What can I do about corrosion on my car’s bodywork?
What are the main types of corrosion on a car body?
There are generally two main types of corrosion which can be found on a car’s bodywork. They are namely “surface corrosion” and “through body corrosion”.
Surface corrosion appears above or below the surface of the paint, but is always above the metal panel. It may be caused by a paint defect or stone chips allowing water to penetrate under the paint, resulting in a “bubbling” effect on the paintwork.
Through body corrosion is corrosion forming from inside a metal panel which is rusting from the inside of the panel and works its way through the panel from inside to out. It is often caused by a defect inside the metal panel itself.
If the bodywork is showing signs of corrosion, you may wish to contact the seller of your car to repair the issue under your sales contract in line with the Consumer Rights Act 2015, if it has been less than six years since you purchased the vehicle. Alternatively, you may wish to have it repaired by the manufacturer under the warranty, if the policy is still valid. In either case, you should contact the appropriate business by submitting a formal complaint in line with their dispute resolution procedure.
If you are unhappy with the final response of the business, or more than eight weeks has passed since raising the complaint with them, you may escalate the complaint to The Motor Ombudsman for further investigation.
Read our handy guide “Getting to know corrosion” for more information.