Technical Underside Corrosion Protection

[Monkeyboot]

Hi all

Just wondered if any of you qubo owners have had a problem with the underside corrosion protection? I have had 2 Quibos now, the first I rejected for a whole heap of problems. Anyway the problem with the corrosion protection was to the rear underside where there is a hole for the breather panel (I guess), near the rear cross member. The holes had paint ripped off down to the bare metal both sides.

I had it fixed under warranty no problem, just thought you might like to know as this problem was on both of the Qubos.

 

[Ulpian]

Interesting. Corrosion I will not accept: period.

I am/was seriously looking at the Qubo as a next car. However, I want the new Multijet2 95 - or a Multiar motor, and so far these haven't been released, except for the 500 and GP. I'll leave it for now.

What were the problems you rejected the first car for by the way?

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

www.dinitrol.co.uk
If you want to keep the car for more than 3/4 years....

 

[Ulpian]

If you want to keep the car for more than 3/4 years....

Sorry Peter, it's not the seventies. No modern car should rust - under any circumstances. And I mean straight out of the box.

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

Well, this may come as a surprise for you, but actually new cars do rust more than ever....!!
Not the way they did in the seventies, but much more hidden these days.
Brake lines, suspension parts, steering components etc. are affected now.
And it's not only the less expensive brands or models, even premium brands like Mercedes Benz or BMW have massive corrosion problems on certain models!!!
Not to long ago all Fiat Punto's were affected by corrosion on rear brake lines...Fiat did a massive recall for it....

Whenever I buy a new car ( that''s actually between 1 and three years old) it gets a complete Dinitrol treatment, done at a Dinitrol ant-corrosion center ( www.gosliga.com)

 

[Ffoxy]

Well, this may come as a surprise for you, but actually new cars do rust more than ever....!!
Not the way they did in the seventies, but much more hidden these days.
Brake lines, suspension parts, steering components etc. are affected now.
And it's not only the less expensive brands or models, even premium brands like Mercedes Benz or BMW have massive corrosion problems on certain models!!!
Not to long ago all Fiat Punto's were affected by corrosion on rear brake lines...Fiat did a massive recall for it....

Whenever I buy a new car ( that''s actually between 1 and three years old) it gets a complete Dinitrol treatment, done at a Dinitrol ant-corrosion center ( www.gosliga.com)

My Grande shows no signs of rust (maybe some oxidisation of some alloy parts underneath) and that is now 3 years old with 55,000 miles on it.

Ditto Mrs Ffoxy's Stilo which is now 6 years old with 45,000 miles on it, and that is on UK roads treated annually to copious quantities of salt and "other" chemicals commonly deposited on UK roads... I do spend some time underneath both cars too checking this that and the other.

 

[Ulpian]

Peter,

Mercedes rust: friends of mine have had their E Class resprayed three times by the dealer, mostly under warranty. But Fiats these days are not rusters. My Doblo does have surface rust on some unions underneath, and on some suspension parts: it is six years old and has done 65000 English miles. We have the worst roads in western Europe and a hostile government which treats motorists as scum to be taxed and bullied. However, I reiterate, a modern car should not rust, not even underneath, and if it does we should flag it up. However, I think treating your brake pipes and suspension arms and linkages is a very good idea: I wish I had.

Fiat and rust have been unhappy bedfellows, and it nearly destroyed the company twenty years ago.

 

[Andy Monty]

Hi all

Just wondered if any of you qubo owners have had a problem with the underside corrosion protection? I have had 2 Quibos now, the first I rejected for a whole heap of problems. Anyway the problem with the corrosion protection was to the rear underside where there is a hole for the breather panel (I guess), near the rear cross member. The holes had paint ripped off down to the bare metal both sides.

I had it fixed under warranty no problem, just thought you might like to know as this problem was on both of the Qubos.

sounds like the place where the car would be fitted to the carrage system to move it through the factory

 

[Monkeyboot]

Hi All

Thanks Andy Monty, now I know how this has happened, when the car is removed it tears part of the underside corrosion protection off. No rust had set in because luckily I clocked it and had it rectified. It really is a easy fix, just thought you may want to check that this has not happened to yours before the winter sets in.

Ulpian sorry for the late reply, I hope they do release the Multijet 2 engine for the Qubo, but as they don't seem to be selling they might not. Apart from the corrosion protection none of the faults with the first vehicle have occured with the second, I guess it was a real classic Friday Car! Sorry I can't go in to too much detail, but solicitors were involved. The replacement car has been fine so far and has been a pleasure to own.

 

[Ulpian]

Thanks for the reply. Sorry about your first car though.

I think there are two reasons it isn't selling: one, it is too expensive, and two, it doesn't have a powerful enough engine. Add in the fact that there is no overhead storage, where there might be, and I guess that, like me, people are disinclined to buy.

If they want to get the Qubo moving they must include Multijet2 and Multiair engines, add the little storage refinements that cost practically nothing but make the car so desirable; and cut the price. At the moment the Qubo costs pretty much the same as the Doblo.

I know there is a new, more expensive, Doblo coming, but even so the Qubo is too dear.

Let's see what they do. They'd be mad to drop it. And don't forget, Citroen is selling its version with Citroen engines as well.

 

[Monkeyboot]

Thanks Ulpian. It was a tough process rejecting the car, but I am a happy owner now.

I agree that it is overpriced, but I wanted to own one as soon as I saw it, I nearly bought a Fiorino Combi in December last year, but I thought I would wait till after Christmas and I am glad I did, I had no idea the Qubo was on its way.

I deffo think it could do with a bigger engine, but I have got used to it now, having driven 1600 petrol engines before. It could also do with over head storage. I see Pegeout are selling their version now called the Bipper Tepee. It looks OK but there is just a little bit too much black plastic for my liking. Diesel engine is no more powerful either.

I am eager to see what Fiat do with the Doblo lets hope they make a fine vehicle even better.

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

A lot of basic ( Fiat) models, specially the "van" or commercial versions, have a totally lack of rust proofing today.
Even the no rust- warranty is usually much shorter than other non commercial models.
The manufacturers only rely on better build quality, but save on factory wax treatments etc.
A new owner can ad many years of life to his car, by giving it a proper anti-rust treatment.
My Brazilian made, 1993 Fiat Fiorino Pick-Up 1700 Diesel had two full treatments during his life sofar, the first when it was brandnew (Waxoyl), the second (Dinitrol) when it was 8 years on the road.
Now it is 16 years old, in service every day, and is (almost) rust free!!!!

 

[Ulpian]

I am eager to see what Fiat do with the Doblo lets hope they make a fine vehicle even better.

There are driving clips of the heavily disguised new Doblo on the net. I originally believed it might be a version of the new Berlingo, but studying the door glasses and side door runners (sad or what!) I conclude it is Fiat's own. It does have a longer wheelbase and rear coils, however. These two are not unrelated since a long rear overhang is currently necessary to accommodate the leaf springs. The new Doblo should be a very good car, but at what price?

The Qubo looks great and the seating position is brilliant. A like it, a lot. The Citroen version is dull indeed; a sea of light grey, and it doesn't seem to be selling well either. For a couple of thousand more there is the C3 Picasso! Interestingly the Fiat and Cit/Pug versions all have practically identically powered engines, of whatever fuel, and I can only conclude that a deal was struck between them not to be too competitive. It hasn't worked.

I also notice there is no mention at all of Fiat or Alfa in today's Telegraph. Fiat needs to get its publicity hat on pronto, and think harder about spec and pricing.

Looks like we'll all have to wait until Geneva now for anything more interesting...

just finished reading the paper, and it looks like the pound is heading for parity with the Euro. This will put up prices if nothing does, but, the Qubo and Doblo are built in Turkey, and the pound is only slightly down against the Lira, so 'our' cars should not be too badly affected. Some hope!

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

The (new) Doblo is made in Turkey (Tofas) and Poland (FSO) not in Italy at all, so it should not be to expensive, what makes it probably costly is the conversion to rhd....!!

 

[Andy Monty]

Hi All

Thanks Andy Monty, now I know how this has happened, when the car is removed it tears part of the underside corrosion protection off. No rust had set in because luckily I clocked it and had it rectified. It really is a easy fix, just thought you may want to check that this has not happened to yours before the winter sets in.

Ulpian sorry for the late reply, I hope they do release the Multijet 2 engine for the Qubo, but as they don't seem to be selling they might not. Apart from the corrosion protection none of the faults with the first vehicle have occured with the second, I guess it was a real classic Friday Car! Sorry I can't go in to too much detail, but solicitors were involved. The replacement car has been fine so far and has been a pleasure to own.

It was the same on my Grande punto blathered it in Dynax (which is still holding up (supprising really as its intended as a cavity wax) its still in the wheel arches where i sprayed it last year

will get some of the Bilt hamber UB when i have some spare cash and do it properly

 

[french bean]

Bit confused Following the debacle with Lancia and other Italian cars corroding, Fiat introduced the Tipo with a fully galvanised body and I thought since then, all Fiats were galvanised, after all, when was the last time you saw a rusting Fiat?

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

Maybe the Tipo was, but today only the more expensive Fiat models are only part galvanised......
F.i. the (classic) Panda, build in to the nineties WILL rust, the commercial models like the Fiorino, Ducato etc, even build after about 2000 WILL rust...etc. etc...
Botomline here, extra anti-rust proofing is in my opinion necessary more then ever!!!!
Btw it's said before, it's not only Fiat with corrosion problems, look at early Ford Focus+ Fiesta, early models Opel/Vauchall Astra+ Vectra etc. etc....

 

[alfabarry]

Maybe the Tipo was, but today only the more expensive Fiat models are only part galvanised......

Really? Which ones? The most expensive Fiats of all, Alfa Romeos, are certainly only part galvanised. I know this having seen the floor of my accident-free owned from new C21st 156 disintegrate into brown powder.. friends with mid-1990s cars (Ford and VW), that have never seen a welding gun, or a drop of dinitrol/waxoly (or even polish!) are understandably laughing at me....

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

You hang out with the wrong friends.....

Anyway, the former model Punto was part galvanized, all models Palio are part galvanised....and they are not top of the line models at all!!

Btw, Ford recalled the Focus for corrosion troubles some years ago, but I guess your friends wouldn't talk about that....to embarrassing, I think :devil:

I have a 1983 Alfa Romeo GTV-6 2,5L which I gave a complete Teroson treatment myself back in 1988, and it's completely rustfree, looking like new today, (although I never drive it in winter...).

 

[alfabarry]

Btw, Ford recalled the Focus for corrosion troubles some years ago, but I guess your friends wouldn't talk about that....to embarrassing, I think :devil:

Actually these particular friends don't gloat about Ford and VW as such (they're just not that interested in cars), rather they think it funny that I am suffering in spite of taking an "unhealthy" interest in what I drive and doing "crazy" things like getting cars serviced and spending real money on them.

The Focus is of course, like the 156, a millennium era product. And I've heard of a 2000 Polo failing MOT with rust. So perhaps this is an issue about cars getting LESS rust resistant. My friend's 1996 Escort is still sailing through MOTs in spite of at least a solid decade of studied neglect (he bought it secondhand in 1999). And the MOT garage that failed my 156 told me it was the newest car they'd ever seen fail the test for rust.

Perhaps the whole industry is falling back into its bad old pre-1990 ways. I love the fact that the 156 is galvanized everywhere except the floor, the main bulkhead and the roof... just about the three most important bits structurally, but with the car looking superficially great right up to the death sentence

Bit worrying to hear that the Qubo, because of its commercial origins, might be even less well protected than other Fiat cars. I suppose the idea is that nobody's expected to keep the things for as long as a decade.. after all if I'd swapped my 156 at say, 8, instead of 9, I'd have carried on in the folly of thinking that rust was a problem of a bygone era....