Audi's 12year corrosion warranty , who has experience with it?

[Ace]

Ok so Audi has their 12year warranty against corrosion.

Did anybody ever made use of it?

Got several rust bubbles spots on my car.
And since the body is mostly galvanized steel it should not happen.

Gotta have it fixed, but dealer is charging a ton.

[imnuts]

Dealer told me to bad so sad when I asked about rust on my car. Told me that it had work done previously and it was no longer covered and refused to show me their proof of my car having work done previously saying the information was "confidential". Needless to say, I don't visit that dealer anymore.

[gottaBdope]

Dealer told me to bad so sad when I asked about rust on my car. Told me that it had work done previously and it was no longer covered and refused to show me their proof of my car having work done previously saying the information was "confidential". Needless to say, I don't visit that dealer anymore.

Similar experience here. The water channels on my roof were rusting. They said warranty was void because my car had been repainted...I didn't argue it because it had a body kit with matched DG...which had nothing to do with the roof, the remainder of the car was untouched from factory. But I knew they wouldn't budge.

[Ace]

Damn not giving me much hope lol.

Having a body kit is a shitty excuse if you got rust on the roof.

[Scotty@Advanced]

Ok so Audi has their 12year warranty against corrosion.

Did anybody ever made use of it?

Got several rust bubbles spots on my car.
And since the body is mostly galvanized steel it should not happen.

Gotta have it fixed, but dealer is charging a ton.

I'm fighting this right now...

I took the car to the dealer Jan 2012 (120 miles away) and showed them the rust on the roof rails. They reply "Take it to a body shop".

So life happened and in August of 2012 I call the dealer and talk to the service manager. He then calls the Audi warranty rep and without even looking at the car, the Audi rep says no. I then tell him that's BS. His solution is to drop off the car until the rep can come and look at it... So I've not had a chance to live without the car for the 2 weeks it's going to take.

In the same conversation the Audi service manage said that the Audi rep stated "That has never happened, and he's never seen it". Which is BS, the problem is pretty well documented and I have 4 vehicles at the shop that are showing the same rust problems ON THE SAME PART OF THE CAR.

So basically Aud's rust warranty is the biggest crock of shit.

[LZ5L3.0]

hmm... i have a few bubbles on my roof by the rear passenger door. They've been on the car since I bought it 3 years ago at 49k. They haven't increased in size or anything, but still annoying. I totally forgot about the rust warranty until this thread!

[daihashi]

pretty long history of Audi not honoring this. There are so many loopholes it is near impossible to "qualify".

[Ace]

hmm... i have a few bubbles on my roof by the rear passenger door. They've been on the car since I bought it 3 years ago at 49k. They haven't increased in size or anything, but still annoying. I totally forgot about the rust warranty until this thread!

Got one there also.
Right side rear passenger door.

Gonna call some dealers around here tomorrow.
See what they got to say about it.
Should they say no i can always call Aud head office in Ingolstadt.

In my opinion if they state on their official website that there is a 12 year corrosion warranty they should come through on it.
I can understand they wont do it if the car was repainted at some point, and not offer it on aftermarket body parts.
But bumpers and skirts are not made out of metal, so not exactly valid.
The main body is made out galvanized steel, so if its still the original paint on there.
And there are rust bubbles forming, then they should step up and fix it.

[daihashi]

Got one there also.
Right side rear passenger door.

Gonna call some dealers around here tomorrow.
See what they got to say about it.
Should they say no i can always call Aud head office in Ingolstadt.

In my opinion if they state on their official website that there is a 12 year corrosion warranty they should come through on it.
I can understand they wont do it if the car was repainted at some point, and not offer it on aftermarket body parts.
But bumpers and skirts are not made out of metal, so not exactly valid.
The main body is made out galvanized steel, so if its still the original paint on there.
And there are rust bubbles forming, then they should step up and fix it.

From vwvortex's site, I've also seen it plastered across multiple UK audi sites:

it is true that vw/audi policy states that hey will fix your car, HOWEVER in order for it to be covered under warantee it must be through the hole panel. the rust/ corrosion must weaken the material to the point where it fails. its a small loop hole they have. if you repair and paint he rust spot yourself then you void the warrantee and assume all responsibilities to repair it in the future.

my reccomendation.

if its a small spot of surface rust. repair it yourself as the time it will take to get to vw standards will still be a while. if its a big spot still bring it to the dealership and have it checked out and they may cover it, it all depends on the mood of the inspector.

[Ace]

From vwvortex's site, I've also seen it plastered across multiple UK audi sites:

Wow if that's correct then that's a big ass scam from Audi.
So your best choice is to not do anything until your car is fucked up good with the rust spots.
Then go complain, but by that time they are probably replacing a entire panel.

Lets say this is the roof panel, which i have seen mentioned a few times already after searching around so seems a common spot.
Then they are spending more cash replacing that panel(tearing the car apart, putting new panel in, repaint etc...) that's messed up.

I would not be surprised one bit though.

[daihashi]

Wow if that's correct then that's a big ass scam from Audi.
So your best choice is to not do anything until your car is fucked up good with the rust spots.
Then go complain, but by that time they are probably replacing a entire panel.

Lets say this is the roof panel, which i have seen mentioned a few times already after searching around so seems a common spot.
Then they are spending more cash replacing that panel(tearing the car apart, putting new panel in, repaint etc...) that's messed up.

I would not be surprised one bit though.

To be fair, I've also seen posts that basically say they have had success; but those are far and few in between when compared to how many ties Audi has found a reason to not honor the warranty. Everyone agree's that it's pretty much a scam and BS.

[iamshayan]

To be fair, I've also seen posts that basically say they have had success; but those are far and few in between when compared to how many ties Audi has found a reason to not honor the warranty. Everyone agree's that it's pretty much a scam and BS.

the rust building on the underside seam at the back of my hood is from stone chips..........
Good luck.

[gottaBdope]

For all of you who have the rust bubbles...regardless of whether it's worsened over time or not, there is probably more rust damage under that bubble than you think. I decided to take care of my "little" rust areas, and as we dug, we discovered that the channels were riddled with rust. Much was just surface but there were a couple areas that we punch through...so don't let that shit sit, it'll get worse. Whether Audi honors it or not, it need to be taken care of.

[orangelmo]

I had bubbling just above my driver side door blade and roof rails. My tech took off the door blade to expose more rust then tried to make it look much worse by chipping at a small hole. Told me at least they'll be able to replace the whole door as opposed to fixing it. Had that plus the roof done earlier in the summer

I later found one on the inside part of the passenger fender but they wouldn't do anything about that due to it being started by a stone chip?

[WtA4WtQ5]

Had both front door skins and a fender replaced totally for free including all trim by Audi on my 2000 A4 in '09. Great paint job as well. Very impressed. We did buy the car new there. They had to have the AOA rep look at it. Holes under the black trim on the doors but only bubbles on the fender. Never in an accident. They said it shouldn't rust like that. They had the car for 2-1/2 weeks gave us a clean 03 A6 to use.
Bought (2) Audi's since then.

[diagnosticator]

I belive that the Rust through warranty, statement of Coverages and Exclusions/Limitations must explain in detail any exceptions that can void the warranty for specific rust occurrences. The same car can have covered and not covered rust through. The dealer and AoA cannot simply refuse the warranty arbitrarily. The reason for refusal must be included in the limitations of warranty statement, and the specific rust through claimed for warranty must be shown to be caused by an excluded limitation of the warranty coverage, as consistent with the technical facts involved. If not, Audi has no basis for refusing the warranty. An assertion by the dealer that the warranty is void overall because panels having rust through damage have been repainted, stated in speculation and not based on fact, cannot withstand legal scrutiny. The installaton of body accessories does not void the warranty for the entire car, only for mounting areas on the body. There must be factual evidence, physical or repair records from any source, that a panel has been repainted, otherwise the assertion has no legal standing. Different dealerships and AoA Reps, will interpret the warranty and specific rust through claims differently. Regardless of the above, it helps a lot avoiding dealer resistance, to make the warranty claim at the dealer that sold the car new, especially if the original owner.

[Scotty@Advanced]

I belive that the Rust through warranty, statement of Coverages and Exclusions/Limitations must explain in detail any exceptions that can void the warranty for specific rust occurrences. The same car can have covered and not covered rust through. The dealer and AoA cannot simply refuse the warranty arbitrarily. The reason for refusal must be included in the limitations of warranty statement, and the specific rust through claimed for warranty must be shown to be caused by an excluded limitation of the warranty coverage, as consistent with the technical facts involved. If not, Audi has no basis for refusing the warranty. An assertion by the dealer that the warranty is void overall because panels having rust through damage have been repainted, stated in speculation and not based on fact, cannot withstand legal scrutiny. The installaton of body accessories does not void the warranty for the entire car, only for mounting areas on the body. There must be factual evidence, physical or repair records from any source, that a panel has been repainted, otherwise the assertion has no legal standing. Different dealerships and AoA Reps, will interpret the warranty and specific rust through claims differently. Regardless of the above, it helps a lot avoiding dealer resistance, to make the warranty claim at the dealer that sold the car new, especially if the original owner.

I've been unable to find the wording for Audi's rust perforation warranty, other than it's 12 years blah blah do you know where I can get the verbage?

[Ace]

Got a appointment for monday, they going to take some pictures of all the spots then.
But after that they need to make a request in the regional head office.
They have to agree on it.

But they did tell me it has to be rust which goes through.
So some bubbles is not considered corrosion by Audi.
Slight detail they do not mention on their site.

If it is a common problem in those areas, they should not be able to decline the fix.

[daihashi]

I've been unable to find the wording for Audi's rust perforation warranty, other than it's 12 years blah blah do you know where I can get the verbage?

I found wording on Audi UK, but not for Audi USA... I won't lie; I didn't look too hard. I live in the south and we don't really have rust issues here. Out of sight, out of mind.. you know?

[imnuts]

I think a lot of getting covered is who looks at the car for you. The person that looked at my car was a total ass, and I stopped going to that dealership for anything just because the two times I have dealt with him (Service Manager), I have been less than pleased. I'm considering taking my car to two other dealerships that I know of, and am hoping that one of them would be willing to help me out.

[ddillenger]

Pull out your front inner fenders and look up. There is a block of foam that runs diagonally along the fender that traps sand, water, etc. I bet the top portion will have significant rust. Pull the foam off and throw it away! Prevents that problem anyway.

[diagnosticator]

I've been unable to find the wording for Audi's rust perforation warranty, other than it's 12 years blah blah do you know where I can get the verbage?

I have not looked in my Avant, but it should be included with the owners manual and service record. I checked the AoA website, and all it says is to obtain the details for the rust warranty from the dealership. That is annoying. The only reason it's not defined on the website, I think is because AoA want's to have the dealerships interpret and avoid claims as much as possible.

[Ace]

I think a lot of getting covered is who looks at the car for you. The person that looked at my car was a total ass, and I stopped going to that dealership for anything just because the two times I have dealt with him (Service Manager), I have been less than pleased. I'm considering taking my car to two other dealerships that I know of, and am hoping that one of them would be willing to help me out.

Yeah I guess that will make a difference.
I have to go to a other dealer for it also.

My original dealer is only doing VW and Skoda.
Some years ago they were forced to split up vw and Audi each a separate building.
So they dropped Audi as a dealer.
Still sell parts and such.
But they are no longer allowed to deal with warranty issues.

So I am forced to go to a dealer which I do not really like.
Had some bad experience with it when looking for a S/A5 few years ago.

[woofster]

I have a 2002 completely stock and some small bubbles started forming on my rear passenger side door, near the bottom earlier this year. I took it to my local Audi dealership, the manager of the body works came out, snapped a few photos, took down my odometer reading and said he was going to forward it to Audi of America but that it shouldn't be a problem and they'll simply order a new door when the requisition is approved. A week or so later, I get a call that it's been approved and the new door is on its way. They ask me to bring my car in when I can for about 4 days. They basically kept my existing trim and mirrors but swapped out the door itself. To be honest, it was pretty easy and stress-free. Good luck with your situation, I'd say try another dealer.

[daihashi]

I have a 2002 completely stock and some small bubbles started forming on my rear passenger side door, near the bottom earlier this year. I took it to my local Audi dealership, the manager of the body works came out, snapped a few photos, took down my odometer reading and said he was going to forward it to Audi of America but that it shouldn't be a problem and they'll simply order a new door when the requisition is approved. A week or so later, I get a call that it's been approved and the new door is on its way. They ask me to bring my car in when I can for about 4 days. They basically kept my existing trim and mirrors but swapped out the door itself. To be honest, it was pretty easy and stress-free. Good luck with your situation, I'd say try another dealer.

That's pretty sweet. Usually they have an Audi N. America rep comes to give the approval after inspecting it in person. What dealer was this? It might help some other people in this thread out that are from Canada.

[woofster]

That's pretty sweet. Usually they have an Audi N. America rep comes to give the approval after inspecting it in person. What dealer was this? It might help some other people in this thread out that are from Canada.

Hearing some of the other stories in this thread, I'm frankly surprised how difficult this has been for others. For those in the Toronto area, this was at Audi Midtown Toronto (http://www.audimidtowntoronto.com/).

[Ace]

I'll know how it ends for me in a few weeks.
They took pictures of each door and the roof all spots that have bubbles or are rusting already.

From what i could tell it would be a paint job though.
Because the guy just wrote down each door while only 3 have the problem.
Roof probably has rust already beneath the trim piece.

[subversion]

Disqualified based on "damage". There was a spot that had actual damage from the previous owner (a small scrape on the lower passenger door), they then used that to disqualify corrosion coverage on all the other areas of that were naturally rusting because poor build quality.

I wouldn't rely on corrosion warranty--it's just window dressing, not something that's often honored.

[woofster]

Disqualified based on "damage". There was a spot that had actual damage from the previous owner (a small scrape on the lower passenger door), they then used that to disqualify corrosion coverage on all the other areas of that were naturally rusting because poor build quality.

I wouldn't rely on corrosion warranty--it's just window dressing, not something that's often honored.

Wow, that is ridiculous. It's rather disappointing to hear that dealers would pick something so miniscule as a clause to the corrosion warranty.

I'll know how it ends for me in a few weeks.
They took pictures of each door and the roof all spots that have bubbles or are rusting already.

From what i could tell it would be a paint job though.
Because the guy just wrote down each door while only 3 have the problem.
Roof probably has rust already beneath the trim piece.

When I asked my local dealership about the corrosion warranty process, the manager said they'd have no choice but to replace the door. He clearly stated that re-painting is not the proper method to repair a rusted panel.

[DiertyEuroSpec]

When I asked my local dealership about the corrosion warranty process, the manager said they'd have no choice but to replace the door. He clearly stated that re-painting is not the proper method to repair a rusted panel.

^^

[Ace]

Well I had a call today from the dealer.
Audi approved to repair of 4 doors and the roof.
Thats what the guy put down on his request at least.

The catch is I got to pay 30% myself.
Which is supposed to be around 550$usd
If it truly is for the 4 doors and roof then I guess it's not that bad of a deal.

Going to the dealer on Monday to check what it is they will do.

[CyberPMG]

I've got some tiny bubbles on the lip of the wheel well arch on the fender. From reading everything here, it sounds like I'm stuck with it as it has been repainted before.

One guy said that while I could simply get it sanded down and repainted, it's better to get the fender replaced (including the foam stuff behind it). I've seen replacement fenders listed on eBay, but I'm not sure if they are as good as OEM (galvanized steel, proper fit, etc.). Also have to replace some of the window trim as the metal under the outer black layer has rusted and bubbled out too.

Guess I'll have to wait and see how my tax return looks to get these addressed.

[LilJoe]

All I can say is good luck. The two front doors on my car were destroyed, totally rusted through. I took the car to my local Audi dealer to have the Warranty honored and the rust fixed. I was told " if there is not a hole we will not fix it" to which I replied "get me a screw driver and watch me put a hole in it". They then told me a rep from Audi America would have to look at it and give the go ahead for it to be fixed. I was dicked around by the service department for months and just said fuck it sourced two clean doors took them to my friends body shop and had them stripped and painted. I never heard back from the service department and that was a year ago.

[Ace]

Well I set a appointment today.
Roof will be repainter completely.
4 doors will be done only at the bottom behind the doorblades.
So not completely repainted.

I should have checked behind the left and right fenders for any rust.
But without removing the cover removed there is nothing visible.

While I set my appointment, I was also told there was a recall on my coilpacks.
Something I was never told before.

[4Rings6Stars]

Bumping this to see if there is any more recent success or failure stories and if there is any advice on how to get Audi to honor the warrantee. I have rust at the bottom of both passenger side doors and on each front wheel well on my newly purchased 04. Going to give the dealer a call this week and see what they say...

[spliffdizzle]

Hey all, FNG here. I just picked up a 2003 A6 Quattro 2.7t and found out about the ignition coil recall. I have an appointment this Saturday for that, I'm going to ask about the rust warranty. I'll post up here what happens.

EDIT: They stated that typically the rust must go all the way through for it to be covered, but I asked them to take pics and submit it anyways, to see what would happen. I'll update again when I hear back.

EDIT 2: Just heard back and they denied my claim. Of course I expected this, but it can't hurt to try right? The spot is fairly minor anyway...

[larry_fopps]

My entire rear subframe is pretty rusty, and looks like its spreading to the actual frame of the unibody. Is that something that would be covered? 2002 A4 105,000 miles

[vdubbedgti]

Mine is going in for the two quarter panels to be replaced. They will only cover body panels if It meets certain criteria. And If it meets that criteria they will only cover a percentage. If the car is over 7 years it's 70%. Under it 100%. I had some other spots with
Issues (bubbling on my hatch) and they wouldn't cover that. It's going in, in a couple weeks. And it's the head office in Germany that decides. I'll take 70% coverage instead of nothing.

[4Rings6Stars]

Mine is going in for the two quarter panels to be replaced. They will only cover body panels if It meets certain criteria. And If it meets that criteria they will only cover a percentage. If the car is over 7 years it's 70%. Under it 100%. I had some other spots with
Issues (bubbling on my hatch) and they wouldn't cover that. It's going in, in a couple weeks. And it's the head office in Germany that decides. I'll take 70% coverage instead of nothing.

Have they already agreed to cover it or is it going in for them to inspect / send pics off to Germany?

Do you have any pictures showing the rust on your car?