys require the owner to get the car checked out regularly at a dealer, otherwise someone will let the thing become an MOT failure before anyone does anything
rusty front arches aren't too much of an issue though, maybe disappointing but not a mot fail (unless its the inner arches). my 12 year old mondeo is more rust than car, but i've not washed it in the last 60,000 miles so its not overly surprising
Should have got a lancia.
pfffttttt, I drive an MG Midget appart from one bubble where the front wing/upper sill pannel gap was a bit tight and it rubbed and a p-clip for the handbrake it's rust free!
Just cost me £90 to patch a 10cm hole in front wheel arch on my Mrs Mazda 323!
Granted a few years older than your Focus legend, but correct me if I am wrong, I thought the Mazda 323 was based on the Focus!
Still very unexpected, car looks mint from the outside & had been serviced as required, hell its only done 40k!
No rust on my Alfa
Presumably it's never been off the workshop ramp so is always undercover? 😉
Mother in Law's MX5 had the same problem with the warranty - unless inspected at vast expense every year, warranty doesn't cover it. Small print's a bugger.
Not the first time there has been rust issues with relatively young `uns. Same with the earlier Mondeo Mark 3's rusting on the door sills, and the exact same problem with the annual body inspections not being stamped up to date.
cheers for the heads up, mine appears to have the fix in place already but will be taking a look underneath to be sure.
That mudtrap's really horrible design IMO, couldn't believe how much crap was caught up in mine, it's only got a trace of rust despite being a fair bit older than yours but it's so unneccesary.
On the linky, sure that sill rust is not from the inside out?
Crap collecting behind mud flaps and wheel arch liners can be a problem - periodic cleaning and using something like Dinitrol products instead of Waxoyl. Did this on my mark 1 MX5 so won't have to worry about rust here for a few years.
Its not just ford - my 07 plate a4 was a bit of a rust bucket too - its this rubbish water based paint they use now
Had a mk3 mondeo too, the rear doors started rusting from the inside out, another neat trick!
The trouble with the Focus is that the rust can start behind the liner, so you cant see it right away. Mine has another, more obvious, patch at the wing/sill join. In better news - just got a quote of £150 to sort it, which doesn't seem too bad. Gonna get some mud flaps ordered up which will go on when straight after it's sorted (Ford or rally style though?)
Mr Nutt, I live beside a canal if that helps 😉
Its fords in general they must use poor amounts of sealant or a poor grade metal. Check out ford transits, ka's , focus etc they all suffer alot earlier than a peugeot for example.
You know this is god telling you to give in to the van envy!
6 year old Pug, 250K kms and not a spot of rust. It's not the car.
ah ****, who lifted your ban?? 😉 you mean like [url= http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/mercedes-vito-108-dualiner-kombi-No-VAT-/280644010665?pt=UK_Commercial_Trucks&hash=item4157afc2a9 ]this one[/url]? Sssoooo pretty, but an old Vito (rust bucket and then some) with an 80BHP engine doesn't get my boat floated...
Tony, it helps that the front wings on the likes of 307s are plastic!
Not even gonna bother looking at that, VW or nothing! You know it makes sense!
Obviously you'll have to fundentally change your driving style and actually grow up but..... 😉
Gis a text later, desperate to get out riding this weekend!
Mazda 323F here, 52 plate, front and rear arches are pretty much in need of some serious treatment, Mazda have been honouring warranties though, I think they're sharing paint techniques with Ford !!!
I have a '99 T Reg Octavia - not a sign of rust anywhere on the bodywork!!
If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen (or a Skoda)...
Had one of them, the flywheel went 😉
Ditto. Mazda 323f here as well. Really like the car but after reading posts on a mazda forum on rust I've noticed the rear arches on mine are starting to bubble.
Is going to have to be a very good job to sought those mondeo doors out. think orginally it was lax of cavity wax or something.
1998 5 series, only bit of rust about 1" round near the rear number plate where someone damaged it in a previous life.
Fords do seem to have issues with rust, check out just about any of the first gen KA, and almost all will have rust issues, the area around the filler cap seems to be a favorite along with the sils. Also Mercedes E Class have major issues from their cost cutting days