406 HDI 110 Rust / bubbling on front of bonnet?

[markj2210]

Hi

Was wandering if anyone else has had this problem.

I have a 53 plate 406 HDI that I bought about a month ago. Yeah I know I shouldn't of bought it with bubbling on the front of the bonnet but I needed a car and the rest of it was tidy. Other than that i'm well impressed with it. I have checked with the dealers from the service book and have no reason to suspect the mileage is incorrect, 71,000.

My question is, how long is the bodywork warrenty on the 406 and is it still valid after change of ownership?

Whats puzzling me is that there is no apparent chip that could have caused this. There are about 4 of them right on the front edge of the bonnet?

Any ideas on the cause of this and whether i'm likely to get it done on warrenty?

Thanks

Mark

[mjb]

Any sign of a re-spray job on the bonnet?

[markj2210]

I'm not an expert but it dosn't look like it. Can't see any differnce in the colour.

[Welly]

To be fair, Peugeots never really bubble or blister as all the bottoms of the doors, wings, leading edges, front bonnet are galvanised at the factory.

You may find it's had a new bonnet fitted.

I shouldn't panic, if the car is nice and straight with nice panel gaps and straight headlights then it may have had a minor scuffle and required some fixing. Unfortunately the bodyshops don't always apply paint and stone chip protection as well as the factory. If the replacement panel is a pattern part it will just start out as a black painted steel panel which relies wholy on the paint coat quality for rust protecion.

Lots of cars have minor damage in their life time and it's no reason to worry, as long as the car is otherwise fine. My sister has brand new cars every 3 years and keeps them in a garage. One day the garage door blew down and marked the bonnet, this required respraying and I could tell afterwards it had seen a sprayshop. Some would worry that it's had a front ender but in reality it was only cosmetic, you see.

[bargainbro]

Mark, you got any pictures of this "bubbling"?..There´s been quite a few cases I´ve read on a finnish forum about these rusting bonnets. In fact mine had rust on the engine side of the bonnet, right on the edge of. The reason: there´s an un(or poorly)galvanized section at the pointing there. The road salt, which they use A LOT around here, gets in there and...you know the rest...I know cases they´ve negotiated new hoods on the warranty even on 7 year-old cars. Why so? Because there´s no way a stone or something like that could have chipped the paint, so the rusting could have started from there. That´s why the blame falls on the manufacturer..I would definately bomb Peugeot on this matter. Doesn´t hurt at least to try.

p.s. My rusting bonnet was replaced two years ago to a new one...But the cost were paid by Shell...however, that´s another story..

[richteex]

Old post i know but thought id add a comment. Had a slight bump in 2004 and the bonnet was replaced by a repair centre. Rusted like f*** now on the leading edge, so much its got to the surface. Its right across the width. Do you rekon I can go back to the garage and ask them to replace cos surely a new bonnet should last longer than 5 years???? it was done through an insurance company but i cant remember which one without trawling through stuff


Rich

[HimBigChief]

Sounds like they've used a pattern part as they tend to rust much quicker than genuine panels. I don't think you've got much chance of getting it replaced as most parts would only be covered for 12months I would have thought.

Best bet would to be find a genuine bonnet in the same colour on something like eBay or at a local breakers.

[richteex]

Yeah. def not original. See, in my mind it should be rust protected for obvious reasons and should fit the purpose of use...... i would expect my car exhaust to rust in 2-3 years, and my tyres to be replaced every couple of years but i wouldnt expect to have to change my bonnet every 5 years. Its rusted along the front width and its lost quite alot of its rigidity...not sure its gonna last the year out.

Ive got no other rust to speak of on my car and thats over 10 years old know..... can you see ive got a bee in my bonnet lol
Think i might cause a fuss and see what happens......

[welshviking]

Mine is a 2002 and my bonnet was rusted right along the front, i actually blamed it on the headlight washers as the rust was coming from under the bonnet and when the washers spray the excess water ends up under the front edge of the bonnet. I got a bonnet of a 1999 Lx which had no headlight washers and the bonnet was perfect apart from 2 deep stone chips.

[Welly]

This is interesting as this bonnet rust seems to keep popping up on here

My original stone-chip peppered 1999 bonnet was completely rust free but maybe there's either some cost cutting at the factory creeping in now or otherwise maybe replacement bonnets from damage repair shops etc...

I suppose the 406 came with a 6 year? anti corrosion warrenty so any time after this we need to be on the look out for signs of the dreaded red oxide

I think owner up-keep has a huge part to play i.e keeping wheel arches clean, dobbing-in stone chips, regular washing and waxing etc.....

[richteex]

Yes I agree. looking after your car, waxing etc will make a difference. I try and deal with any deep scratches when they happen and generally the rest of the car is in pretty good nick.... although the bumper has taken a bit of a battering and coud do with a respray. I just think that a bonnet should last longer than mine has..... its very rusted now, in fact crumbling underneath at the front and i rehon thats taken a couple of years to get to that stage. so it probably started 3/4 years after it was fitted. Problem is..... do i put up with it or do i go to the expense of buying a new one (genuine) and having it fitted and resprayed which is problem gonna cost me £600+

Found the receipt fromt he accident repair company yesterday and will give them a ring to see what they have to say...... I can guess what it will be lol

[hammerman]

Mine has rusted bad from the inside out on the leading edge of the bonnet.Theres no metal left on the inside,it is that bad.The car was my Dad`s company car from new untill i got it in 2006,at 3 yrs old.No accident damage,well mantained.
I had no luck with Peugeot about the 6 yr body warrenty.As it has not been main dealer serviced since i`ve had it.
In the end a gave up trying to get a new bonnet from them.There have been some VERY heated debates with Peugeot uk.

[DaiRees]

I had no luck with Peugeot about the 6 yr body warrenty.As it has not been main dealer serviced since i`ve had it.

WTF has who changes your oil got to do with whether the bodywork goes rusty? Further proof that PugUK are dodgy bastards

[turbolag]

The 406 is not galvanised, contrary to legend (neither was the 405, or is the current 407, although the 407 has an aluminium bonnet and roof). It undergoes a zinc phorescent dip, which is a form of liquid primer paint and not a form of zinc plating.

As aforementioned above really, it's almost certainly due to water ingrees caused by road debris, possibly even with the chip too small to see with the naked eye. Alternatively, pattern panels are rarely fitted and treated to the same primer process, so this could also be the fault.

I know people will pop round by gaff tonight and cut the brake lines on my 407 for saying it again, but there is no way that the D9s paint finish is as durable as the D8s, and time is slowly and increasingly proving this to be the case.

[bangernom1cs]

I too have this problem on my D9, but more down to chips I guess and have seen many for sale (ebay etc) and on the taxi fleet with the same issues...makes me wonder but I do agree that the quality of fit and finish did deteriorate over the 406's lifetime imo. Shame on Peugeot I say. Not a problem but unsightly indeed.
Oddly enough my former two(96 & 98) high and very high mileage D8's and others don't seem still to exibit any of this this problem?

Many years ago we had a 92 Ford esc'rot' Mk5 which, like many, bubbled through from around the rear fuel filler and was sorted free of charge by Ford after 5 years and 10 months...the only stipulation was that the car hadn't been involved in accident damage and subject to an independent inspection. No service record neccessary. The entire rear quarter had to be changed. Strangely enough, Ford changed the body pressings on this model to a 'flap' about 4 years into the model run so there must have been a problem I guess.

Hmmm...

T