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Rusty Rover

12K views 23 replies 12 participants last post by  arby 
#1 ·
Hi guys,

It has come to my attention that my 2011 Range Rover Sport is developing rust bubbles on both front fenders. The rust seems to originate from under the weird rubber trim strips that sit around the inward bent edge of the sheetmetal. I guess dirt and moisture pools up there and has started to eat away my vehicle.

My car, which was purchased new by me, is regularly washed, not neglected, always garage kept and has a mere 50,000 miles on the odometer. This rusting is surprising and disappointing to say the least, I see 15 year old Honda Civics parked on the street without any sign of body rust, yet my $90,000 (CAD) Rover is starting to self-destruct after just over 6 years.

When I took this issue to the dealer, they said they have never seen this, that it is definitely unusual, but that the corrosion warranty offered by Land Rover only covers "penetrations" and that it is valid for 6 years from new purchase, thus has expired a few months ago.

Here are some pictures of the rust. Has anyone else experienced this, how have you dealt with this, what would you do in my situation!??

Thanks!
 

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#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
My car never had mud flaps, and those holes are always there, they're just covered by those U-shaped rubber/metal strips which are removed in the last pic.
The rust bubbles are in the exact same spot on both sides of the car, leading me to think there is a more structural issue here...
 
#4 ·
Is it the cosmetic aspect that bothers you or you want to get to the root cause of the issue. Either way, a little cleaning, sanding and touch up paint will solve the visual aspect - you can order a bottle of touch up paint or a paint stick online with the color code. Also, any body shop can do this for you in a heartbeat...
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
While the cosmetic aspect bothers me, on an otherwise like-new car, it is mainly the concern that my car is now starting to self destruct and if left untreated this will lead to actual holes in the bodywork.

I went to a bodyshop and they quoted me $2,500 (CAD, so about $2k USD) to completely sand down to bare metal , repaint and blend with the adjacent panels.. (both sides)
 
#6 ·
Were they going to fill with filler or metal for that price? There will be a hole or two I'd guess, so it needs to be filled with metal first, then filler to blend.
Not a big deal or job for any competent body shop. I would get at least 3 quotes.
I also wouldn't look too much into it. I have a MkIII FFRR on my driveway that has bubbles in pretty much the same spot as yours, with the rest of the rigs bodywork unblemished, and that is a 2003!
For my future plans with that thing though, the rust will be gone when I make room for 35's, so I am not going to bother with it;)
Martin
 
#7 ·
I would venture a guess that it is structural only to the point of winter build up and lack of clean up. Your weather is rather mild if I remember but you get quite a bit of snow. Any access point, flaw or exposed area is a breeding ground for rust. I know folks in Alberta that pull their tyres and wheel wells every spring to clean up the winter silts and salts. Even though most of my cars never see snow I wash the undercarriage a minimum of once a year due to road silt build up.

If this were a design flaw or problem area we would see many more reports from L320 owners with rust issues. Even over in the L322 section there is an issue with upper tailgate hatches bubbling along the edges. However there have only been a handful of examples.
 
#8 ·
That rust on the fenders is surprising. I have an 06 Sport that I have mostly used as a highway commuter in the winter for the last 7 years to travel from NYC area to to the Adirondaks, VT, and NH. I try and hose down the undercarriage the first opportunity I have when the temp rises above freezing, but I have a lot of surface rust on the frame, control arms, gas tank skid plate etc... However, I have
Zero rust on the body. The truck looks new from the outside,
It isn't till you poke your head below that the rust is visible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#9 ·
So.... it's tough to make it a 100% confirmation via pictures on an iPhone but to myself being a seasoned auto body tech and restoration master tech etc blah blah, it looks to me that your fenders were repainted and the rubber wheel opening mldgs were put back on quickly after repaint.

The very distinct line/ridge in the paint in the one picture and the total and complete surface rust shows littl yo no clear was on that lip and the rubber was put back on to cover and let it wear off.

Also that area on both sides that's rusting is where the fender liner sticks out and when those are replaced and not centered preopery or when the brackets aren't perfect they will rub the fender from the inside and cause rust like that. I haven't seen it happen but that would be the cause as I know the design of the liner and it happens with other brands.

I would be willing to wager if you open your hood and look at the tops of fenders under the bonnet they are shiny all the way in or there is a distinct line of clear compared to factory that has a soft blend to it. Sadly my thought is that your front end has been repainted at some point in its life.
 
#11 ·
Absolutely. I really had not given that a thought. Damages during transport or at port are not uncommon. Everything from leaks/drips from other vehicles to ship's plumbing can damage fresh paint on horizontal surfaces. During rough seas an improperly secured car may shift. If a damaged tie down is not noticed it can snap. Let's not forget that people load the cars. As with driving anywhere one lapse in attention can result in minor damages. In the cases of minor damages the dealer is never aware of repairs as LRNA still owns the vehicles and are responsible for them until deliver. If a car has been in a major incident then LRNA would advise them of the damages so that the dealer is aware that there will be a longer delay for that particular rig. Of course once the dealer takes ownership of a car they can be vandalized on the lot, damaged in a test drive, lot attendant may foul something up... In those circumstances the dealers body shop or contracted local body shop would handle any repairs.

Personally I have had two new cars that have been damaged prior to dealer delivery. Repairs were excellent and did not come to light until many years later when the nonfactory paint didn;t age the same.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for your replies, guys!! I love this forum!
There has definitely been no body work done on the car ever, I've owned it from new, it was special ordered because they "accidentally" sold the identical one they had on the lot to two people.. I received it with 9km on the odometer upon delivery, which also rules out that it was ever used for a test drive other than the PDI by the dealer itself (which happened during the couple of days that passed between them receiving it and me taking possession - hardly enough time to crash and subsequently repair a car.

The sharp line from rusty part to non rusty corresponds with the delineation of the part of the sheetmetal that is covered by the U-shaped rubber strip and the part that stays exposed. It rusted under the strip, and looks fine outside the strip, other than the bubbles that are now showing up. The one thing that was done at some point during my ownership is that the strips themselves were replaced (all 4) under warranty because the corners started to sag. Something that is once again happening to the new strips now, and that is in my opinion very common as I see it on other RRS all the time.

What I never did during all those years (nor do I think it SHOULD be necessary) is pull these strips off at a regular interval, clean salt or dirt from inside them or the metal that is wrapped by them, and then place them back them after they're dry. I am now thinking that may be the culprit of this rusting, water and salt/dirt getting trapped inside these strips keeping this area a sort of perma-wet all through the winter...

I spoke to an indy LR-specialist who says he typically recommends not having these strips on the truck altogether...
What is other people's experience with these strips?

Also, what do you guys think of the body shop quote I got? I'll definitely get 1 or 2 more quotes on Monday...
 
#13 ·
Personally, I think spending $2K to solve such a minor issue is overkill, a bit like killing a squirrel with an Abrams tank. I'd spend a bit of time gently sanding the rust spots, buy yourself the touch up paint bottle with brush or paint pen and gently and carefully paint, then clear coat. Only you will know it's there, and you'd probably spend $50 bucks and a few hours. Save the rest of the funds for a nice trip or other accessories.

Self-destruct is a bit of an overstatement...it's just a tiny bit of rust, hardly a catastrophic mechanical failure.

If this were a Ferrari Dino, I'd say go the full restoration route, but for a vehicle which is designed to be used, a few blemishes (minor as they are) are to be expected over the life of the vehicle.
 
#17 ·
Are they on both sides? If so, then it's factory design flaw. If only one side, it can still be a repainted one, unless you actually saw it delivered and picked it up immediately. I have seen damaged cars sold as new after a repaint due to employee damage.
 
#18 ·
It is on both sides, same spot. I've now encountered 2 other RRS (a 2010 and another 2011) with similar corrosion spots in the same place. It does seem like these rubber strips retaining salt and dirt are the culprit.

I know it's not terminal, but I've always thought that with corrosion you should be proactive and fix it as soon as possible, before it becomes a bigger problem (perforation)..
 
#19 ·
Absolutely should be taken seriously and handled. This is not just just a vanity issue to be covered over with a little touch-up paint. You might get by with DIY if you catch it in time, but once it rounds the bend onto the fender like this, the repairs and cost start to add up. My 2000 4runner doesn't have a single spot of rust showing on the body, neither should this rig.
 
#24 ·
Yup,
Touched up some bubbles on my rear fenders the other day.
Very annoying, but I also had to replace the two rear brake lines because of rust last year.
Seems to me that the couple of extra bucks to put in good brake lines would be a given on such a high end vehicle. My old jag's brake lines were still like new after 25 years.
Also if you look under a Range Rover Sport you will be shocked at how everything under there is rusting like crazy including the fuel tank support.
 
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