I waxed my wife's 3 door Punto last night and was a bit shocked to notice that there are bubbles (5 or 6) and rust spots around the front of the rear off side wheel arch. I'm sure that the bad winter and salting has caused this.
I've checked the service book and the three year body check was done. I did not, however, have the car serviced by the main dealer this time so the five year check was not done. It was only due a service at the end of March but I chose to go somewhere closer to home.
I telephoned the dealer today and they will do a body inspection without service for £10 which surprised me.
I just wondered how much chance I have of a successful outcome.
|
Has it had a replacement front wing at some point Halmer?
Good luck anyway.
Edited by oilrag on 03/04/2009 at 22:25
|
Hi Oilrag
It's the rear wheel arch and it's had no paintwork since we've owned it from new.
|
Sorry about the "front" Halmer!
As you know from my posts we have an a 2002 and 2005 Punto - the latter being the van version.
With the older car we had the three and five year body inspections done - but the 05 van didn`t need any. The Fiat dealer told me they were no longer done - so worth a check?
I`m assuming you have kept the area free of salt build up? but even so, the vast majority of people don`t and you just don`t see rust on Punto`s do you?
With that in mind, maybe Fiat will be interested as it`s so unusual.. What`s the other side like? Wonder if it was damaged during shipping or transporting and repaired with the galvanising underneath remaining damaged.
I would try the dealer and then write to Fiat UK - you would think the last thing they would want would be a five year old car on the streets with rust bubbling through - given history ;-)
Hope you get it sorted. I`ll bookmark this thread hoping to hear the result!
All the best
|
Hi Oilrag
There is a slight indication that a similar thing may be happening on the driver's side to (one blemish).
The car is pretty mint apart from this and has been looked after, washed properly etc.
Looking at the small print of the anti-perforation warranty I may have a problem because it seems to cover only metal that has not been covered by a top coat!
Shame because this is the first time that this has happened to a Fiat that we've owned (believe it or not!) apart from my Fiat Mirafiori which rotted like mad.
I will mention it to the dealer when the inspection is done on Tuesday and see what reaction I get.
|
>>Looking at the small print of the anti-perforation warranty I may have a problem because it seems to cover only metal that has not been covered by a top coat!>>
Unless you specifically asked for a bodywork inspection at each service (costing extra of course) your warranty is probably worthless. I had a Mazda 323 which was rusting in both rear wheelarches from it was 3 years old, starting with the tell-tale bubbles and it spread. Dealer just brushed me off on the grounds that I didn't ask for paint and body inspections when he was servicing it. I notice lots of 323s with similar problems.
|
It`s an odd situation though with the Punto`s galvanising. Our 02 model looks like new in that area and if you look extremely closely at the outer paint - there are tiny chips of paint missing due to stones, but only galvanised metal exposed. You never see rust.
If no success with the dealer Halmer, perhaps body shop would give you an opinion as to the cause.
|
Fiat bodyshop reckon it's typical and caused by stones.
Not covered as expected.
Is this normal on a 04 plate 3 door Punto?
|
|
|
|
|
If you are feeling brave you can lift the paint off one bubble which will soon tell you if it is perforation from inside or just a stone chip, which will rarely if ever lead to hole these days.
|
it needs debubbling anyway or it will leach
cant say ive seen a rusted punto here and as said its probably been repaired after it fell off the ship before the OP got it
Edited by bell boy on 07/04/2009 at 22:53
|
if it's been repaired they've done the first job that I've never been able to spot.
I'm totally confident that it's the original paintwork.
|
you must persevere if it is perforation.
I had Ford replace a whole rear quarter on my 1991 Escort due to perforation around the fuel filler.
You must theaten court action and involve RAC - they backed mt fully and Ford even lent me a car for a replacement for a week.
If you lot let dealers get away with this your warranty may as well be on toilet paper!
|
|
|
|
