olikoli

I was just wandering if anyone had issues with rust on their cars and if it was covered under warranty?
This showed up last year and it had few bubbles, but this year spread on both sides and all four doors.
I went to the dealership but they said that it needs to be perforated to be covered.
The guys were nice enough and submitted it to Audi Canada, but they said that even if they approve it, I would still have to pay substantial amount for replacing the molding and for paint blending on quarter panels...

Has anyone had any experience with this?
Any help is appreciated.

KevinGary

I have not experienced any rust yet. Don't know about warranty coverage.

freshfrompacificrim

wow i've never seen rust like this on an Audi, sorry dude, but yeah the rust warranty only covers if the metal is eaten through and even then it has to be related to a design flaw and not improper care, meaning they could still deny it

do you regularly pressure wash in the lower molding area, theres a ton of salt/dirt that gets trapped in there that causes corrosion in extreme cases and with regular pressure washing those areas are cleaned out

olikoli

I really do take care of my car. I wash it 2-3 times a week! Winters here are harsh and I am sure it doesn't help the amount of salt they put on the roads.
According to Audi they are saying that this happens due to porely installed mouldings. He says that if the moulding has vibration, it scratches the paint on the inside and this is hot the rust forms. So, technically it is Audi's fault, but whether they would accept it for warranty work or not, that is the question...
He also mentioned that he has never seen C6 with these problems. He did see some older A6 and mostly A4s.

MainlandMig

you and i are not the only ones with the issue
many before us had problems

i posted a DIY removal in my album .. i was new to the forum
CLICK

its not coincidence that we both have 2005s
they are called door blades / flares / mouldings / moldings / trim

the blades have a channel groove and water and debris just accumulates there and eventually penetrates the metal and it cracks and separates making the channel bigger and then the warping becomes more and more noticeable



i never noticed this before but in this pic u can see where the trim has scraped my clear coat


looks like i will need to mend this to avoid rust

audi def knows about this
TBMK they changed the design of the blades
earlier versions are metal and rust and newer versions are plastic
also notice the c7 doesnt have them at all.

i believe older versions were 1 piece and could not be repaired where newer versions may be able to swap out the inner frame and reuse the exterior

these should be the LATEST part #s for the new plastic design
4F0853959KGRU left front
4F0853960KGRU right front
4F0853969LGRU left rear
4F0853970LGRU right rear
GRU means unpainted
i think the older style have an H or prior letter
not sure what year audi changed the design

i am finding the S6 blades which are bulkier priced less
i may just get those

im not surprised with your dealership... their strategy is be knowledgeable enough of the problem so to seem resourceful and reliable but then make it known they arent going to fix it... your on your own ...this is btw u and Audi and then they comment that they dont expect Audi to help u... thats not the easy way... "y not just get this behind u and give us your credit card"

i would have FLIPPED on that dude... seriously "it needs to be perforated to be covered"... i would have been ... oh so thats not rust right there... how would u feel if u got shot went to the hospital and the doctor said "oh its not cover because the bullet hasnt perforated thru... its still in your lungs" dude ... i feel like smacking my local rep due to your reps stupidity/audacity

i never had a warranty w my veh and know i am on my own with this

i will make sure to clean and treat my blades seasonally
others may want to ad this to their preventive maintenance sched

GL

olikoli

I definitely plan on pushing the issue with audi, but I will have to wait to see what they answer back.
What pisses me off is that he said that he will have to "blend in" the color and that I will have to pay for it. In my opinion blending is the part of the repair process so why should I pay for it.

On a side note, do you know the price difference between the S6 and A6 moldings?
I do like the s6 style and if I have to change mine, I wouldn't mind getting the S6 style.

MainlandMig

$300 for all 4 on eBay ... OEM

olikoli

have you tried them on personally? Is it a straight bolt on replacement?

MainlandMig

i have not bought them
not sure if i like the bulkiness style

they come unpainted so u will have to paint them but they are OEM so yes a straight bolt on

check my album again it is basically a step by step DIY ..some pics have notes with them... (just below pic) example the one pic with the screw the notes says its a torx 20 .. another shows how to remove

Punko

I had a small bubble on the bottom edge of the rear hatch (06 Avant).

Made an appointment through the dealer to meet with the regional manager and had the work approved.

They replaced the entire hatch, paint and new emblems, probably around $3500 worth of work.

I didn't have to pay for anything.

Good luck.