Its a problem with nearly all new cars, not just VW's, they don't pay the extra that decently coated parts would cost.

Best answer, jack the car up remove the wheels, wire brush the affected areas and paint with black hammerite, i do exactly that (and the calipers) because i dislike seeing parts as rusty as an old horseshoe inside the wheels.

Not many people seem as bothered as you, or i.

Are you talking about the friction surfaces or the hubs themselves? If you live near the sea or don't use the car much, you will see rust very quickly on the surfaces which are mild steel, this is normal and all cars are the same. It might be more visible depending on the type of alloy wheel fitted. If it is just affecting the hubs, you may be able to improve the appearance by taking a wheel off and applying a wire brush or steel wool. But don't whatever you do spray lubricant or anything like that for obvious reasons! I wouldn't really expect VAG to help on this one to be honest.

Sounds about right that does.

Sorry to sound a bit blunt, but any car will get surface corrosion on the hub of the brake discs in a very short time. They are subjected to extremes of heat and moisture all the time and will unfortunately start to corrode. As long as the braking surfaces are not pitted with corrosion there is nothing VW will do about it as it is not a safety issue, but as they have stated, a cosmetic one.

Also, some wheel cleaning agents can speed up surface corrosion as they are usually acid based and can react with the relatively untreated metal of the discs. Also, lack of use is a factor. If the car is parked for even a couple of days in damp conditions, surface rust will start to form.

I worked at a Toyota main agents a few years ago, and their stance on surface corrosion on the disc hubs was to sand off and aerosol paint them in either silver or black to improve the appearance, but never did they replace the discs.

Edited by The-Mechanic on 07/10/2013 at 19:59

The problem is your weekly cleaning routine.

Hubs/discs are steel and get rusty quickly when theres lots of water around.

Dont clean them so often, use your brakes harder and more often to cover everything in brake dust and your rust wont be visible. ;)

I would say that what you are seeing is 'normal'. If other manufacturers have treated this area better then that is a 'bonus' for those owners. Each manufacturer will make its own decision on where it spends its money on its own cars.

When I recently changed the discs on my Saab, I painted the hub with Foliatec Brake Caliper paint. I used the Foliatec (which I purchased from Demon Tweeks on their eBay shop) because it is a proper 2 pack paint, rather than being one of the cheaper variety which you simply let dry. Most of the ones which you paint on and let dry cannot really stand the heat and will flake and deteriorate quite quickly.

Another trick for the outer edges of discs, is to allow a surface layer of rust to build up and then treat with Hammerite Kurust. this turns the surface blue and "locks in" the corrosion. They'll last quite a long time like this. You do need a reasonable amount of surface rust before doing this though, so as to get a good solid surface treatment out of it.

Also avoid using wheel cleaners, most are acidic and attack the paint on the wheels and cause corrosion to unprotected parts like the discs. Soapy water and elbow grease is the best formula. Or change pads to EBC Greenstuff.

Frankly, if you're bothered by a little surface rust on your discs after 6 months, how are you going to feel when the calipers are corroded and ugly in 2 years?