GTI 12/2018 Bonnet corrosion

[Dark_cze]

I guess my car is cursed ... 22 months old and 36K km

[Dark_cze]

Well I took a better look when I arrived at home. Looks like washer fluid is getting caught around those stops inside cavity (there was light blue drip from opening on other side) and there is little bit of chipped paint. Both of those stops were completely screewed inside and didn't even touching rest of the car while bonnet was closed ... so I took them out and will be watchin it closely also will try to protect it better when I will have a chance to speak with my mechanic

//Also most of that orange/brown colour is on top of paint and I was able to clean it with rug

[Simonz]

The hole in the bonnet looks very jagged and not even, maybe some bare metal on the edges is starting to rust. The location is also vulnerable to road spray and salt anyhow.
Just keep an eye on it and monitor.
Anyhow according to your profile you have a manual transmission GTI which is a rare beast so look after it! - many DSG owners would love a manual version.

[Dark_cze]

Iam trying but VW doesn't really make it easy I already ordered new pure white paint from VW and few other things to clean all rust and protect it in future.

// Looks like it is just edge I will clean it better today before work.

[Andy Beats]

Anyhow according to your profile you have a manual transmission GTI which is a rare beast so look after it! - many DSG owners would love a manual version.

I can't imagine how much better the Gti would be with a manual box.

[Dark_cze]

I cleaned both sides, there is a bit of missing paint right on edge and a little bit of paint is lifting so it will get sorted next week but rubber stop will stay in glovebox most probably forever

I can't imagine how much better the Gti would be with a manual box.

Gearing feels a bit wrong. 1st is extremely short and 2nd extremly long.

[MilgeS]

I cleaned both sides, there is a bit of missing paint right on edge and a little bit of paint is lifting so it will get sorted next week but rubber stop will stay in glovebox most probably forever

quote="Andy Beats" post_id=576990 time=1603885816 user_id=27876]

I can't imagine how much better the Gti would be with a manual box.

Gearing feels a bit wrong. 1st is extremely short and 2nd extremly long.
[/quote]
Just out of interest, does your manual version "moooo" in reverse like the DSG's do? Hope you get your bonnet sorted before too much damage occurs

[Dark_cze]

Just out of interest, does your manual version "moooo" in reverse like the DSG's do? Hope you get your bonnet sorted before too much damage occurs

Yes but I got used to it.

[MilgeS]

Just out of interest, does your manual version "moooo" in reverse like the DSG's do? Hope you get your bonnet sorted before too much damage occurs

Yes but I got used to it.

[monkeyhanger]

I cleaned both sides, there is a bit of missing paint right on edge and a little bit of paint is lifting so it will get sorted next week but rubber stop will stay in glovebox most probably forever

I can't imagine how much better the Gti would be with a manual box.

Gearing feels a bit wrong. 1st is extremely short and 2nd extremly long.

The gearing on my manual Golf R was stupidly low, considering the power and torque on tap. The Polo.GTI+ DSG is 2400rpm in 6th at 80mph, the R was running 3100rpm in 6th at 80mph.

As a result, my R had decent fuel economy driving urban (30-50mph) but very poor motorway/highway economy.

[Andy Beats]

Our Fiat 500 has some rust underneath the bonnet too.
Presume it's cost cutting by bean counters, them figuring underneath the bonnet needs 5ml less paint than the outside.
Cost saved per year = ???

[SRGTD]

The paintwork in the engine bay and on the underside the bonnet on my 2016 Polo GTI was finished to the same standard as the rest of the car (primer, colour coat and clear coat). On my GTI+, I notice there’s no clear coat in the engine bay or on the underside of the bonnet.

VW would probably say it’s a weight saving measure in order to achieve lower CO2 emissions. I’d call it cost cutting.

[Dark_cze]

Iam kinda done with VW group as you said it is cost cutting. And they fit almost nowhere used rims and tires ... Middle finger to us

[Andy Beats]

I’d call it cost cutting.

Definitely.
Obviously I've no clue how much is saved per unit by using the bare minimum paint underneath the bonnet.
But even if it's as little as 5p per car, that's £500K per year saved....

[monkeyhanger]

Iam kinda done with VW group as you said it is cost cutting. And they fit almost nowhere used rims and tires ... Middle finger to us

They're probably all at it, I know my mate's wife's Honda Jazz is missing lacquer in places that shouldn't be noticed without scrutiny.

If it wasn't chucking it down I'd go and check my A4 out.

My 2013 Mk7 Golf GTD and 2015 Mk7 Golf R were definitely missing lacquer under the bonnet and in the area where the front door frame meets the front wing (that can't be seen with the doors closed), so it's not something they just introduced.

Presumably SRGTD's old Polo had lacquer everywhere because the cost cutting measure among VAG models came in during the model's life cycle, so they didn't implement it until the next new model came out.

The introduction of the MK7 Golf is when VW really seemed to be aggressively cost cutting. Ultra thin steel panels that flex easily when washing the car over a large span panel area, removal of under seat drawers and glovebox lick at facelift time, all the while the customer is experiencing rampant price increases. VW Golf prices increased 45% between the end of MK5 Golf production in 2009 and the end of MK7 Golf production in 2020.