I purchased a new Fabia 12v hat SE on 31.01.2014 from the dealership Capitol Skoda in Newport South Wales.  The car itself has been a real delight, but there one concern that really bugs me - both of the rear brake drum covers have become rusty and unsightly.  I have spoken to the dealership and they tell me that may of the customers who purchased this model from this dealership at this time have queried the fact that this rusting started within 12 months of taking ownership of a new car.  I queried it with the dealership and they seemed very unconcerned but suggested at the second annual service that they would "clean" off the rust and if it came back I may have to consider painting the covers with a grey anti rust paint - as this was their only solution.  Since the cleaning at the end of January 2016, the rate of rust deterioration has accelerated and become a very unsightly problem.  I have looked into the provenance of this particular model and Webuyanycar website say this car was manufactured in 2010 - how can this be?

 

I have owned new cars most of my working life, many of which had rear drum brakes, but I have never known rust deterioration of this part at this rate before on any of my previous cars how ever many years old they were.

 

Yesterday, I was told by the dealership that they were out of suggestions and I should contact Skoda UK Customer Care.  I have now set this in train and they are investigating without accepting any blame or responsibility for this situation.  I put to the Case Manager this concern that I had purchased a car that on the face of it described as new was in fact 4 years old!  He wouldn't answer me to start with but in the end offered that the earliest date for this model was 2012 and any way Skoda could not and would not sell a car as new if it was already 2 years old!!

 

I have to wait another 48 hours before I can expect contact from my case manager as he needs to speak to the service department of Capitol Skoda.

 

Has any one experienced this problem?  How successful are the outcomes under this Skoda UK Customer Care system?  How long should I wait until increasing the anti?

 

Many thanks.

 

Anthony Mason 

All these cars are numbered sequentially wrt the VIN so a dealer could quite easily find out the week that that car was built, also engine serial number ranges are tightly tied to years/months of production, as will be all other large assemblies like gearboxes.

Rusty brake drums, yes I keep trying to keep the drums on my daughter's late 2009 Ibiza looking okay, what a waste of time, I have been using anti rust paint and covering it with grey underbody protection paint - nothing keeps the rust back I'm afraid!

Edited 12 April, 201610 yr by rum4mo

Cosmetic issue only. Wire brush, etch primer and top coat does me.

Mine before

Then an hours work

That was a 63 plate with 7k miles

Mine did the same.

Dealers or skoda wont do anythin. Even though its basically an unfinished product

Black hammerite should sort it. Whip the wheel off. Clean off the rust and paint it .

Not really an uncommon "Fault" with vehicles. Harsh environment, poor paint/coating, often needing re-treating every now and again. Hark back to older cars, with steel wheels and hubcaps... They all did it but it didn't notice. Nor will it behind large plastic wheel trims so no-one seems to worry too much. Alloy wheels though, with big holes to peer through and it spoils the aesthetics no end!

 

With hindsight, on purchase of a new vehicle, perhaps go to a good paint shop and get the offending parts shot-blasted, powder coated etc to last a lifetime. NOT THAT ONE SHOULD... Should be good enough to last many years in U.K. weather.

I've used dark grey Hammerite 'smooth' as mine were starting to deteriorate after 30K. I used this treatment on my old Polo's drums and they lasted about 3 years before showing signs of needing a top up.