How long does a car last before rust kills it?
Discussion
Very general question I know, but I’d be interested to see what people expect.
A colleague asked me how long a car would last in the UK given weather / salt on roads etc before corrosion became a problem.
I reckon the majority get 10 to 15 years max before catastrophic MOT failures. I know some are worse than others but that feels about right to me.
A colleague asked me how long a car would last in the UK given weather / salt on roads etc before corrosion became a problem.
I reckon the majority get 10 to 15 years max before catastrophic MOT failures. I know some are worse than others but that feels about right to me.
Got a 14 year old fiesta which is fine. Got a 1999 seat Ibiza with surface corrosion which might need something to stop the corrosion. But both never been detailed , under sealed etc just wash with bucket and sponge
Saying all this the 1999 is unusual. In my head if you said here’s a 2004 car, I’d say probably rusty. Maybe flashbacks of my mother’s KA have scared me
I do think it’s a factor on where it’s lived, and the car. But I agree your about right. I hope the fiesta stays rust free *touches wood*
Saying all this the 1999 is unusual. In my head if you said here’s a 2004 car, I’d say probably rusty. Maybe flashbacks of my mother’s KA have scared me
I do think it’s a factor on where it’s lived, and the car. But I agree your about right. I hope the fiesta stays rust free *touches wood*
I should add my own experience!
I had a 1997 C Class estate that I bought when it was 3 years old. By the time I sold it 7 years later it had started to go at the bottom of the wheel arches and a bit on the tailgate. Nothing too bad though.
It’s last MOT was due March 2015 so it actually soldiered on for quite a while!
I had a 1997 C Class estate that I bought when it was 3 years old. By the time I sold it 7 years later it had started to go at the bottom of the wheel arches and a bit on the tailgate. Nothing too bad though.
It’s last MOT was due March 2015 so it actually soldiered on for quite a while!
I must also admit my mk4 Golf is quite frilly (they all are). It's structurally ok, but the wings are see-through.
Compared to the X-Type, which had an immaculate body, but an undercarriage that looked like it had been parked in the North Sea.
I managed to find an S-Type to replace the X without any rot. Which is nice.
Compared to the X-Type, which had an immaculate body, but an undercarriage that looked like it had been parked in the North Sea.
I managed to find an S-Type to replace the X without any rot. Which is nice.
My 2001 Octavia was 16 years old & covered over 140k miles when I traded it in and despite being a commuter car used in the worst winter weather we've had over that time, it was essentially rust free - there was a bit of corrosion on the suspension components, particularly the rear cross-member, but not enough to warrant even an advisory on the MOT.
Again my 2004 350Z, admittedly a weekend/fair weather low mileage car is also all but rust free apart from some superficial surface corrosion on some brackets under the car.
Again my 2004 350Z, admittedly a weekend/fair weather low mileage car is also all but rust free apart from some superficial surface corrosion on some brackets under the car.
My old 3.0 X-Type is still on the road, according to the Gov.uk website. It’s over 15 years old and approaching 100k miles.
But then I remember every time I had the car on axle stands for oil changes, brake and suspension jobs etc, I applied a bit of rust proofing / under seal.
I quite liked that old girl
But then I remember every time I had the car on axle stands for oil changes, brake and suspension jobs etc, I applied a bit of rust proofing / under seal.
I quite liked that old girl
A mates Dad has a daily user 2000 Clio bought 10 years ago which has never been washed or garaged since.
Despite living right on the coast in a muddy rural area there is no visible rust at all and the underside is good too.
In contrast my treasured 1999 E46 BMW needs four new arches and has plenty of rusty stone chips all over.
Despite living right on the coast in a muddy rural area there is no visible rust at all and the underside is good too.
In contrast my treasured 1999 E46 BMW needs four new arches and has plenty of rusty stone chips all over.
Car Mechanics ran a well researched article on this a few years ago, based on visits to 3 scrapyards.(Can’t find it now, sorry!). The upshot was that French Cars did best overall I.e. 15 years no problem. The surprises were Jag x type and some BWM 3 series: both bad. Of course the expected cases of cars a few years old came up: Ford Ka and Puma and Mercedes during the Daimler/Chrysler phase.Also Golf3 wheelarches. For what it’s worth, for everyday cars I would recommend jet washing the underside, especially the arches and lips and not allowing the car to get filthy ,coated in dung/ farmyard mud or, worse, salty. Not sure most of us on here want to be crawling underneath with protectant.You are in effect buying time and obviously your home area will have an effect. No garage better than a damp leaky one with no through airflow.
Edited by Lester H on Thursday 13th May 09:32
V88Dicky said:
My old 3.0 X-Type is still on the road, according to the Gov.uk website. It’s over 15 years old and approaching 100k miles.
But then I remember every time I had the car on axle stands for oil changes, brake and suspension jobs etc, I applied a bit of rust proofing / under seal.
I quite liked that old girl
I loved mine, but it deteriorated quite badly quite quickly. I suppose once it bites in, its a slippery slope. I do live under a mile from the North Sea, though.But then I remember every time I had the car on axle stands for oil changes, brake and suspension jobs etc, I applied a bit of rust proofing / under seal.
I quite liked that old girl
It never looked like a basket case, either.
I have a 14 year old Renault Megane and that doesn't have a spot of rust on it. I just changed the rear brake pads last week and the caliper was spotless, the bolts undid easily and the brake pipes still have their green protective coating on. It still has the original exhaust and from the condition you would think it was a year or two old.
I know people tend to hate French cars on the whole but they certainly seem able to make a car that doesn't corrode at all. I suspect rust is never going to kill this car, it will die from a mechanical failure.
I know people tend to hate French cars on the whole but they certainly seem able to make a car that doesn't corrode at all. I suspect rust is never going to kill this car, it will die from a mechanical failure.
It depends... Under typical usage and cleaning, at least 20 years. Galvanised monocoques are pretty rust resistant provided they aren't damaged.
Cars get scrapped for the cost of replacing a single part these days, rather than declining to the point of being utterly shagged like in yesteryear.
There's a lot of cars like Mondeos, Vectras and Passats running round where a slipping clutch will put them BER. It's a key principal of bangernomics.
Cars get scrapped for the cost of replacing a single part these days, rather than declining to the point of being utterly shagged like in yesteryear.
There's a lot of cars like Mondeos, Vectras and Passats running round where a slipping clutch will put them BER. It's a key principal of bangernomics.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff