Rusty wishbones on 2009 Elise,

[Bebee]

Too much, acceptable?

What should I do? The car is kept in a dehumidified garage every night, and is used only in dry weather.

[GKP]

Cosmetic.

[Bebee]

GKP said:

Cosmetic.

On a 2009? What will it be like in another 22 months?

Another with pics here:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[worldwidewebs]

I had the same (2008) and can vouch for the fact that it's not cosmetic - Guglielmi's agreed and said it was shocking. There was another car on SELOC that had the same issue and Lotus replaced the wishbones. They refused to replace mine and is the reasons why this is my last Lotus and I'll be going back to Porsche.

For what it's worth, here is the name and address of the "customer service" bod you need to speak to:

Neil Turner
Head of Customer Services
Lotus Cars
Group Lotus plc
Potash Lane
Hethel
Norfolk
NR14 8EZ

[Scuffers]

it's a complete joke really, when you consider how little it costs to plate them properly (vs. doing it badly), Lotus really should have delt with these issues years ago.

can imagine them trying to go up-market with this kind if build issues?

[Bebee]

worldwidewebs said:

I had the same (2008) and can vouch for the fact that it's not cosmetic - Guglielmi's agreed and said it was shocking. There was another car on SELOC that had the same issue and Lotus replaced the wishbones. They refused to replace mine and is the reasons why this is my last Lotus and I'll be going back to Porsche.

For what it's worth, here is the name and address of the "customer service" bod you need to speak to:

Neil Turner
Head of Customer Services
Lotus Cars
Group Lotus plc
Potash Lane
Hethel
Norfolk
NR14 8EZ

Nice one, just what I was looking for, cheers.

[Bebee]

Scuffers said:

it's a complete joke really, when you consider how little it costs to plate them properly (vs. doing it badly), Lotus really should have delt with these issues years ago.

can imagine them trying to go up-market with this kind if build issues?

I hear what you're saying but we all know how Lotus will still sell cars by name alone.
Most of us put up with it, while others move on to another marque.
The wishbone plating issue is not enough to put me off Lotus yet.

'I've got a Lotus' sound's great that!

[MrSimba]

Mine (Dec 08 Elise) look exactly the same as that on the front, the rears are ok but they are more shielded from he elements I guess by the trays?

Same as on my Exige and my VX220 so it's a TADS as far as I'm concerned, I kinda expect a Lotus to do it just like condensation in the lights they should have sorted that a long time ago but every one seems to have the same problem!

[VTECMatt]

They look like my wishbones off my MY97 S1 Elise, nice to see quality control has improved, not.

[S Works]

Bebee said:

I hear what you're saying but we all know how Lotus will still sell cars by name alone.
Most of us put up with it, while others move on to another marque.
The wishbone plating issue is not enough to put me off Lotus yet.

'I've got a Lotus' sound's great that!

Yes it does, but I bet you'd be saying differently if you were told "I'm sorry sir, but we have to replace these" and given the bill for it. It's completely unacceptable and Lotus should take the bull by the horns and resolve it. But I bet they won't. As Scuffers rightly says, this won't be tolerated when they start pushing up the market.

[Bebee]

S Works said:

Bebee said:

I hear what you're saying but we all know how Lotus will still sell cars by name alone.
Most of us put up with it, while others move on to another marque.
The wishbone plating issue is not enough to put me off Lotus yet.

'I've got a Lotus' sound's great that!

Yes it does, but I bet you'd be saying differently if you were told "I'm sorry sir, but we have to replace these" and given the bill for it. It's completely unacceptable and Lotus should take the bull by the horns and resolve it. But I bet they won't. As Scuffers rightly says, this won't be tolerated when they start pushing up the market.

You might be right, I'll see how I feel after I speak to Lotus HQ, if they honour it and replace FOC, as they have done for others, it might make me feel even better than I do about owning a Lotus.

[chris7676]

Funny thing, I kept my 99 Elise on the street and they looked better.

[Scuffers]

chris7676 said:

Funny thing, I kept my 99 Elise on the street and they looked better.

Yes, the early ones seem to actually have better plating.

[GTRene]

you wouldn't expect that on such "new" car...
that looks more like a rusty old TVR/noble (some parts) chassis.

you would think, hey my Lotus doesn't rust, its got a alu chassis and a "plastic" body...
and probably the parts that could rust are well protected with proper plating because there are not so many and when you do it then do it good.

[worldwidewebs]

I think it's just a bad batch, rather than them all being bad nowadays. But Lotus "customer service" really is a very bad joke.

[bordseye]

Surely they are painted not plated.

[Scuffers]

bordseye said:

Surely they are painted not plated.

in your dreams.

passive zinc plated, but very cheaply.

[Herman Toothrot]

My 2002 vx220 that has lived outside every day of it's life had no rust on it's wishbones last time I looked when changing brake pads this summer. Uprights were paint free and total rust but wishbones and dampers looked like new. They looked to have been wiped over with oil / grease when new.

[polus]

As Scuffers said; plated badly! My 2002 wishbones and hub carriers looked terrible. Re-plated then painted now so looks all new

[Bebee]

Bebee said:

worldwidewebs said:

I had the same (2008) and can vouch for the fact that it's not cosmetic - Guglielmi's agreed and said it was shocking. There was another car on SELOC that had the same issue and Lotus replaced the wishbones. They refused to replace mine and is the reasons why this is my last Lotus and I'll be going back to Porsche.

For what it's worth, here is the name and address of the "customer service" bod you need to speak to:

Neil Turner
Head of Customer Services
Lotus Cars
Group Lotus plc
Potash Lane
Hethel
Norfolk
NR14 8EZ

Nice one, just what I was looking for, cheers.

Update:

On 26th March, I sent an email to
Neil Turner
Head of Customer Services
Lotus Cars
Group Lotus plc
Potash Lane
Hethel
Norfolk
NR14 8EZ

No responce via email!

So I sent the same message via the Royal Mail, still waiting.