Rusty 04 plate Focus

F_Bear

ive a 04 plate Focus that ive had since 2007. its a 1.8 tdci sport, basically a ST170 body kit/interior but a 50 mpg diesil lump.

ive looked after it well, regular servicing with washing and waxing; and it still looks its money with 90k on the clock.

so imagine my horror yesterday when washing it and i find all the bottom of the drivers door is rusting, i thought it was stubbon mud!! further close inspection found rust on the rear arches, tailgate and under the window rubbers.

once tidyed up with some wire wool and polish its hardly noticable but no doubt its the begining of the end.

is rust like this on a 9 year old car 'normal' and do ford honor the 10 year body warranty?

Tiexen

Unless you've had it serviced at a Ford dealer on time every year since new, and have all the stamps in the service book.

Even though Ford say:

"Ford’s website state that the perforation guarantee is not invalidated if the car is serviced outside the dealer network, as long as the relevant checks are made and the service book stamped"

I think you'd struggle to get them to do anything

fivetide

It's also a "perforation" guarantee so as this is surface rust they'll more than likely reject it because the metal doesn't have holes in.

maninthestreet

The bottom of the door rusting may be due to blockage of the drain holes.

harveybobbles

Common fault on all Fords, sadly.

bigjl

Most common cause of rust at the bottom of the door is it being opened onto a high kerb or similar and the paint getting scraped off.

Get some rust treatment on there.

Could be worse.

Could have been a Mercedes of about the same age when it could have serious structural rust.

C_Mababejive

Whenever you get a new or used car,wait until summer then pump all the door interiors and hollow sections with waxoyl spray. Brilliant stuff.

fivetide

bigjl wrote: »

Could be worse.

Could have been a Mercedes of about the same age when it could have serious structural rust.

Hmm... not convinced. I have an old Merc and it is completely free of rust.

Indeed this one has 140,000 miles on it, it ten years old and looks factory fresh http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/classifieds-cars-sale/149705-my-mercedes-s211-e320cdi-estate-sale.html

The wings were the big issue with the mid 90's E-Class

C_Mababejive

The cheap steel was the cause of many early rust cases on Mercs. Even now look at Merc commercial vans. They are rubbish. Only a few years old and full of rust.

Horizon81

From speakng to a bodyshop owner recently i think you'd struggle to get a manufacturer to honour their paintwork guarantee on most cars, let alone a 9 year old Ford.

The key phrase quoted above by Tixen is 'key checks' and these are simply never done and documented, so you havent got a leg to stand on. That was the experience of the old boy I was talking to anyway.

tim9966

Ford sometimes do honour the warrenty. It should be 12 years not 10 on a Focus. You will need to take it to a Ford approevd bodyshop, and you may find you need the service book paint check stamped every year for them to do it, but if you have this they have been known to honour the warrenty.

I've taken in my old Fiesta in the past and they did the work on that for free.