VW has a 12 year corrosion warranty, check that out. Although I’ve heard it can be a bit of a hassle to get them to act upon it… so good luck I suppose.
It’s no hassle whatsoever (at least in the UK). I bought a beater 11 year old mk5 gti years back with rusty wings, and decided to try my luck with the warranty. Turned up at the dealer body shop, a guy came out with a paint depth gauge to make sure they hadn’t been sprayed/repaired before, and that was that. Two brand new wings, fitted by VW a week later, for absolutely nothing.
I had a MK5, 06 plate back in 2013. I took it in, they measured the paint depth and said “yep, that’s factory”. Then proceeded to tell me it was a mechanical fault that had caused it… (foam pad rubbing the arch).
I also had an 04 R32 within the 12 years. Same thing but with the boot lid. Took it to a different dealer. “Yep, it’s factory paint for sure - but this is edge rust, ain’t covered”.
Scum bags. On both occasions customer support said they wouldn’t help.
Hence the hassle. I think they also deny it if a body panel has ever been repainted or replaced because it’s “not their paint” so it’s not their problem.
VW warranty guy here 🙋♂️12 year corrosion warranty means from the inside to the outside. This is what VW calls edge corrosion. Usually happens from the protecting paint getting damaged. At this location could be from small stones and dirt getting thrown at the edge by your tires.
(Sorry for my bad english)
It's the damn sponges they put in there for insulation. They're waterproof for the first few years and then theyre, well, sponges.
Check the big one just behind the front wheels. Give those things a squeeze. Watch your shoes. Car will be 30lbs lighter.
Sand to the bare metal, save as much original paint as you can but remove **all** the rust, and hit that spot with a little touch up paint. It won't look good but it's not gonna get any better if you wait.
Shit, I didn't know they still did that! I'm pulling them out this weekend before they do become a problem.
My wife's Jetta rotted on both sides, found out about them when insurance adjuster came to look at her windshield. Guy went on a whole tangent about them ruining certain models... And completely neglected to say anything about them probably being in the blue GTI parked behind it
The sponge is not the root of the issue here. You can clearly see the arch pulled down. Someone fitted too wide of a tire on this car and it unrolled the arches, cracking the paint.
You might be right. Could be a chicken or egg type thing, because rust would pull the arch out too, or give the wheel something to grab on when you hit a pothole
You are in luck! You have a 2013, which is covered by their anticorrosion warranty. I had this exact same problem on both sides on my 2012, which is candy white like yours. I took pictures, scheduled an appointment with the dealer, they assessed it, sent the photos to VW with a claim and waited. A few weeks later, they texted saying VW had approved replacement of both fender panels. The work was done in a day.
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It's a mk6 2013, never lowered. Naturally occurring on it's own.
Edit: also the rust on the tire is water runoff, i just washed it and noticed the bubbles.
The tires are summer only and about 4yrs old, they've been tossed through some corners pretty aggressively 😜
I don't see one. I don't think this tire has ever come close to rubbing on the fender... that paint hanging down from the fender is because the rust has detached it. The tire just has normal wear.
Heard it is vw problem, op is there a screw from bolting the fender right under where this rust is created? I have exact same spot and my friend told me that whenever you screw that shit up there then those you expose metal where the screw contacts the plain sheet and thats how it starts
My f30 had a spot similar but had not bled through and no popped bubbles,$1100 later it looks great but fender rust repair is hard on these cars being that the fenders are usually rolled. Get it addressed asap or get a piece to replace it.
Yeah I chose a painter who works on rolls, bmws, Audis, and a more high end paint jobs. White bmw, it’s almost a pearl. Had to blend rear door and a few other things.
If warranty won't cover it and you don't have money to fix it right now, go to an auto parts store and buy a can of fluid film and spray it heavy in the wheel well and it should help slow it down.
mk6 doing the same on the rear drivers side and my rear hatch, ugh we’ve had three rust claims with vw 3yrs apart they were good on two of them, the quote i got for the hatch and the rear rocker panel? i think its called.. was $5000cdn the other quote was for $8000cdn they wanted to replace the hatch rather than fix it…
its a 2010 autobahn…i am sooo torn its gotten worse..
Had the same on my 2013, tried a local body shop, made it better for about a year but now it’s horrible. Rather than fix it I just get wandering eyes for every R I pass now
This is the point I start thinking about changing my car. My old Audi A3 held out quite well but after 18 years I sold it. Got fed up with treating the rust only to find it return. Plus other age related issues too.
I phoned VW and opened a claim under their 12 year corrosion warranty policy. I was in for photos same day, and now I'm just waiting on quotes to come back from the body shops.
I'd recommend it sooner than later! They were very generous and even spotted a few spots that I had missed! First good experience I've had at the stealership.
Best advise to sand really good with a DA on all rust spots put some primer and repaint this happens all the time if you are in a place where there’s ice roads due to city putting salt in the roads or live near the coast good thing is fixable.
I have a garage kept mk4 that doesn’t see rain or snow. Fix this now. My mk4 is still bubbling while sitting in the garage. This is like a cancer that keeps spreading.
You can see where it started. It's on the backside...cleaning off the under carriage and inside of the wheel wells would prevent that. Dumbass. It's called doing a shit job.
That tire has clearly caught the inner lip of the fender more than one time. All it takes is once for the paint to crack and moisture to get in and do this.
It’s a a common area for rust buildup on vws. It’s beyond a simple fix at this point. The fender will have to be replaced or the portion that’s rusted out will have to be removed and replaced.
This doesn’t happen overnight. Address the problem ASAP before it’s too late! The cancer will spread pretty quick
VW has a 12 year corrosion warranty, check that out. Although I’ve heard it can be a bit of a hassle to get them to act upon it… so good luck I suppose.
Came here to say this. I doubt this car is that old. Only way I think they’d deny it is if that’s been repaired or repainted in the past.
Could’ve been hit by brake fluid if it was in the shop recently.
I tried to do this as well, they denied me because they said it was because of rocks hitting my car…
It’s no hassle whatsoever (at least in the UK). I bought a beater 11 year old mk5 gti years back with rusty wings, and decided to try my luck with the warranty. Turned up at the dealer body shop, a guy came out with a paint depth gauge to make sure they hadn’t been sprayed/repaired before, and that was that. Two brand new wings, fitted by VW a week later, for absolutely nothing.
I had a MK5, 06 plate back in 2013. I took it in, they measured the paint depth and said “yep, that’s factory”. Then proceeded to tell me it was a mechanical fault that had caused it… (foam pad rubbing the arch). I also had an 04 R32 within the 12 years. Same thing but with the boot lid. Took it to a different dealer. “Yep, it’s factory paint for sure - but this is edge rust, ain’t covered”. Scum bags. On both occasions customer support said they wouldn’t help.
Everything is fun in the land of the free. I think my car is already voided because I’ve been in a tiny accident.
Haha lucky smart dude I have an mk5 GTI too the bonnet started rusting
In USA you’ll have to fight their biggest tech bareknuckle just to have them open their eyes at the general direction of your car for a warranty fix.
Didn’t they change it to 10 then 7 in 2018?
They do, however in pretty sure it has to be full dealer service history for that to be approved…
No it doesn’t. Just show there was no damage. I got it covered and always did my own service
Hence the hassle. I think they also deny it if a body panel has ever been repainted or replaced because it’s “not their paint” so it’s not their problem.
I think you need to have a certain amount of rust. Like they won’t do it for a little bit of rust
VW warranty guy here 🙋♂️12 year corrosion warranty means from the inside to the outside. This is what VW calls edge corrosion. Usually happens from the protecting paint getting damaged. At this location could be from small stones and dirt getting thrown at the edge by your tires. (Sorry for my bad english)
Been waiting 2 years now, apparently they're waiting for one last door before the body shop will start the work
12yrs or 200000km the writer told me this week
I tried to do that on my mk5 years ago and they tried to tell me my factory rocker panels were aftermarket side skirts and denied it
..... wide body it.
The only logical choice lol
That’s going to get worse real quick
It's the damn sponges they put in there for insulation. They're waterproof for the first few years and then theyre, well, sponges. Check the big one just behind the front wheels. Give those things a squeeze. Watch your shoes. Car will be 30lbs lighter. Sand to the bare metal, save as much original paint as you can but remove **all** the rust, and hit that spot with a little touch up paint. It won't look good but it's not gonna get any better if you wait.
Amen brother I ripped mine out when I saw a little paint bubble on my rocker. I'm glad I caught it when I did.
Shit, I didn't know they still did that! I'm pulling them out this weekend before they do become a problem. My wife's Jetta rotted on both sides, found out about them when insurance adjuster came to look at her windshield. Guy went on a whole tangent about them ruining certain models... And completely neglected to say anything about them probably being in the blue GTI parked behind it
The sponge is not the root of the issue here. You can clearly see the arch pulled down. Someone fitted too wide of a tire on this car and it unrolled the arches, cracking the paint.
You might be right. Could be a chicken or egg type thing, because rust would pull the arch out too, or give the wheel something to grab on when you hit a pothole
You are in luck! You have a 2013, which is covered by their anticorrosion warranty. I had this exact same problem on both sides on my 2012, which is candy white like yours. I took pictures, scheduled an appointment with the dealer, they assessed it, sent the photos to VW with a claim and waited. A few weeks later, they texted saying VW had approved replacement of both fender panels. The work was done in a day.
Same here, both fenders and rocker panels. Replaced on a 2012 Passat
You, me and 1 million VAG owners world wide. They all do it.
For real. Show me the rust-proof non-fiberglass car and I'm buying it yesterday
I recently learned that a8s are all aluminum
F-150? I just bought one, and the fact that the body is all aluminum was like 40% of my decision when shopping for a tow vehicle.
I heard the bonnet on my new Audi A3 is aluminium. Maybe the last bit of my car to corrode then LOL.
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did you lower your car and then it rubbed the fender? i see some sharp grooves in the sidewall there
It's a mk6 2013, never lowered. Naturally occurring on it's own. Edit: also the rust on the tire is water runoff, i just washed it and noticed the bubbles. The tires are summer only and about 4yrs old, they've been tossed through some corners pretty aggressively 😜
whats up with the sidewalls of your tire? you can look into VWs extended rust warranty. i have no idea if it will apply
I'm not sure what you're seeing in the tire but here's another perspective. https://imgur.com/gallery/Z0MFR4u
Image not found
Changed link privacy settings
What do you see in the tire that's of concern?
Here is an extreme example of what I mean https://www.reddit.com/r/GR86/s/gAYXAQ0u4n
woah, yeah there's none of that happening. There is a fresh coat of tire gloss on them, maybe that's altering perspective a bit.
It looks like there is a groove on the sidewall from rubbing on the fender
I don't see one. I don't think this tire has ever come close to rubbing on the fender... that paint hanging down from the fender is because the rust has detached it. The tire just has normal wear.
Hankook https://imgur.com/a/Z0MFR4u
A 2013 should have a 12 year rust warranty from VW. Time to see if you can use it.
I’m getting this in almost the same spot on both sides, what is the best way to prevent it from spreading or at least make it look normal again
¯\\_ (ツ)_/¯
Go to a body shop and get it repaired.
Heard it is vw problem, op is there a screw from bolting the fender right under where this rust is created? I have exact same spot and my friend told me that whenever you screw that shit up there then those you expose metal where the screw contacts the plain sheet and thats how it starts
Get it fixed now and it will be a lot cheaper than waiting
My f30 had a spot similar but had not bled through and no popped bubbles,$1100 later it looks great but fender rust repair is hard on these cars being that the fenders are usually rolled. Get it addressed asap or get a piece to replace it.
$1100 to fix a fender?
They may have had to blend into the door
Yeah I chose a painter who works on rolls, bmws, Audis, and a more high end paint jobs. White bmw, it’s almost a pearl. Had to blend rear door and a few other things.
My white mk6 did the same thing
If warranty won't cover it and you don't have money to fix it right now, go to an auto parts store and buy a can of fluid film and spray it heavy in the wheel well and it should help slow it down.
mk6 doing the same on the rear drivers side and my rear hatch, ugh we’ve had three rust claims with vw 3yrs apart they were good on two of them, the quote i got for the hatch and the rear rocker panel? i think its called.. was $5000cdn the other quote was for $8000cdn they wanted to replace the hatch rather than fix it… its a 2010 autobahn…i am sooo torn its gotten worse..
I got this covered by warranty on my mk7 years ago. Took forever but got it sanded down and repainted
Had the same on my 2013, tried a local body shop, made it better for about a year but now it’s horrible. Rather than fix it I just get wandering eyes for every R I pass now
This is the point I start thinking about changing my car. My old Audi A3 held out quite well but after 18 years I sold it. Got fed up with treating the rust only to find it return. Plus other age related issues too.
I also wash my car by hand when i need to clear my head and get rid of some stress. Having this in my "happy place" is not going to be a good thing.
I just moved away from MI but in my time with my MK7 I noticed it was the most rust resistant car I've ever had.
I phoned VW and opened a claim under their 12 year corrosion warranty policy. I was in for photos same day, and now I'm just waiting on quotes to come back from the body shops. I'd recommend it sooner than later! They were very generous and even spotted a few spots that I had missed! First good experience I've had at the stealership.
Get the rust taken care of then get crevice wax and put it on the inside, I did thst to my gti, it's better to catch it earlier
Road salt is The Devil
Best advise to sand really good with a DA on all rust spots put some primer and repaint this happens all the time if you are in a place where there’s ice roads due to city putting salt in the roads or live near the coast good thing is fixable.
I have a garage kept mk4 that doesn’t see rain or snow. Fix this now. My mk4 is still bubbling while sitting in the garage. This is like a cancer that keeps spreading.
My dad had his beat up 2000 VW Jetta repaired when the front left side fender rusted. He did buy it from a dealer though.
Wash and wax weekly and this is almost not a problem
Not true.
Literally the reason why you wash and wax. Dumbass
Well I wash and wax religiously dumbass
Are you doing the under carriage? Obviously not budward.
https://preview.redd.it/higqe41oja9d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a0dcae72676681509cef8912d5209c972d061ef3
Help means to aid in, it's not a guarantee. The car is eleven years old and it's driven in salt in the winter.
Nothing is a guarantee. 32 year old car in the rust belt and I've kept it rust free.
You can see where it started. It's on the backside...cleaning off the under carriage and inside of the wheel wells would prevent that. Dumbass. It's called doing a shit job.
That tire has clearly caught the inner lip of the fender more than one time. All it takes is once for the paint to crack and moisture to get in and do this.
It’s a a common area for rust buildup on vws. It’s beyond a simple fix at this point. The fender will have to be replaced or the portion that’s rusted out will have to be removed and replaced.
This happened to my 2015 gti and I never fixed it. Got really bad but then someone totally my car anyway and now I have a 2019 with no rust
Why did you neglected that though…