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Rust on the doors of my 2015 Mahindra XUV500: Common problem?

29th September 2021, 18:18 by Rahul Nagaraj

Rs 26,000 per door is a huge expense for a six-year-old SUV depreciating in value.

BHPian farhadtarapore recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello all,

Need some advice here. The front doors of my XUV 500 (2015) have rusted considerably.

The service centre says they will replace the doors (costs about Rs. 26,000 per door!)

What can be done to rectify this? I am quite appalled by the paint quality used here. Does this have any impact on the car's safety?

Thanks in advance.

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

The corrosion is likely due to:
accumulation of water at the bottom of the door due to clogged drain slits.
poor metal treatment before painting.
vehicle used in a corrosive environment (this, however, would impact all-metal body parts and not just the two front doors)
Since your car is already six, I'd suggest you look for good doors in the same shade in the used car parts market. Remove all parts from the existing doors and put them into the replacement doors. I'm not sure about the XUV 500 but replacement doors at the service centre would generally be without the seal at the metal joint where the sheet is wrapped around the frame. The absence of this seal might raise a flag (eg. a car being involved in an accident) during the car's resale.

Here's what BHPian anjan_c2007 had to say on the matter:

Quite appalling to note in a comparatively new generation, not so old SUV.
Are you located very near any locality very close to the sea? Even within Mumbai or any other coastal town or city, the metal is more prone to rusting nearer the sea. I have had first-hand experiences with my brother's vehicles.
The metal and its treatment, the primer and the paintwork are much superior to the old generation cars that would start rusting from the fifth year onwards in such locations. The door glass and the door metal gap would have felt material in between, that was in the 1980s and 90's replaced with rubber. And water trickling down from here below to the inner door bottom would be starting the rusting process.
These days they use a very improved quality of rubber to very well seal the door glass- door metal gap for effective air conditioning and to prevent water seepage. Moreover, Mahindra uses it own company Mahindra Ugine's steel (cold rolled sheets) for its range.
Your case shows total negligence by the automaker as one or more batches would be prone to such rusting.
As regards door replacement, that's a costly option for a six-year-old SUV now depreciating in value.
I would suggest you get in touch with a good vintage car restorer who can do cosmetic surgery of the rusted portions, weld new metal, treat it and then apply paint matching the original. Vintage cars as rust buckets are routinely restored and with the fit and finish, these become fit as beauty pageants.
As a tailpiece, I would like to relate an incident from the 1990s. A friend's brand new M800 was parked in the open within his flat compound. Some burglars most likely with a dwarf, fat crowbar (used for housebreaking) tried to open the front passenger door. The crowbar made ugly dents defacing the door, but luckily the door did not open. These outlaws were professional house breakers, not car breakers. Else, every owner knows the strange ways used by thieves to gain entry inside an M800. Disturbed to the core, I comforted my friend. We went to the ASC. The insurance guy was available and with the SA they decided to help out. They said that it is an accident case that we are recording for insurance claims. Though the door could be repaired, the ASC replaced the door with a new one and insurance was claimed. The customer and ASC gained.
New door/s come by sometimes even when someone doesn't ask for one.

Here's what BHPian Bibendum90949 had to say on the matter:

Incidentally, I was just searching for any existing thread that highlighted the same issue. My friend was seeking advice as his uncle's XUV 500 is also facing the rusting issue. The car is 3 years old and under warranty, has closed parking and is not being used in a coastal place. Rusting is on all four doors. The owner is taking the car to the service centre shortly. Shall update on the progress. Few pictures.