Ford Ka- Rust problem?

I passed my test about a month ago and am looking into getting my first car. I'm really keen to get a Ford Ka but I've heard that rust can be a problem with them because the paint is thin and its not galvanised, and can often fail MOTs because of rust. :s-smilie:

Has anyone had any experiences with rust on Ka's?

Reply 1

Landie_Man

9

I had rust problem with my old Fiesta. Under the wheel arches

Reply 2

Emma:-)

Entertainment Forum Helper

19

Original post by Raine

I passed my test about a month ago and am looking into getting my first car. I'm really keen to get a Ford Ka but I've heard that rust can be a problem with them because the paint is thin and its not galvanised, and can often fail MOTs because of rust. :s-smilie:

Has anyone had any experiences with rust on Ka's?

I dont have a ka but i do know they are bad for rust. They are just one them cars that rusts a lot. I wouldnt get one if i were you. Get something else. They rust a lot along the bottom of the doors. They also rust badly around the petrol filler cap- and the only way to get that sorted properly without doing a right bodge job is have the whole panel replaced. Im not sure about them failing their mot because of rust, but i wouldnt be surprised. At the garage where i brought my car from, my dad was talking to the bloke who owns the place (he is a friend of a friend) and he had one which he was selling. He was saying that he doesnt touch ka's unless he has to. My advice is get somethine else.

Reply 3

NOBODY MOVE!

14

kas are very well known to be rusty. usually under the doors, and around the petrol cap

there's one guy who lives along my street who owns a 2008 one that already had bad rust developing (not just one tiny bubble, but a massive patch along the frame/under the door).....barely 3 years old,and it's already started decomposing? damn.

Reply 4

CurlyBen

19

Original post by fosters88

The real bad reputation of the old mark1 Ka rusting has only just come about in the last few years because people use modern design as the baseline to compare and contrast.

I'm afraid that's not really true, the Ka does rust badly (as do many Fords, especially small ones). My brother used to have one and that died of rust at about 11 years old - not utterly rotten (and if I'm honest I think the MOT tester shouldn't have failed it on rust - he then offered to buy it off my brother to repair for his daughter) but enough around and about to be a concern. There's plenty of older cars that haven't had the same problem - I've had a pair of older 306s without a trace of rust - so I wonder whether Ford skimped on the galvanising. I'm not sure it's as bad as something Italian though :p:

Just to add my brother's Ka didn't have any significant damage and the paint work was in reasonable condition, so that's not the reason it went rusty. Also rust proofing isn't difficult - there's no great difference between modern chassis rust proofing and those of 15-20 years ago.

Reply 5

gingerrninja

1

I wont pretend that I know much about cars but the person that did the research for me for a car did point this out to me also they are pretty bad in terms of safety which might concern you :smile:

Reply 6

JC.

19

Yep, the bubble design all rust quite badly - it's a matter of when rather than if.
Check the sills and round the petrol cap.

Reply 7

LJ.

KA's are one of the worst cars fo rust. Definately.
The sills basically just rott and peel away if they are not regurlary coated in underseal (which their usually not).
The fuel cap is prone to rust aswell, an area where you cant apply underseal for obv reasons.
If i was you, I would have a good look in these areas + under the wheel arches before buying. Once you have, underseal it straight away.

Reply 8

Cay123

Original post by Emma:-)

They also rust badly around the petrol filler cap- and the only way to get that sorted properly without doing a right bodge job is have the whole panel replaced.

This isnt true, if you get a good mechanic who is good with body work then they can sort the rust without any problems and there is no need to replace the panel. Ford Ka's are not bad cars, they are actually pretty good first cars...

Reply 9

JC.

19

Original post by Cay123

This isnt true, if you get a good mechanic who is good with body work then they can sort the rust without any problems and there is no need to replace the panel. Ford Ka's are not bad cars, they are actually pretty good first cars...

Bull.
you can't replace rotten metal with fresh air.
If the panel has holed, the ONLY way to cure rust is to cut out the rot and weld in fresh good metal.
Any other "repair" is a bodge.

Reply 10

Erich Hartmann

13

Original post by JC.

Bull.
you can't replace rotten metal with fresh air.
If the panel has holed, the ONLY way to cure rust is to cut out the rot and weld in fresh good metal.
Any other "repair" is a bodge.

Wasn't there some liquid that you could apply to rust and it would turn it back into metal again?

Surely that would be sufficient to be used on the area such as the fuel tank filler on such a car? I mean we're not talking about a classic car here......just a jalopy?

Reply 11

JC.

19

Original post by Erich Hartmann

Wasn't there some liquid that you could apply to rust and it would turn it back into metal again?

Surely that would be sufficient to be used on the area such as the fuel tank filler on such a car? I mean we're not talking about a classic car here......just a jalopy?

KURUST? POR 15? Jenolite?
Yeah, loads of products. I've got a selection in my shed. That only stops the chemical reaction and stabilises the metal.

The trouble with the KA is that the bubbles round the fuel cap are caused by spray from inside the wheel well. Essentially the rot from the inside out. By the time you see a bubble, if you press it hard enough you'll make a hole.

Anyway, it's not like fabricating a little patch and welding it in is difficult / time consuming?

Reply 12

Erich Hartmann

13

Original post by JC.

KURUST? POR 15? Jenolite?
Yeah, loads of products. I've got a selection in my shed. That only stops the chemical reaction and stabilises the metal.

The trouble with the KA is that the bubbles round the fuel cap are caused by spray from inside the wheel well. Essentially the rot from the inside out. By the time you see a bubble, if you press it hard enough you'll make a hole.

Anyway, it's not like fabricating a little patch and welding it in is difficult / time consuming?

Ahh I didn't realize the rusting was from inside the wheel well, I was under the impression the reason for the leaks were due to spilt fuel which ate into the paintwork.

Not a welder or iron worker :smile:

Wouldn't know how difficult it is..... prefer leaving those tasks to people who know what they are doing :biggrin:

Reply 13

Cornish student

12

If you really want a ka then you could get the wheel arches regularly undersealed to protect it from rusting. Its a short job (literally like 15 minutes) and if you or your family know a mechanic then they will probably do it very cheaply. You can do it yourself with a paintbrush if you really want to save cash or just not get a ka at all :P

Reply 14

Emma:-)

Entertainment Forum Helper

19

Original post by JC.

Bull.
you can't replace rotten metal with fresh air.
If the panel has holed, the ONLY way to cure rust is to cut out the rot and weld in fresh good metal.
Any other "repair" is a bodge.

My point exactly.

Reply 15

Emma:-)

Entertainment Forum Helper

19

Original post by Cay123

This isnt true, if you get a good mechanic who is good with body work then they can sort the rust without any problems and there is no need to replace the panel. Ford Ka's are not bad cars, they are actually pretty good first cars...

Trust me, they arent.

Reply 16

JC.

19

Original post by Emma:-)

Trust me, they arent.

What are you running out of interest?
I only ask because I see you're not that far away from us (between alfreton and chesterfield).

Reply 17

zigzog7

16

My ford ka has rust in a few places, the worst being around the fuel filler and on the hinges on the back windows. Other than that it has been absolutely fine for it, it is a 51 plate, i have had it for a year and a half, and I live by the sea which kinda gives the best chance for rust to form. I found when I was looking though that black ones of a similar age seemed to be a lot rustier than other colours, one even had rust at the base of the A pillar. A friend of mine says that around that time a lot of companies were switching towards more environmentally friendly paints, but in some colours on some cars this caused bad rusting. So my advice is, avoid black ford kas.

To the guy saying they are bad first cars, I think they are fantastic, they handle brilliantly compared to a lot of other small cars, they are reliable, and I easily manage 45mpg out of mine.