Rusty new mini?

Saw a new style mini the other day 03-04 maybe. The back of the body was rusted through under the taillights and there were some big bubbles on the lower areas of the doors. Car seems pretty new to have holes like this, even for Michigan. Anyone else seen this happening?

Not yet, and I'm up in a rust prone area. Wondering if that was poorly repair collision damage.

The only rusty cars I see have Micigan and Ohio plates. I can't comprehend why such a new car can rust through so quickly. Could it have been wrecked and poorly repaired? Are there ANY new (er) cars that do not have protection from rust? I'm serious.

Maybe it's the heritage from the original Mini finally coming through.

My friend had a 2002 Jeep Liberty and the tailgate was rusting off it. I was very surprised. He had taken very good care of it.

And my father has a 2000 chevy cavalier that is a total appliance to him and I don't think he has ever washed, waxed, cleaned, buffed, vaccuumed, or wiped any surface on the car, and its just rusted all over the place.

So it doesn't surprise me that much to hear that the same thing happened to a mini. I haven't seen any like that though.

I live in Ohio, and haven't seen that....yet.

I love that my '91 318is has been in Utah it's whole life and has nary a spec of rust.

I've been in the MINI world since 2003 and haven't heard much griping about rust issues. Right now, the panic is over a bit of rust on the body seam under the lower door gasket.

My guess would be poor collision repair.

2002maniac said: I love that my '91 318is has been in Utah it's whole life and has nary a spec of rust.

I spent the first 25 years of my life living in Salt Lake and drove a CJ-7, 66 Mustang, 89 Toyota P-up, among other old cars, all during the dead of winter (the mustang was fun in 10 inches of snow) and the only one that ever really started to rust out from under me was a 95 Bronco. Amazing that the old ones lasted...

JFX001 said: I live in Ohio, and haven't seen that....yet.

Me too, and we have a lot of MINIs running around here. Might have to start looking closer at them...

Un-fixed bullet holes from The Italian Job.

I'm seeing a lot of 02/03 Proteges with rust through on the fenders.... FWIW.

Nathan

I wonder if flood damage or Katrina has anything to do with it.

NICE 2002 EXT cab Z71 came through the pick and pull as a cash for clunkers truck. Once the interior was stripped out I noticed that the floors, rockers, back of the cab, cab corners, parts of the firewall, etc. were rusted through.

THAT IMHO probably had to be a Katrina truck or something.

I've seen midwestern cars with the A pillars rusting through and all kinds of crazy stuff. I think once in awhile a car must get through with bad galvanizing on the steel or something...but honestly I don't really know, I am only guessing.

Chris

a great example of why I'll never buy a car from Chicago.

There are places in this world that just destroy cars.

My '03 Protege was just starting to show hints of rust when I traded it for the (rust free)Miata in '07.

Our '00 Villager is about to rust through the rockers right where the step is for both front doors. It looks fine underneath though, and we haven't washed it in 3-years.

My dad discovered rust near the convertible top on his 2006 MX-5 last week. Of course, he lives right next to the beach on the east coast of Florida.

Here in Ohio, I haven't seen a new Mini rust like that, though, and it does get bad here.

I have an 05 Mini, and the wife drives it, doesn't take the best care of it. Been an MN car its whole life, no rust.....

I've seen a few rusty P5s up here too.

has to be poorly repaired accident damage or flood damage. I have seen both destroy new cars in short order. My own Ti has a HUGE hole in the passenger side floor from badly repaired accident damage where they simply welded and never protected it.

guess what I am doing this winter

2002maniac wrote: I love that my '91 318is has been in Utah it's whole life and has nary a spec of rust.

Same thing with my lifelong North Carolina and Virginia '91 318is--zero rust. My '76 2002, however, is a different story.

like my italian car.. didn't the 2002 come with rust as an option from the factory?

I feel bad for you guys. I can't comprehend that kind of rust. I've got a 2000 Siverado and a 2004 Grand Prix, not a single spec of rust anywhere on either of them, and that seems to be the norm here. (Southern Alberta). We have winter, but it gets cold enough that it's not sloppy. Just snowy and icy.

Ian F wrote: My guess would be poor collision repair.

Has to be.