Rust on 3-month-old Mahindra XUV700 logo & badges

Find it quite strange to see rust occurring on such parts, especially on an almost brand new SUV.

BHPian nasir88 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Guys,

After I noticed rusting in a few screws last week, I have started observing the car more closely so that all issues can be escalated to Mahindra service in my next visit.

However, while rusting of bolts and screws is common, this week I noticed that rusting has started to come extensively on the rear Mahindra logo and "700" emblem.

Am sharing pics here as I found it quite strange to see rusting occurring on such parts (I was assuming these were plastic and not metal). Wanted to get inputs from all if this is indeed rust or some other type of degradation!? The car is being washed with plain water, and have not noticed this issue on any of my other/previous cars.

Of course, regardless of what it is, it's disappointing to see this happening on a 3-month-old car. Hope Mahindra is able to provide a prompt resolution.

Here's what BHPian DriveOnceMore had to say on the matter:

You are right, these are made of plastic and have chrome plating on the surface.

This is nothing but the poor quality of parts, get it replaced under warranty.

Here's what BHPian Abhikumar629 had to say on the matter:

I have seen this kind of chrome staining (not sure if it is the right term) happening when the vehicle is washed daily with boring water, STP treated water, or if you live in the coastal areas. My colleagues in Chennai used to face similar issues in their 6-month-old Maruti.

I would suggest you reduce the wash frequency. Start washing the vehicle yourself and if possible, use a water softener element.

As of now, you can claim the badges under warranty.

Here's what BHPian AJ56 had to say on the matter:

I’m not 100%, but chances are this is not rusting of the part itself but ferrous contamination deposits sitting on top of the electroplated chrome emblems that have rusted. As detailers we see dozens of new cars with such deposits as cars are often transported by rail and rail brake dust settles on the vehicle body and paint, glass and chrome parts are affected.

To remove simply use a high-quality ferrous remover like Carpro IronX or take it to your local detail shop, it’s a 10-minute job. Avoid using abrasives (like chrome polishes or compounds) as the chrome film is quite thin and it may wear off exposing the plastic underneath.

Here’s a before and after shot of a brand new Civic with the same rust deposits around all the emblems:

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