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How is 2 samples 100%?! Lol. Out of the tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of G wagons sold since 1979?!
not sure where you went to school but 2 for 2 is 100%. all 3 newer low mileage G63s I looked at had same rust issues.one of the white ones was a 2016!! Everyone in here can go look for themselves on their own vehicles. If you live in the salt belt expect this result. Proof is proof.
Originally Posted by JD101b
Read the entire thread and look at the pictures.
A guy who owns a Mercedes collision center even commented that this is a very common problem, and it is due to cheap materials/build quality.
Sorry bro but one guy in one bodyshop is not exactly evidence of a widespread problem. I agree that it should not happen at all; but we don't know how these previous owners treated the cars. For instance, most after-market rustproofing is actually worse for metal than not using any. Or perhaps these are repainted panels that were not adequately prepped prior to wash.
So does the shoddy metal work and metallurgical quality change from vehicle to vehicle?
not sure where you went to school but 2 for 2 is 100%. all 3 newer low mileage G63s I looked at had same rust issues.one of the white ones was a 2016!! Everyone in here can go look for themselves on their own vehicles. If you live in the salt belt expect this result. Proof is proof.
Bingo
You obviously didn't learn much at school. You're implying that only 2 G wagons have been sold. Ever. And that lo and behold you've seen both of them and they all (100%) had rust! So you found 2 G wagons with rust. They've probably built more than 100,000 G Wagons. FYI - that's .002%
I love the original W463 G wagons, but you have to remember that most of the body work was designed and engineered in the 1970s. No matter how much galvanization you do or expensive material you use, if the design is prone to rust, it will rust. It will also accelerate if the car isn't kept clean of salt or you are near the ocean. In fact, even stainless steel will rust if in proximity to the ocean.
I think everyone wants to have their cake and eat it too; everyone wants the old-school build of the g wagen but none of the issues that come with it.
I have a 2013 G550, we had rust on the rear doors where the hinges attach. We had it repaired under warranty. The car spent its first 3 years in Chicago. Since it's been in Seattle and repaired we haven't seen any more rust. We even had the windshield replaced and there was zero rust (but there was water present under the gasket.) It also has the cracking in the body seams, but no rust yet.
We just got a new 2020 G63 and you can tell right away that all the changes in the body & frame design will help to prevent rust. There are no more seams in the body panels, there are no random open holes in the frame. There are more gaskets around the doors, the rear door hinge gasket looks to actually seal out the weather. No more glass gaskets, etc.
The reason you don't see huge rust holes in the side of cars anymore in the rust belt isn't because they are just galvanizing the steel but because of innovations in how cars are designed.
Also, aluminum isn't free from this issue and oxidation on aluminum isn't some good either. Ask anyone who has a LR Defender.
You obviously didn't learn much at school. You're implying that only 2 G wagons have been sold. Ever. And that lo and behold you've seen both of them and they all (100%) had rust! So you found 2 G wagons with rust. They've probably built more than 100,000 G Wagons. FYI - that's .002%
you implied. I said 2 out of 2 that I looked at had the same door hinge rust....that’s 100%. I stopped at the 3rd when I saw the rust on the trunk door hinge...which has also been documented here. So guess that would make 3 for 3 with rust issues and still 100%
you implied. I said 2 out of 2 that I looked at had the same door hinge rust....that’s 100%. I stopped at the 3rd when I saw the rust on the trunk door hinge...which has also been documented here. So guess that would make 3 for 3 and still 100%
Not to belabor this - it's not 100% of the total # of G wagons produced. That you've looked at 2 or 3 doesn't really matter... unless you've looked at hundreds or thousands, then I agree we could say it's a common enough problem to be concerning.
Anyway, the warranty in the US for surface rust is 4 years or 50k miles. Best bet for everyone is to get it fixed right before the warranty ends. Or just buy the new generation.
Not to belabor this - it's not 100% of the total # of G wagons produced. That you've looked at 2 or 3 doesn't really matter... unless you've looked at hundreds or thousands, then I agree we could say it's a common enough problem to be concerning.
Anyway, the warranty in the US for surface rust is 4 years or 50k miles. Best bet for everyone is to get it fixed right before the warranty ends. Or just buy the new generation.
Your words...not mine.
100% of the ones I looked at had serious rust issues.
Bolded the important part for you...thank you for admitting the problem 😉
Anyway, the warranty in the US for surface rust is 4 years or 50k miles..
I'm curious where you found that information. My 2010 G55 was very problematic and after searching exhaustively I ultimately concluded that any language specifically referencing rust/body corrosion was deliberately omitted in all materials and I could not get a straight answer from anyone on this issue. Dealer did fix a major problem after initially attempting to skirt the issue.
I'm curious where you found that information. My 2010 G55 was very problematic and after searching exhaustively I ultimately concluded that any language specifically referencing rust/body corrosion was deliberately omitted in all materials and I could not get a straight answer from anyone on this issue. Dealer did fix a major problem after initially attempting to skirt the issue.
I spoke to my mechanic today who is AMG certified and knows his stuff. He said the new generation is completely redesigned when it comes to rust protection.
And I noticed what could be sacrificial anode plates between the metal hinges and the body, check it out:
I've been doing some investigatory work on G-class rust...this issue is hugeeeeeeee. Stay tuned.
Ah, it’s not huge by any means. This forum would be full of rust posts if it were, and it’s not.
And you’re talking about the old chassis, not the W463.
I have a brand new UK spec G63. I'm pleased to see that there are quite a few updates as above to stop it rusting. In particular, I'm pleased to see that the rubber seals around the windshield and rear windows have gone and the glass is now bonded directly to the frame without any water traps.
But to be on the safe side, I've had it rustproofed with Dinitrol (Swedish product to protect from their salt lined roads). Work done as per the invoice by Pro-tect Services in the UK and utterly first class quality:
Not everyone with car problems goes online to complain about them.
Yes I am talking about the old model which too is the W463. And that is no excuse for these problems.
I don’t know why you have a pickle up your you know what over this. MBWorld is the biggest MB forum by far. If it was a problem, big or small, it would be well represented here — especially given the ~40 year run of the W460 and 461.
And you should brush up on your facts if you’re going to post here, the W463 is the second generation, with almost nothing in common with the previous chassis.
I am annoyed because MB decided to go cheap with the metal/paint on this $100k truck. No car, made within the past 20 years (especially such an expensive one!) should rust like this, and we have seen it happen dozens of times. A collision center owner has even testified to the cheapness of the metals used. If you choose to ignore that, that is your prerogative, but don’t expect others to feel the same way.
As for your quip about the chassis code, the previous and current G-class were both labeled W463. From Wikipedia: “Despite all this, the vehicle visually differs very little from the W463 and the previous model code (W463) was retained.”
I hear that your annoyed and you have every right to be. I also agree that even 1 case of rust on a not that old G is too much. But let’s not blow it out of proportion just because you’re annoyed.
On Wikipedia I read that the W463 refers to the 2018- model year.
There are widespread rust issues on these cars, in particular the windshield frame. There is a design flaw that causes it to hold water which leads to rust even with vehicles away from salt. A 2008 G55 that was a California car and otherwise rust free had a big bubble by the windshield gasket, and a 2011 G55 that was in Arizona its whole life also displayed corrosion in the windshield frame. My neighbor has a 2016 G63 AMG that is garage kept and hadn't seen rain or water in 3+ months, and upon pulling the windshield gasket outwards water poured out.
Mercedes is not willing to take responsibility for the issues and simply shrugs at it. These are cars from salt/snow free areas, as shown in some examples earlier in this thread when exposed to those elements many more weak points become exposed. I'd urge any G owner reading this thread to investigate the area surrounding the windshield gasket, and at a minimum after the vehicle is exposed to rain, or after a wash make sure no water is trapped in there. Perhaps with enough owner complaints Mercedes will decide to step up and handle the issue. At one point they offered a 10 year corrosion warranty in certain parts of the world, but it would appear not the US.
There are widespread rust issues on these cars, in particular the windshield frame. There is a design flaw that causes it to hold water which leads to rust even with vehicles away from salt. A 2008 G55 that was a California car and otherwise rust free had a big bubble by the windshield gasket, and a 2011 G55 that was in Arizona its whole life also displayed corrosion in the windshield frame. My neighbor has a 2016 G63 AMG that is garage kept and hadn't seen rain or water in 3+ months, and upon pulling the windshield gasket outwards water poured out.
Mercedes is not willing to take responsibility for the issues and simply shrugs at it. These are cars from salt/snow free areas, as shown in some examples earlier in this thread when exposed to those elements many more weak points become exposed. I'd urge any G owner reading this thread to investigate the area surrounding the windshield gasket, and at a minimum after the vehicle is exposed to rain, or after a wash make sure no water is trapped in there. Perhaps with enough owner complaints Mercedes will decide to step up and handle the issue. At one point they offered a 10 year corrosion warranty in certain parts of the world, but it would appear not the US.
It is the 2011 G55 from Arizona. It has a small spot of corrosion that is visible with the gasket pulled back, slightly smaller than a dime. Annoying as I specifically sought out an example from a dry area to avoid rust, and it wasn't caught in the PPI. The rest of the car, and underside is spotless. Had it checked at the local Mercedes dealership to see if it would be covered by a corrosion warranty, and after a week they declined to do anything about it.
They did agree it's an issue, and a tech made reference to seeing corrosion in the windshield gasket areas on other G-Wagons, and this is in San Diego. Mercedes of San Diego recommended I pursue having it fixed, but their body shop does not cover any corrosion repairs so recommended I go elsewhere. No recommendation of where else to go was made.
The reality is I keep the gasket dry now and it's likely a non-issue if you stay ahead of it, but something to be aware of on these cars. I am sure there are other areas that are weak points as well.
Not to add fuel to the fire buy my 2010 g55 was without a doubt prone to rust issues and my anecdotal research supports that its a more widespread issue. Unless you have first hand experience I'd say its probably best to let those doing the legwork perform their research and present their findings. I'm very curious the findings myself.
I just finally checked today now that I am home for the holiday. The only place there is a little rust on my truck which is a 14 with 59k miles is the hinge. A very few bubbles just starting. Doesn't look that bad at all compared to the pics.
I've been doing some research on the G-class rust issue. I've wanted to gather evidence to show that this is a widespread problem rather than a small one. I've been eating out to dealerships inquiring about G550's and 63's and asking them to send me close up pictures of known problem areas. I reached out to a total of 20 dealerships, and ten got back to me with clear pictures (five never got back to me, and five sent me low quality photos that made it impossible to determine if there was rust present or not. Out of the ten that responded to me, 7 have visible oxidation problems. The MY's range from 2014 to 2016 and the mileage from 35k to 51k. I'll be reaching out to another 20 over the next few weeks or so to get a more comprehensive body of data:
2014 / 40k miles:
2016 / 36k miles:
2014 / 38k miles:
2016 / 49k miles:
2016 / 40k miles:
(There is another small rust spot on the lower hinge but I cannot get the picture to load)
I currently have 260K miles on a 2004. I've notice rust on the lower rocker panel above running boards. but the arrear showing the most rust is under the G at the back where the black bar behind gas tank. I've replace the left side shock arm for rear. waiting for right side to rust out also. I was wondering if I could have the whole black bar replaced ? I noticed to body mounts connected. I would love to take the body from the frame repair these problems and keep on driving. Thanks for all the suggestions offered. 2004 G500.
I currently have 260K miles on a 2004. I've notice rust on the lower rocker panel above running boards. but the arrear showing the most rust is under the G at the back where the black bar behind gas tank. I've replace the left side shock arm for rear. waiting for right side to rust out also. I was wondering if I could have the whole black bar replaced ? I noticed to body mounts connected. I would love to take the body from the frame repair these problems and keep on driving. Thanks for all the suggestions offered. 2004 G500.
Awesome! I hope to get to similar mileage on mine!
11-21-2019, 04:01 PM
