[Bruceking07]

Hi my car is 6 years old. Today I noticed a strange thing occurring to my paint above the rear wheel. I believe this is the metal portion of the car too. Does anyone know why this is happening?

[Billfitz]

That's rust under the paint. It's a warranty item.
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1836992

[Bruceking07]

Billfitz Thank you, Will make an appointment with my local bmw dealer.

[CajunBMW]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

That's rust under the paint. It's a warranty item.
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1836992

+1. Good luck getting everything fixed.

[Bruceking07]

CajunBMW Thanks man.

[Desertnate]

Amazing to see rust bubbles on a car that new these days. I thought the automakers had finally figured out how to properly galvanize their sheet metal to keep it from rusting.

[CajunBMW]

Originally Posted by Desertnate

Amazing to see rust bubbles on a car that new these days. I thought the automakers had finally figured out how to properly galvanize their sheet metal to keep it from rusting.

I was thinking the same thing. But then again, in Louisiana since salt is hardly ever used on roads in the winter, since we hardly have a winter with ice and snow, we rarely have this issue.

[Desertnate]

Around here the roads will turn white with salt in the winter, but they still use the Sodium based salt (which isn't as effective in lower temperatures) vs the Magnesium based salt with I've heard is more corrosive.

Even with the differences you don't see many rusted out vehicles any more. Those with the rust around the wheel arches tend to be US-built trucks and Honda's from the early 2000's and just about any neglected vehicle from the 90's and older.

[CajunBMW]

Originally Posted by Bruceking07

Could aftermarket wheels cause this?

What does the inside of the wheel well look like. Did something bump, ding, bang, etc the inside causing an issue. That is, did the initial insult happen in the wheel well?

[Bruceking07]

CajunBMW No it doesn't seem like anything damaged the inside of the wheel well.

I went to the BMW dealership today and they're going to reach out to BMW NA. Hopefully they dont give me any type of push back.

[Desertnate]

This should fall right under the corrosion warranty as long as the wheel well hasn't been damaged. It's 10yr/100K miles right?

[garyfried]

I'm not saying that this is the cause of this problem but I see people using high pressure washers to clean many different types of articles including cars. Any stone chips or imperfections in the paint or surface will allow water to be introduced into the interior causing damage in the form of rot or rust. I do cringe when I see a nice car being treated in this manner and wonder how many dealers have this device in their shops.

[Bruceking07]

BMW said they're going to cover the repairs and is still working out the logistics. Will sanding out the rust and treating it fix this? I am a bit hesitant to have them do a direct replacement because it will require a lot of removing of parts.

[Billfitz]

That would work if they can sand out the rust. If it goes all the way through the panel it won't be that simple.